Week 6: Willpower Boost

Just enhance your willpower to resist temptation. 

It’s not one of those new-agey things where I advocate sitting under crystals and chanting “Ohm”, or waxing lyrical about chakras and energy.




It’s about doing things. Things that aren’t necessarily fun – like crawling like a lizard or jumping like a kangaroo or running until my lungs give out.

The Five Simple Exercises for Improving Your Willpower from Paul’s Tips is quite a find. He suggests that to improve willpower, we should:

• Drop a small bad habit
• Learn something boring but useful
• Do something you know you should every day for a week
• Set yourself an achievable, but difficult goal with a date for reaching it
• Have a month where you ban yourself from putting anything off

I’m staying away from booze (that’s willpower enhancing, isn’t it?) and exercising until my butt firms up. So who’s got no willpower, now?

Bone Dry Days: 15 (since 12 Feb)

Bet Days: 13/60 (since 14 Feb)

Achievements

Front Day: Separated the run from weights exercise because my feet hurt. I’m going for weekly wart removal from my sole. That makes it hard to run (much less walk on). Gave the calf raises a miss as well. It’s hard to balance on pain. Added 4 X Lizard Crawls (6 X) to make up for the run. Forgot to increase my Push Ups (ugh).

Back Days: Right knee started to hurt on the last Lizard Crawl set. No clicking noises, but some instability and soreness. I believe that it’s a hamstring-related injury. Fuck. I’m shutting down until 2 Mar.

Goals

Dates: 3-4 Mar

• No changes. 

Training Routines

Dates: 24-25 Feb

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 15 X Standard Push Ups; 13 X Inclined Push Ups
3. 6 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Presses
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses 

Weight: 16kg

1. 10 X Lunge

Did not do:

1. 15 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)
2. 2.5 km + Slope Running (4x 0.38 km)
   Timing: ?:?; Total: 4.02 km; Speed: ? km/h; Ave rest: 20 sec
3. 2 min of Skipping Rope

Back Day

12 mins; 4 sets 

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Back Rows

Unweighted (4 sets)

1. 10 X Inclined Inverted Rows;  5 X Single-arm Inverted Rows
2. 13 X Inclined Push ups 
3. 3 X Pull Ups

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side (30 sec) & extended front (25 sec)
2. 5 X Ab wheel mod (use a smooth cloth on a smooth surface)
3. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
4. Stretches

Week 5.5: Like a Lizard

1 week past the halfway mark, almost 2 weeks without booze. I’m feeling somewhat stronger. Strangely, I’m always sleepy after my exercise. That’s enough to crash out for half an hour max.

Anyone knows why? I’d love to hear to from you.

My friend asked me about my Lizard Crawl exercise. It’s essentially crawling around on the ground like a lizard. I first learnt this in my MMA classes and found that it was a great full body workout for a very short amount of time. For anyone who doesn’t know how to do it, here it is, courtesy of YouTube.

Bone Dry Days: 11 (since 12 Feb)

Bet Days: 9/60 (since 14 Feb)

Achievements

Front Day: Dropped 1 Reverse Lunge to compensate for increased poundage. Ran all the way through and gotten somewhat faster, although I’ve taken quite a number of rests (15 to 30 sec) in between my slope runs.

Back Days: Single arm rows are a killer. It took everything out of my forearms until I couldn’t do any pull ups. Still doing 4 sets within 12 minutes. It feels easier strangely. I need to up the tempo.

Starting to plateau in my workouts, so I’m adding single-limb workouts. I’ve also included an Extended Front Plank where I use a stretched out  version of the Plank. It works my lats and abs harder than the usual Plank. Side Planks remain as is.

Goals

• +1 to Standard & Inclined Push Ups (16 X; 14 X)
• +1 to Reverse Lunge set (6 X)
• Drop Average rest to 10 sec
• +3 to Inclined Inverted Rows (10 X)

Training Routines

Dates: 21-22 Feb

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 15 X Standard Push Ups; 13 X Inclined Push Ups
3. 5 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Presses
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
5. 15 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Weight: 16kg

1. 10 X Lunge

Run

1. 2.5 km + Slope Running (4x 0.38 km)
   Timing: 36:37; Total: 4.02 km; Speed: 6.63 km/h; Ave rest: 20 sec
2. 2 min of Skipping Rope

Back Day

12 mins; 4 sets 

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 16kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Back Rows

Unweighted (4 sets)

1. 7 X Inclined Inverted Rows;  5 X Single-arm Inverted Rows
2. 13 X Inclined Push ups 
3. 3 X Pull Ups

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side (30 sec) & extended front (25 sec)
2. 5 X Ab wheel mod (use a smooth cloth on a smooth surface)
3. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
4. Stretches

A Rant: Why not?

I asked a question.

And got back “Why not?” as a reply.

I wanted answers, reasons, and a conversation, instead I get: “Why not?”. No doubt the answerer thought he was being cheeky and smart and mysterious. At that point in time, I ranked those two words amongst being inundated by locusts and blood plagues.

So why not use “Why not?”? Because it’s insolent and, lord of all nonsense and stupidity, a conversation killer.

There are better ways to be smart. Like…

• “Because it’s there.”: Pay homage to mountaineers and people  who do crazy but WOW things.
• “I’ve never done it before”: You’re open to trying new things. Interesting.
• “Why do you think I do it?”: Throw the ball back in my court. Get me seeing it from your perspective.
• “Why shouldn’t I do it?”: Ask for a contradictory stance. A challenge that’s less insulting than Why Not?

Of course, these are simply suggestions. But if you’re aiming to be less of a mysterious dick, well then, why not?

Week 5

Some thing’s not right. I don’t know if it’s fatigue or just stress. But I’m slower and weaker. Anyways, I’m taking a break for a day. It should help me recover and I can lift better.

Perhaps it’s something in the food that I eat. I should review my diet and come up with a diet plan.

At this point in time, just monitor and see how I fare for this set where I’ll increase poundage.

Bone Dry Days: 7 (since 12 Feb)

Bet Days: 5/60 (since 14 Feb)

Achievements

Ran up and down the slopes for 3x, but took the short way back. I’ve skipped 3 mins of rope to make up for it. I’ll increase my running distance during my next set.
Otherwise I’ve achieved my goals for both days. My next goals are to increase poundage.

Goals

• +1 kg to all weighted exercises
• +1 to Standard & Inclined Push Ups
• Push for 1 more set of Lizard Crawls on Back Day

Training Routines

Dates: 17-19 Feb

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 15kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 14 X Standard Push Ups; 12 X Inclined Push Ups
3. 6 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Presses
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
5. 15 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Unweighted

1. 10 X Lunge

Run

1. 2.4 km + Slope Running (3x); Timing: 27:53
2. 3 min of Skipping Rope

Back Day

12 mins; 4 sets 

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 15kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Back Rows

Unweighted (4 sets)

1. 10 X Inclined Inverted Rows 
2. 12 X Inclined Push ups 
3. 3 X Pull Up 

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side & front (30 sec)
2. Ab wheel mod (use a smooth cloth on a smooth surface) – 3 X (3 sets)
3. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
4. Stretches

Glee: Flash Mob

If you were at ION Orchard on Saturday, 12 Feb, 5pm, you might have seen this bunch of kids prancing, jumping and dancing to Glee Anthems.

It’s actually a flash mob organised by Star World to promote Glee season 2. According to the folks, “The flash mob was made up of almost 70 performers, consisting of a few professional dancers, students and volunteers. Many of them were canvassed on the Glee Singapore Facebook page, where it took almost 800 man hours pull this together.”

I didn’t make it because of a sudden massive downpour. From what I saw in the video compilation – the kids were having fun and the dance steps are nifty. Niiccee…

The “having fun” bit is the most important of it all. If you’ve watch Glee, once Rachael, Finn and gang get it up there on stage, they’re rocking it our and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

God, that reminds me of the good times.

Oh yes, remember to catch Glee Season 2 on Starworld-Starhub.  And keep an eye out for the Justin Bieber experience. Now that’s a hoot.

 

More Glee Flash Mobs on TwitVid

Oooo… I Wanna Drink

So I made a bet with a friend to stay high and dry for 60 days. Just day 2 and already I’m tempted to down a cool, tall mug of fizzly beer. After all, there’s nothing like it after a day of meetings, writing and brainstorming.

Jeez, I’ve never known brainstorming to be that tiring!

Obviously I didn’t fall off the wagon. Why? Because I want to win the bet. And I want to look good naked.

How did I hold out then? Well, I rushed to get something to eat (in this case, a rare 200-day Ribeye) to refuel my tired brain. And then I got a haircut with a fine wash. It sounds silly and chicky, but it got my mind off needing booze.

And I’m safe. At least for Day 2.

Week 4.5

Lord, another hangover.

This time, I’m swearing off the booze for good. I’ll still drink, but not in such vast, guzzley quantities that would put the guys below to shame.

But talk is cheap (and people who know of my drinking predilection would scoff at this resolution), so I’ve come up with a bunch of tactics to stay away from Tiger and its many cousins.
Tactic 1: Feel like a drink? Head out for an hour of good, hard massage.
Tactic 2: Whenever I buy a drink, chuck equivalent amount of money in my sober piggy bank.
Tactic 3: No more than 2 drinks, if I do drink.
Tactic 4: Keep a Bone Dry Day Count on this blog. Starting on 12 Feb 2011.
Tactic 5: If a massage is not possible, then work on a story (at this rate, I’ll be publishing reams of them!)

Bone Dry Days: 3 

Achievements

I wussed out on the run again. Managed to run up and down the slopes but walked all the way back. I’ll skip rope to make up for my wussiness.
Otherwise I’ve achieved my goals for both days. My next goals are to just increase reps and increase poundage.

Goals

• +1 to Standard & Inclined Push Ups
• +2 to Single Leg Calf Raises
• +1 to Pull Up
• +2 min to Back Day

Training Routines

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 15kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 13 X Standard Push Ups; 11 X Inclined Push Ups
3. 6 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
5. 12 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Unweighted

1. 10 X Lunge

Run

1. 2.4 km + Slope Running (4x); Timing: 38:40

Back Day

10 mins; 4 sets 

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 15kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Back Rows

Unweighted (4 sets)

1. 10 X Inverted Rows (on a box)
2. 10 X Push ups 
3. 2 X Pull Up 

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side & front (30 sec)
2. Ab wheel mod (use a smooth cloth on a smooth surface) – 3 X (3 sets)
3. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
4. Stretches

Week 4

“I want to look good naked.” That’s my public motivation for exercising. But really, I’m sick of panting when I climb up the overhead bridge. I’m sick of seeing a bulging tummy in the mirror. I’m sick fitting into oversized clothes.

That’s really why I exercise.
My left knee shivers when I execute my rear lunges. In fact, my entire left side seems to compensate for the weakness. Not sure how I’ll fix it though but I’ve added some single-leg exercises such as lunges to my repertoire. 

Achievements

I’ve achieved most my Week 3.5 goals and then some.
For Front Days, I’ve added +5 Lunges, +10 Inclined Push Ups and +5 Calf Raises. For Back Days, I’ve added +10 Back Rows.
I didn’t run or Lizard Crawl for these sessions. I was quite wiped out over for the last two days and my left knee aches. So I worked on my core (trying out a modified ab wheel) on the third day.

Goals

• +1 to Standard & Inclined Push Ups
• +1 to Lunges
• +2 to Single Leg Calf Raises
• +1 kg to all weighted exercises

Training Routines

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 13.5kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 12 X Standard Push Ups; 10 X Inclined Push Ups
3. 6 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press
4. 5 X Lunge
5. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
6. 15 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Run

1. 2.4 km + Slope Running (4x); Timing: 35:06

Back Day

10 min set

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 13.5kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Inverted Rows (4 sets)
4. 10 X Push ups (4 sets)
5. 2 X Pull Up (4 Sets)

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side & front (30 sec)
2. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
3. Stretches

It’s a Great Great World

Finally a show that I enjoyed. And even better, it’s not a foreign flick from Hong Kong, USA, or some other filmmaking “powerhouse” country.
It’s a Great Great World is directed by Kelvin Tong and stars pretty much everyone in Mediacorp.
The film revolves around a series of vignettes about folks in The Great World Amusement Park. It’s sparked off by a fashion photographer (Oliva Ong) who’s on a quest for the stories of people in Black & White photographs taken by her grandmother. She finds an old man who recounts each photograph – the most poignant and compelling story being his own (and last vignette).

It’s a Great Great World sprints away from the inglorious pack with its copious use of dialect, from Cantonese to Hainanese and everything in between, by the characters. For one, it’s authentic; could you imagine everyone speaking Mandarin back then? I can’t. Another thing: it’s refreshing to have someone other than Mark Lee (e.g. Joanne Peh) cuss and hold a conversation in Hokkien. Perhaps that’s what we’re missing in our quest for National Identity – the heart that comes from speaking our own dialect. 

This movie has a Do Not Disturb vibe all over it. Not surprising, given that Kelvin Tong’s the director. If you like that TV series, you’ll probably enjoy It’s a Great Great World.  If you’ve never heard of it, go watch the movie anyways, it’s a lovely reminiscence of the past.

Update: Yahoo! Fit to Post ran a story on the copious use of dialect in the show. Do you think we should include more dialects in our shows?

Week 3.5

Shaved 1 second off my run, added 1 to my Lizard Crawl; dropped 5 from Rear Lunge to High Knee (because it’s really a mobilisation exercise).
I did it faster and better this week. It felt easier.
My next goals:

• Run continuously instead of taking short walking breaks in between. But damn, it’s not going to be easy.
• +1 to Lizard Crawl
• +1 to Pull Ups
• +2 to Push Ups
• +1 to Rear Lunges with Shoulder Presses

In other news, I’ve got a little twitch in my right inner hip abductor. It’s probably the result of doing those rear lunges. It worries me, and I’ll be incorporating stretches into my nights.
I’m thinking of buying 5kg weights to add on to my dumbbells. I know I’ve talked about joined a gym but at my current poundage, I’m lifting too light for the gym to be of any use.
In the meantime, I leave you with Deadliftz and Squatz. Which one do you prefer?

Training Routines

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 13.5kg/side

1. 10 X Squats
2. 20 X Push Ups
3. 5 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
5. 10 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Run

1. 2.4 km + Slope Running (4x); Timing: 35:06

Back Day

10 min set

1. 6 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
3. 5 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)
Weight: 13.5kg/side

1. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Shrugs
3. 10 X Inverted Rows (4 sets)
4. 10 X Push ups (4 sets)
5. 2 X Pull Up (4 Sets)

Nightly

3 sets

1. Planks: side & front (30 sec)
2. Single leg bridge (15 sec Ea)
3. Stretches

Mr and Mrs Incredible

I have a knack for choosing and watching really bad films. First it was Monsters, then it was Shaolin, and finally Mr and Mrs Incredible. This Hong Kong flick -- starring Louis Khoo and the quirky and now svelte Sandra Ng -- is about a superhero couple who retires to a quiet village in the valley.

Of course a bad guy pops up (for all of 15 minutes) to disrupt the peace and our intrepid superheroes don their masks to fight him off. The rest of the movie is filled with much mooching and sweet nothings. The usual Hong Kong movie gags appear and put me to sleep amidst much polite tittering within the audience.

The bright spark in the movie are the trailers, they’re funny, candid and full of silly action. Best of all, it’s in Cantonese with plenty of “吃蕉”, “正啊!” all of which do not translate well into Mandarin.

Remember, only watch the good stuff.

Column Five: Lovely Infographics

Mein Gott! I’ve never seen such beautiful and yet useful infographics before! Column Five Media creates infographics that summarises everything that we ever need to know about the web, Yahoo!, FedEx and life in general.

Give them some love at http://www.columnfivemedia.com/category/infographics/ if you can.

Parkour: Why Do It?

“If I’m looking at a jump and my heart’s racing, I don’t enjoy that feeling. I enjoy standing there, looking at that gap and feeling calm…”

Well said, Mr Tim Shieff.

I first saw this video at http://rosstraining.com/blog/2011/02/02/imagination-is-everything/

Week 3

I’ve finally figured this out. One day will be Front Day, the next: Back Day.
During Front Days, I’ll work on my thighs, chest and shoulders. If I’m feeling up to it, I’ll go for a run up and down slopes during my 2.4km run. On Back Days, I’ll work on hamstrings and back. I’ll start off with forward and backward lizard crawls.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it seems to be working. I think I’ll need to up my poundage (hence join a gym) from Week 5.

Training Routines

Front Day

Exercises (3 Sets)

1. 10 X Squats
2. 20 X Push Ups
3. 5 X Reverse Lunge with Shoulder Press
4. 10 X Bicep Curls to Arnold Presses
5. 10 X Single Leg Calf Raises (+10 Double Leg Calf Raises)

Run

1. 2.4 km + Slope Running (4x); Timing: 35:07

Back Day

10 min set

1. 5 X Lizard Crawls (4 X to and fro)
2. 10 X Rear Lunge to High Knee (per leg)

Exercises (3 Sets)

1. 10 X Straight-leg Deadlifts
2. 10 X Single-leg Deadlifts
3. 10 X Shrugs
4. 10 X Inverted Rows (4 sets)
5. 10 X Push ups (4 sets)

A Fine Way to be Punctual

Charge them for lateness.

Like this PAP Kindergarten report by The Temasek Review which fines parents $2 for every five minutes that they are late to pick up their princes and princesses.

Here’s the notice pasted below.

I like this idea.

Singaporeans are afflicted with Chronic Lateness Syndrome. They’ll waltz in 10, maybe 20 minutes late – if you’re lucky. But being tardy an hour or three is often the case. Accompanying this lateness is a barrage of excuses ranging from: “my cat just jumped out of the window.” to “I got lost [even though they stay in the next block].” All promptly thought up and delivered in your face when a phone call (before the stars came out) would have been much appreciated.

The post’s comments rage and rant at the inhumanity (oh’ the inhumanity of it all!). Admittedly there are germs of truth. But by and large, the commenters are morons.

Would you be late for meetings or deadlines or surgery? I believe not. It’s all about making time and knowing how much time you need for each task. So please, be on time. Be a good example to your kids. After all, you wouldn’t want them to be late for life, would you?

If you think that’s not doable, read Paul Shankman’s post on Top Five Ways to Be Taken Seriously – Timing Edition. It’s a must-read for any tardy fool.

I think saw someone die

Quite a dramatic header, isn’t it?

I didn’t see the guy expire before me, but I noticed a crowd gathered around a prone man at a traffic light at Bukit Merah Central.

He had been lying there for a while, unresponsive to people pulling and prodding him. Nearby two over-the-hill ah-lians smoked and tossed cigarette butts onto the road.

A bald man in a tie had made a fist and pumped away at the man’s chest, while children and women gathered, watched and gawped. The bus came, an ambulance whirred to a stop beside the junction disgorging paramedics onto asphalt.

Who knew what happened to the man?