Day 30 - Seeing some physical changes...

Today
Actually saw a little half moon under my solar plexus that I don't remember seeing before, or its been there but covered with fat for so long... Spent an inordinate amount of time checking myself out in the mirror this morning too. Definitely seeing some changes.


Was able to dive into our massive arugula haul from the garden. Good stuff, but I'm going to need to dial down the spice for the veggies... between the arugula, some particularly sharp radishes, and the salsa, its a bit much.


Workout

1. Jump rope: I don't know if I'm not getting enough sleep or what the deal was but my energy level for the jumps wasn't great this morning. Took almost 500 jumps to even find a rhythm. Then I was able to manage 217 in a go, and lots of 100, 150 and a final 200. Still, its more than a little frustrating when it feels like you are doing it right but the rope is brushing your feet constantly and there are more trip ups than I would like. Guess its just not second nature yet...
2. Squats: I'm wondering if I'm doing these wrong because I'm not feeling the intense burn I had before
3. Creep: on the other hand... actually, Kim had commented when I did this last time and absolutely murdered my legs that I was perhaps bouncing too high so I didn't make it as dramatic this time. But the burn didn't set in until the last set without the bounciness so perhaps I can get more out of it if I make them more elastic but not as extreme as before.
4. Chest Dip: I felt like these were hitting more in the front of my shoulders or the connection point between shoulders and chest as opposed to my chest itself. Hopefully that is correct. Last set I wasn't able to go very deep though and had to do the final 3 reps more shallow than I would have liked.
5. Standing Ovation: still digging on these... very difficult, plenty of burn, but not at all awkward.
6. Forward shoulder raise: standard ridiculously difficult sets, the final one being almost impossible.
7. Leg-ups: not as bad as before but still feeling it primarily in my legs
8. V-sits: expected a train wreck... got a train wreck, especially towards the end. Again with the Nosferatu sit up. I'd say maybe half of the reps were decent form, if that many.

Day 29 - The Case of the Burning Hands

Today
OK, I had a really bizarre biology experience last night/this morning. I made a fresh batch of salsa as we were running low yesterday evening, chopped up everything, including a nice plump jalepeno and dumped them in the bowl as I normally do. Only this time my right hand fingers started burning about an hour later. And 30 minutes after that my left hand started burning too. I didn't think much of it and decided it was likely just an extra hot jalepeno... This morning I woke up and once I started exercising my hands started burning again, and when I took a shower they felt like they had gone up in flames. I just washed them with a little rubbing alcohol and the burning sensation passed temporarily but is coming back again as I type this.


So, my theory: I've been eating super hot food all of my life, and have a deep love for it... So why is this happening all of a sudden? It should be noted that I never use gloves when chopping and its never been an issue before. And then Kim reminded me that my hands have been unusually dry recently which made me think that perhaps my body chemistry is changing in some way that has me producing less oil (being of Italian decent I am generally quite oily), and with that barrier gone the capsaicin can make a beeline to my skin surface without being repelled. And when I started sweating and then took a shower my pores opened up and the capsaicin was able to dive right in... It actually feels like what I imagine it might feel like to have someone spray your hands with mace/pepper spray.


So, any thoughts from the gallery? I will be doing all further PCP salsa prep with gloves on, but curious to know if anyone else has any thoughts... especially on how to quell the heat, or similar experiences.


One more thing...
Kim made me, made me I tell you... made me sit there and watch her eat her giant indulgence ice cream. Actually it wasn't the biggest cup available... it was the second biggest. And she didn't make me, I wanted to test myself. Into the lion's den as it were. Or ice cream parlor. Maybe entirely mental (in more ways than one), but I honestly had no craving for the ice cream. Sure, it looked good but I really didn't feel that tug...


Workout
Well... it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Still hateful for the jelly legs, but it sounds like that is par for the course.

1. Jump ropes: It may be that I didn't get enough sleep last night but these weren't as good as yesterday. Still managed two lots of 200, but otherwise it was lots of 100 and 150 for the most part. 
2. Lunges: I can't decide if these are actually easier now because I have more strength and stamina or if they just suck less because of the introduction of their crippling cousins:
3. Floorjump: Wow. Me on the floor quivering like a baby. Not quite as much urine, but I could literally barely stand up. And when I did I almost fell over.
4. Pull-up/Incline Pull Ups: still stuck at 2.5 of the regular pull ups. As hard as these are I kind of wish we had more of them, more frequently as this feels like a surmountable goal. Finished the sets using the table again. The number of reps is quite hard...
5. Rowing: remembered to double up on the bands this time and got a nice solid, tough four sets in
6. DaVinci: the last reps of the last set of these are, as always, almost completely impossible to do with decent form.
7. Situps: definitely feeling them... have to be careful with the form... towards the last set I am faltering and it appears that I am getting slightly asymmetric, rolling slightly to the right as I curl up. Just something to keep an eye on.
8. Plank: not too bad... last set was tougher though

Day 28 - Aye Aye Skipper

Today
Slow to wake up, but once I was going, lots of energy! Got to watch the videos as well as get a sneak peak at the forthcoming workouts and meals. Meals look fine, but a giant salad/veggie meal before bed is definitely going to be an adjustment.


The workouts on the other hand... ugh. I freely admit that while I have accepted the jump rope into my life at this point, I have an adversarial mental attitude with some of the exercises, and a large proportion of the ones that we are doubling down on now (legs and abs). I presume that will change, and I wish I could say I was looking forward to the new exercises but I'm really not. Whereas before the ratio was more like 5 out of 6 of the exercises I actually enjoyed, the new ratio looks to be significantly lower if not a complete reversal. But this is in the full knowledge that those exercises, especially the abs/core, are extremely weak areas in need of work...


Workout
Happy to say I sailed through these today! And in a departure from the norm, I actually started strong where it usually takes me a few hundred to get going. Was able to accomplish two lots of 200 and one lot of 322 straight which is a record for me... Still not to an Amandean/Hurculean level, but who in the Pucksters is?

Day 27 - Weird biological changes afoot

Today
My stomach was bothering me again this morning, but once I got to working out it seemed to fade away. Its extremely rare that I have stomach issues so a few days in a row is a bit weird. I'm chalking it up to the body dealing with the new diet.


OK, a little honesty... I think the libido has indeed taken a hit. I don't know if its the schedule or energy level or what but its quite low. Hoping this is just a passing thing as its a disconcerting change from the "normal" activity level.


That said, no significant energy flameout this afternoon for the first time in almost a week.


Workout
So-so today. Was able to get through everything fine but definitely not 100% this morning.

1. Jump rope: Took a little while to warm up this morning (about 200 jumps with lots of false starts), but once I hit my stride it wasn't too bad. In fact, I was able to once again do a couple sets of 200 straight and knocked out the jumps pretty quickly for once. Still, the idea of being able to do many more than 200 in a go seems like its a ways off.
2. Rowing: This was weird... I can definitely feel this in my back now where I couldn't before. That said, I had to add a ton of reps to the end (about 30) before I wasn't able to do any more. So, not sure if I'm doing something wrong or right.
3. Push-ups: my crowing about being able to do these all well before comes back to bite me in the butt. Last few in the last set were really really hard.
4. Double Katana: I'm fairly certain I didn't quite get the form right and the last set was seriously hard.
5. Shoulder Fly: like most of the shoulder exercises so far it turns out I have to use a lighter resistance band in order to get the most out of this one. Quite difficult once again but was able to make it to the end without losing my form.
6. V-sit: really felt like I didn't get the most out of these since the last set was such a complete mess. So I did a few situps until I could do no more.

Days 25 and 26 - I don't know how you road warriors do it

Yesterday
I saw Patrick's email about the indulgence meal and as I mentioned in the previous post I think I basically already had mine in the form of the wedding dinner... so that's a little disappointing, but it seems fair since it was way outside of the diet, and timed with the indulgence I hope it works out OK. The meal itself was: 1) heavily salted and steamed veggies that I skipped since I had already loaded up on raw veggies beforehand 2) a massive helping of roast beef with a very sweet bell pepper sauce, 3) a chicken breast stuffed with spinach and something creamy, and 4) mashed potatoes with bacon bits... I ate the chicken, and the mashed potatoes and had a little taste of the roast beef. So I think that's done it for me (and then some). I also had a boatload of coffee to stay up and energetic so I could apply all my moves on the dance floor to everyone's dread. The next day I felt pretty horrible though. My stomach was aching and that didn't seem to go away until midday. But I really ended up dragging ass all day. Can't decide whether it was the coffee or the wedding dinner that did me in... maybe both.


Had lunch with one of Kim's friends at Panera and I got a caesar salad with no dressing and extra tomatoes and onion, and a side of whole wheat bread. I picked the majority of the parmesan cheese out so I think I was OK on this meal. Also picked up a loaf of fresh whole wheat bread to round ouf the carbs as well as to put aside for our early morning departure.


We actually headed into Detroit for a Tigers game (baseball) later in the day and Subway came to rescue once again. Grilled chicken on lettuce with tomatoes, onions, and avocado. Not the freshest ingredients by a country mile but I think it worked in a pinch (although with 20/20 weighing out the meals today I think I shortchanged myself in the protein department and way overate the vegetables). 


Workout
We had to squeeze the workout in just before dinner in order to eat and get to the game in time, but despite the food tribulations and not sleeping great, the workout was surprisingly strong again... energy-wise. Some of the exercises were kind of disastrous. Still, I am wondering if being at a significantly lower altitude is really helping in the endurance department. 

1. Jump ropes: these really went great again... was able to accomplish larger lots of 200 at a time and not much tripping to speak of.
2. Floorjump: I said the workout felt strong, but form for some of these new exercises was awful. If I recall correctly the last set was almost impossible.
3. Pull-down: good, clean burn from the third set right through the end
4. Push-ups: I am really happy with the fact that I can do these, maintain form and still get a good burn in the last two sets.
5. Tricep dips: last set was excruciating so I must be doing something right
6. Chicken wing: well, whattya know, the first shoulder exercise that doesn't completely fry me. The last set was difficult and there was definitely a burn, but of all the shoulder exercises this one was the easiest thus far
7. V-sits: Once I got home and checked my PCP email I saw that I wasn't alone in my v-sit woes. The last set was a complete train wreck. I was so shot I couldn't keep the form at all through the last 5 reps. For a few of them I ended up doing a Nosferatu where my legs just crashed to the floor and my torso shot up. Its almost beside the point since I was so awful at this, but should we be floating our feet at the beginning of the exercise?

----


Today
We had also kept some hard boiled eggs packed in ice and stored in the hotel ice bucket so we were all set in the morning when we had to set out at 4:15 for the airport. Chomped through a few slices of the whole wheat bread. I guessed at 2 slices but when we got home I found out it should have been closer to 4 slices. Might account again for the weird energy swings. Unfortunately didn't get the morning veggies since we didn't have any and there weren't any decent options at the airport in the morning.


Definitely feeling it when we are off schedule both in terms of sleeping and the food. Kim and I were out of sorts for most of the day. Still got the meals and snacks in, but we ended up napping for almost 2 hours before lunch to catch up...


Still, Kim made me some coffee and that seemed to help so we could do our now-standard Sunday ritual of salsa, chicken and veggie grilling for the week, grocery shopping, lawn mowing, and working in the garden. Speaking of which the tomato plants are enormous but have yet to bear any fruit and the arugula should be set to be harvested this week. Looking forward to digging into that. Kim had also planted some cilantro which seems to making some headway, so we may end up being self-sufficient just in time for PCP to end!


Workout
As mentioned, we were out of sorts and pretty low on energy throughout the day so getting motivated to workout was difficult and due to the flight schedule we weren't able to workout in the morning and had to do it in the afternoon which wasn't ideal either.

1. Jump rope: kind of disappointing given the past two days as I fell back to smaller lots of 100 and 150. Not sure if it was the lack of sleep or the altitude or the meals being slightly off, but whatever it was, it wasn't as good. Still, form is good and I'm really tripping far less.
2. Creep: I really shouldn't have complained so much about lunges. These new leg exercises are really really tough. As with the floorjumps I was almost totally shot on the last set which was kind of a mess in the sense that I had to stop to catch my breath before finishing them out. I sort of want to blame doing them to quickly after finishing the jump ropes but given that the burn was mostly in my quads that excuse probably won't fly.
3. Pull-up: I've decided to start these on the door mounted bar and do as many there before transitioning to under the table for the remainder. Still stuck at about 2.5 before having to revert to the incline pull-ups. Were quite difficult today.
4. Standing Ovation: nice and clean... good pinch and hold with the hands together and can really feel it in my chest.
5. One arm curl: quite difficult. Much harder to keep my elbow in place than it was with the previous bicep exercises.
6. Shoulder press: the last set is seriously nigh on impossible. Last two to three reps in particular are a real strain and I need to be careful I don't hurt myself on these. I can see straining my neck pretty badly here if I'm not careful.
7. Plank: I might be imagining it, but these seemed more difficult than last time... Again, no burn to speak of, but shaking like crazy. Also, I realized part of the way through that I was holding my breath so that probably sapped me a bit.

Overall, the travelling wasn't too too bad. I think the fact that it occurred just as we were entering an extremely low energy phase was tough as we were perpetually exhausted. Definite respect to the PCPers that are constantly travelling for work and are able to keep up!

Day 24 - Wedded to PCP

Today
Slept in just a bit but since we're not really doing anything until the afternoon it doesn't seem to have been an issue withe respect to the food schedule. Haven't found a suitable pull up or incline pull so we just substituted a weight machine in the gym. The hotel room is a bit tight which made for a kind of hilarious standing ovation in the bathroom with my fingers brushing the walls.

Food-wise we've done well today... Room service was able to get us almost exactly what we needed for breakfast (with the exception of some sugared walnuts and pickled onions that we had to put aside). Also, for lunch, Subway has turned out to be extremely accommodating. We are having to eyeball the weights of things but between some whole wheat bread, grilled chicken and some avocados and veggies we're doing well. The wedding reception is certain to be another matter this evening...

--- later that evening ---

They had a fresh veggie bar so we loaded up before dinner in an effort stave off the inevitable. Kim's specially prepared gluten free meal seemed to be perfectly in keeping with PCP whereas mine was nowhere near. So I picked at the chicken and mashed potatoes... The latter of which had bits of bacon in it. Guess my indulgence day may have come early.

Workout
OK, don't know if it's because we are at a lower altitude now but I was able to do two lots of 200 jumps which is a significant increase over any previous workout. A surprising amount of energy actually... One set was particularly trippy but overall high energy today.
1. Jump ropes: excellent, as noted...
2. Squats: seemed to suffer from lungitis in the sense that this seemed to go on forever but aside from some clicking in my left knee it was pretty good.
3. Pull ups: had to substitute the machine for this one workout but it was certainly no easier
4. Standing ovations: kind of hilarious squeezing into the bathroom to do these since the hallway entrance door was way too tight a space
5. Thumbs up curl: didn't bring the second band to up the weight so I just added a few reps to failure
6. Shoulder press: seriously, why are these shoulder workouts so freakin' hard? Did them all and I think the form was good but sheesh...
7. Planks: not sure if we should burn on these but I was definitely shaking throughout the exercise.

Day 23 - On the Road

Today
First test of PCP on the road. We loaded up our carry ons with fruit and pre-weighed lunch so it hasn't been too bad thus far. Quizzed the poor front desk receptionist about all the nearby restaurants and grocery stores. A review of the fitness room and room didn't reveal any good incline pull up spots... Writing desk isn't deep enough and bed isn't tall enough. Maybe the bumper of one of the cars in the parking lot. Possibly over thinking it. Possibly.

Workout
Got up a little earlier than usual so we could get to the airport on time. Little more energy than the last few days thank goodness. All the workouts were pretty solid burn straight through. The shoulder and sit-ups being the standout extremely difficult searing total failure exercises. Good stuff.

Day 22 - Where did all my energy go?

Today
Well, still bottoming out energy-wise in the afternoon (around 2:30-5) despite getting what I assume to be a solid 8 hours' sleep and eating my full food complement. So I'm at a bit of a loss to know why that may be...


Food continues to be fun. Actually quite enjoying the challenge of creating new dishes that are not only tasty but can be meted out during the course of a given week. I think I may end up missing the evening carbs more than I would if I had lost the afternoon carbs altogether.


Workout
So-so this morning... woke up with a super stiff back and an ache in my lower left back (the problem area), so I was really creaking at first. Took a while to stretch it all out, but that's 3 days in a row like this. I assume its just my body waking back up again after basically lazing through the last 6 years or so. Anyway, the general lethargy didn't help much. Still, after about 200 or so jumps I was fairly well woken up...

1. Jump rope: still finding it hard to string together a large number of jumps all at a time without getting out of breath, let alone get through 100 without catching or tripping.
2. Squats: tough, but not tough enough... Legs getting stronger or maybe I am doing them wrong.
3. Pull-ups/Incline Pull ups: seriously, can anyone do the full complement of pull ups at this point? Well, I can manage 2, maybe 2.5 and the rest as incline pull-ups. But a full 4 sets of 5-7 as pure pull-ups looks like a nice, albeit distant, goal.
4. Standing Ovation: holy crap these were tough today. Much harder than before but I felt it more in my shoulders this time around than chest. I don't think I changed my technique but it definitely felt... off.
5. Curls: on the other end of the spectrum... these are strong, consistent and a solid burn.
6. Davinci: super tough as always, burn starts in the second set and doesn't quit all the way through. This might be one I have to be careful of though as I am really straining towards the end.
7. Situps: quite difficult and the last two reps burned all of the way through. The last 10 or so were almost unbearable and a really bizarre thing happened - I tasted a kind of bizarre acetone flavor in my mouth. Curious. It dissipated when I stopped, but still... thought I should mention it.

Tomorrow we head out for the wedding in Detroit so our first away from home test on the diet...

Day 21 - Lock, Skip and Two Smoking Feet

Today
Kind of draggin' ass today... again with the late afternoon energy crash. Getting all my food and at least 8 hours of sleep so I don't really know what the culprit may be.


Workout
Yikes. Hardly any energy. Was able to make it through all the jumps and the form wasn't too bad, but it wasn't pretty energy-wise.

Day 20 - Sweetness

Today
I had a little taste of sweetness at breakfast this morning. Kim told me it looked like I might have lost a little of my spare tire and that was sweet. I don't know if its true or not but she said that from behind she could tell a difference. So, that's my honey. Anyone diabetic from reading this yet?


Anyway, still enjoying the diet... the new batch of fresh salsa was done with larger chunks of everything and a smaller portion of jalapenos and it turned out great. The piles of minced garlic really got intense as it sat overnight. Its a good thing I don't have any face to face client meetings in my immediate future.


Kind of hilariously, I have been, not stressing exactly (well maybe a little bit), but planning ridiculously far ahead for this trip at the end of the week. How to pack all the exercise stuff... will TSA be silly and remove the resistance bands if we put them in the carry on luggage... Google mapping the hotel vicinity to see if there is a grocery store within walking distance in case the hotel's food doesn't work... how many vegetables and fruit to pack... would we need ice packs for the fruit and again would TSA let us carry it on... and on and on. Worrying about an upcoming trip is not familiar territory for me. I really don't want to cheat at all on the diet so even the idea of doing so is really rankling me.


Workout
When I wake up in the morning I am stiff as a board (no libido related jokes yet)... my lower back especially seems to take forever to wind out. I can't say for certain whether its any better or worse than before at this point as its certainly an issue I've had for a while. So fingers crossed that as I gain muscle and shed fat that I do indeed begin to limber up. A larger worry is if I try too hard on some of the exercises, especially sit ups, and jerk myself right out of the running (again, no libidinous intent there). That aside, I can honestly say that aside from the occasional light ache in my right leg after the jump rope I'm physically keeping pace with the workout fairly well at this point:

1. Jump rope: definitely getting cleaner... still catching the rope or getting out of sync between the jumps and rope rotation but this was definitely one of the cleaner sets. After the first ~175 or so knocking out more than 100 at once is not yet achievable... Will have to continue visiting Amanda's blog for inspiration there.
2. Lunge: Kim and I have to stagger our workout a little so we don't need the resistance bands at the same time so this morning we realized that the amount of time it took to do the lunges was equal to almost the whole rest of the exercises combined. Definitely tough, laborious might be a better word, but weirdly I didn't get a lot of burn this time around. I think I had the form and general quickness OK, but no burn. Huh.
3. Pull-down: from looking at the illustration this appeared pretty straight forward. In practice it was a little more awkward than anticipated. If I stepped too far back then pulling the band just past my hips was almost impossible (and wouldn't have been sustainable for the full routine), but allowed my arms to be more straight at the start. Stepping too close to the anchor point and the resistance only came on about 3/4 of the way through and was quite intense for the midpoint of the exercise, but the bands appeared too slack at the beginning. Judging from the illustration I presume the anchor point to be roughly at eye level. Also, very difficult to ascertain whether I am involving my back at all in the workout. I presume so since my triceps weren't too badly strained. But definitely an exercise that I think I would like if I can get the form right. Might try a different resistance band too and see if that helps.
4. Push-ups: gotta say I am pretty pleased with myself on these. Can really get them all done quite clean and add one or two at the end of the last set to muscle failure. Feel really solid. Might be psychological too since I really want to improve my chest so I intensely want to get these right.
5. Tricep Dips: weird shaky left leg during this... that was bizarre. Maybe just one of those odd in-between leg placements. Quite difficult again. Plenty of grunting towards the end.
6. Forward Shoulder Raise: same as always. light resistance band, hard as hell all the way through...
7. Leg-up: thanks for the note on the last post Patrick... that went some way to alleviating my confusion on this. Definitely feel it on the tops of the quads just like last time. Really really difficult, but I thought for a moment there I felt some fleeting action in the abs. 

Patrick's email about not overdoing feels like it was targeted right at me. I can totally imagine stressing my body out so bad that I end up getting sick. Doesn't help that about a metric ton of pollen has flown in my window the past week so my allergies have been going berserk. Still, how to draw the line between good burn and overdoing it though...

Day 19 - Sunday Itchy Sunday

Today
Well, its mosquito season... wondering if my new fruit rich diet has made me a particular target. All that yard work yesterday and no repellant means I am covered with bite marks. So, how does the volume of blood that I lost play into calculations of food weights?


No other bizarre psycho/physical aberrations to report, although I was crashing out in a big way again this afternoon and had to get some more coffee in me. Not the first day this has happened but considering that I am actually getting a minimum of 8 hours sleep for once, its a little surprising. Is it purely related to diet, perhaps?


All of this talk of seeing appreciable changes this week has me both anticipating and dreading the next few days. And we've got to go to Detroit for a wedding at the end of the week. No, seriously. So this will be our first test of being on the diet and travelling. Any road warriors with suggestions on coping skills please feel free to chime in...


Workout
While I'm not yet feeling much different physically or mentally, I know empirically that I am healthier simply from my progress with the jump rope and exercises as metrics. There is no way I would be doing 900 jumps at the start of the program, nor would I be able to do as many pushups or incline pull-ups. 

1. Jumprope: the big 1k is around the corner, and while it still takes me a few hundred to hit my stride, I am confident that 1000 will be totally doable. Lot of energy this morning so I feel like I could have cracked it today if I was allowed. As implied still not close to perfection (really wish I had a mirror so I could better scrutinize my form... might have to video myself), and the first few hundred are not the cleanest, but by the latter 400 or so hardly any foul ups to speak of.
2. Incline Pull-up: these are still a bear, but I can actually get them done more cleanly than before. Last set is killer.
3. Standing Ovation: really really like this one... similar to the rowing technique, slow in and out, good breathing technique, little pinch, flex and hold at the end. Really great burn right through the last two sets.
4. Outside curl: new! and I only just noticed that Patrick has his legs ever so slightly bent in the pics. Hmmmmm, might need to modify next time. Quite difficult but didn't have any trouble keeping from pulling forward.
5. DaVinci: still on the light resistance band and this, as always, is a killer. The entirety of the last two sets is brutal.
6. Sit-ups: good solid burn in the last three sets, but the last set was especially difficult this time.

Not sent from Richard's iPad

Day 18 - Bowel Movements, Libido and Workouts, oh my!

Today
Hey, its a Saturday so we "slept in"... which is to say 7:45ish, whereas on a "normal" weekend we would sleep until 11am. I say "we" liberally here as it was usually me that would sleep and sleep and sleep. Oddly I always kind of hated myself for it and like feeling like I had made more of the day when waking up early. So, no excuse now, and as today showed been go go go...


Cycled over to the farmer's market to pick up sundry veggies. One of the farmers had been roasting chili peppers so I bought a bag of those to have with a little mesquite grilled chicken in a burrito for lunch. Deeeelish. Left IT Band was quite painful for the ride there and back though. I blame the hated lunges.


Read Patrick's email today about changes in bowel movements, flexibility, libido. Sad (?) to say I haven't really had any significant enough change in any of them to report. I would say more energy during the day, but I have definitely experienced mid-afternoon crashes. My carb amounts, while moderated from before, still seem pretty high. Thankfully no zits at this point or my libidinous nature aside, I might not be able to get any action...


Workout
Not bad, even though this is my most despised grouping (with lunges and leg ups) of exercises:

1. Jump Ropes: not bad again... as seems to be par for the course, the first set is usually kind of sketchy. It sounds like Bruce and I are doing these more similarly. I try to break them up into lots of 100, but with the tripping, it usually ends up being more like 75 or 50 at a time uninterrupted. Still, I'll take all the improvements I'm getting which are doing more, more easily, less tripping generally, and less fatigued after greater numbers.
2. Lunges: fixed so I'm not alternating every other as I had been before... freakin' awful. Not that I can't do them. I just genuinely dislike them. And for the first time my IT Band in my left leg started going hinky. I didn't think much of it, but later in the day when we cycled downtown to the market it was quite painful.
3. Rowing: these are great. Just nice and slow in and out and pinch and hold at the back and I can really feel it. Occasionally my form gets off ever so slightly and I feel that I am using biceps instead, but its fairly easily corrected.
4. Push-up: Awesome. Totally banged these out. On the toes, deep, and the last set was quite difficult but I added one more just to fail.
5. Triceps: so bizarre, whereas a few days ago these were quite easy, now they are probably perfect in the sense that they are quite difficult
6. Forward Shoulder Raise: always a tough one. Lightest resistance band still. I must say I find it more than a little odd that these are so hard. Guess those shoulders are really out of shape.
7. Leg-Ups: Very odd, again. Primarily feel this on the tops of my quads, not my abs. Am I the only one?

Day 17 - TGIF PCP

Today
Looks like we judged the food amounts pretty well since we are only just running out today/tomorrow. Perfect timing so we can head out to the farmer's market tomorrow morning. The salsa was such a success although I'm not sure quite how to follow it up for the next week... Thoughts?


Workout
Not too shabby... Felt like I had a fair bit of energy this morning but as usual that didn't seem to help keep me from tripping up plenty. Ce la vie.

1. Jump rope: per the usual, plenty of tripping... but the 850 count wasn't too tough. Just waiting for the day when I can string more together.
2. Squats: like these so much better than lunges. I know, starting to sound like a broken record... But really... can get deep, get some burn and you are in and out of them lickity split (relatively speaking).
3. Incline Pull-ups: I stuck with the incline pull ups as I could barely do two on the door mounted bar, let alone a full set.
4. Standing Ovation: continue to enjoy these... feel like I am really getting the most of them. Clean, and plenty of burn
5. Curls: Likewise
6. DaVinci: sheesh, these are hard. Last few reps might even be past failure...
7. Sit-ups: As before, first two sets aren't too bad but the second two sets are burning all the way through... Again, have to be careful not to jerk the last few and do in my back.

Being quick and more boring that usual today as its a little later than I normally write, its getting late, and there be chicken to grill! Have a great weekend all!

Day 16 - Talk about Peak Condition...

This is truly incredible. When I can actually wear out and run down a kudu until it collapses in exhaustion in a persistance hunt, I will consider myself fit. Amazing video if you have 7 minutes to spare: 

Until then, I'll have to make do with jump rope.

Today

Switched to my new "no salt" bread. Not too bad... I can definitely tell the difference though and its little wonder the previous whole wheat english muffins tasted the way they did. However, the new bread slices are far less dense so I get "more", visually if not substantially.

It appears that the colossal salsa mix that I made last Saturday may have been more appropriate than previously assumed. Granted we've had some with the majority of our meals but happily so. It has been both very tasty and super convenient to dollop onto salads, burritos, pasta, chicken, fish, etc. The only downside, and this could be pretty big, is that since its diced up so much a lot of the grams appear to be in water weight... probably the juices from the tomatoes. So its possibly a little fudged on the grams. Hopefully not enough to make a difference.

Workout

I'm happy to say that the severe leg pain I was experiencing a week ago has been almost entirely banished. I get a little pang now and again and a dull throb after the jumps but that dissipates quickly. Definitely felt a little low on energy this morning, but it might have been mental because the skips and exercises weren't much different in terms of intensity from yesterday. Oh, one little luxury we allow ourselves while doing the muscle exercises: The Simpsons on in the background. Kind of nice to have a little humorous white (or yellow) noise in the background. Only issue is if a guffaw interrupts a given workout at a bad time. OK, workout details:

1. Jump rope: Despite the continued trip ups (or just plain poor skips), the jump rope continues to thankfully improve. Although I would say consistency-wise yesterday was better, today felt better from the perspective of having more energy to get through batches of a hundred at a time (or more) without needing to catch my breath as frequently as in the past. So today felt good from a noted improvement in stamina (although I'm not to a superhuman Amanda level yet). I still get foot pain (right in the arch area) around the middle of the reps (~300-500), but can usually bear it until it subsides. 
2. Lunges: ugh, really truly hate these... not only do they kill and feel wobbly, but it feels like they go on forever.
3. Rowing: I'm glad I've been keeping track because I remembered to add the second resistance band right up front this time. Really helped to make this difficult all the way through. Really pinching and holding at the end of the motion and controlled return. Felt great, and shockingly I think I actually felt it in my back a little towards the end.
4. Push-ups: ah ha! back to toes, eh? Well, the previous higher reps/sets seemed to have been good preparation. This was right at the limit to do max reps per set. Total burnt out chest by the end.
5. Triceps Dip: this was a surprise. I felt like I had kind of coasted on this previously, adding extra reps to the end. But this morning was a different story. Don't know if there was a form change (I did scoot my feet a little farther out to ensure I wasn't subtly assisting myself back up with my legs), but this was quite a bit harder today. Slow and steady up and down... definitely felt it more than before and no extra reps were necessary as I was well shot by the end.
6. Forward Shoulder Raise: still tough. The last few reps in the last set are nigh on impossible. I think my form on those last few are likely abysmal. Oddly, I kind of like these, but they are terrifically hard.
7. Leg Ups: Kim noted that I was likely raising my butt a little too much in these so I noted that for future sets. Last two sets are super tough, but as with last time, I am feeling more burn on the top of my quads than in my abs. The abs are working, but I feel my legs wanting to quit well before my stomach. Might have to pose this as a question in the question thread...

Congrats to all the PCPers so far and a special shout out to the Pucksters who seem to really be gelling as a group (whilst shedding our jello). Lots of support all around, and the posting of us all in our largely distressed current physical states seems to have lowered inhibitions in general so the freak flags are flying along with the witty banter banners. Georgie and Ashley, get those pics up!!!

Day 15 - Skip to the Loo

Today

Again, weird sleep issues. Had a really hard time falling asleep last night so I'm willing to bet I am going to crash out this evening. Oddly was able to roll out this morning without much of the typical lethargy and moaning (and hardly any back pain which is very unusual - its usually quite tight in the morning). Pete will hate to hear this (he's so full of rage), but I'm glad the carb amounts are going down a little this week. Lunch and dinner were just a bit much, as much as I am enjoying them.

Made an au natural taco seasoning last night with garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, red pepper, oregano, a pinch of sage and a squirt of lemon juice. Turned out great for ground turkey meat... and rolled it all up in a whole wheat tortilla with the aforementioned salsa, some lettuce and sundry other veggies into a massive burrito baby. I was afraid it was going to taste too bland since our taco rituals at the house used to involve a pre-made package that is loaded with salt, shells likewise loaded with salt, and topping the burrito with a heap of cheese. No such issue. Was quite tasty indeed... The food "restrictions" are proving to be a fun challenge actually.

First morning with the new carb reduction wasn't too bad but a half of a half of a whole wheat english muffin is certainly weird. Found some "no salt" bread at the grocer yesterday so will be giving that a try tomorrow.

Workout

Each day seems to be getting better. Jump ropes are still not something I want to put on display but are getting better. One day:

Still, I had to suppress an overwhelming urge to use the crapper the whole way through my workout, so its possible that was just the motivation I needed to bust through all the exercises. Still, Kim and I were chatting and we agree that this set of exercises is the most fun. Squats are better than lunges and sit-ups are better than leg lifts...

1. Jump rope (or skipping as the manly Noelinator insists it be called): slowly getting into a groove here. I think we may have shortened my rope just a hair too short though so I lengthened it by about 3/4 inch after the whole workout was complete. Will see how that fairs tomorrow. Its just such a bizarre, inconsistent exercise at the moment. Typically slow start tripping a bit through the first 200 before I hit my stride. And I couldn't manage more than ~175 before petering out. 200 through 700 wasn't all bad, occasional trip ups marring the overall performance per the usual... but surprisingly: the last 100 were flawless. Fast, sharp, precise and no trip ups. So very weird.
2. Squats: hurt so good... although its entirely possible I like these more just because I hate its evil twin, the lunges
3. Incline Pull Up: not feeling this in my shoulders anymore... but my pace feels frantic rather than deliberate if that makes sense. Almost like I want to bash them out because they are so very difficult. Need to keep an eye on form here though.
4. Push Ups: Per the usual the first two sets weren't too bad. I've decided to go super deep from now on though, so its nose touch to the floor and back up. That seemed to have an effect as the last two sets were extraordinarily difficult the whole way through.
5. Thumbs Up Curl: I am going to be so very good at hitchhiking and encouragement after this is done. As before, one of my stronger exercises so I go super slow and ensure I get all the resistance on the way down as well as the way up and add a few reps to the end to failure. My only worry is that I end up with great arms out of balance with an otherwise featureless torso.
6. DaVinci: so freakin' hard. Same as before with the lightest resistance bands... last set and a half are a real struggle.
7. Sit Ups: First two sets weren't bad, but since modifying my form to be more crunchy and less full sit up the last two sets are a struggle. I can really feel it though, so I trust that is a good sign.

Was glad for Patrick's reminder/admonition to not wait more than a minute between exercises, as well as to stick closely to the between set rest periods... not only does it feel like its working me harder, but I can get the exercises done that much more quickly. 

Day 14 - Skipping the Life Fantastic

Today
I don't think I will be able to keep up the jump rope and skipping related horrific puns for much longer. Much to the delight of all, I'm sure.


Has anyone else noticed that conversations with your significant others has become focused and reduced down into the rather narrow band of talking about food and working out? Every time Kim and I sit down to eat, and often when we are not, the topics are food and workout technique. I feel like we have become those people that I so frequently rail against out here in Colorado that you can't have a conversation with unless it revolves around their diet or workout. I kind of like it because its the most that I've thought about food for as long as I can remember, but I also hate myself a little bit... Presumably once its more routine and the general lessons have set in I can return to being a bit more well rounded (not physically, of course)... and on that note...


Workout
Little more ache post-jumps this morning so I stretched and slapped the ice pack on for 20 minutes, but again, relative to only three days ago things are so much better. Still inconsistent as can be (don't think I managed a clean 100 today), but weirdly my pace has increased enormously within each set of 100. I presume that at some point I will need to be able to bang these all out without stopping but that still seems a ways away at the moment.

Day 13 - That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

Today
Definitely hitting a good pace here both for food prep and workout, just in time for it to no doubt be upended on Wednesday. Very very sleepy this afternoon however... Last night I went to bed early (for me) but it took me a really long time to fall asleep so I don't think I quite got all of my required rest given we got up early to workout.


Workout
Jump rope continues to improve. I still have my occasional trip up and I can't get through more than ~200 or so without a break but my hope is that with technique no longer holding me back I can make strides towards being able to do more in succession. Perhaps not so surprisingly my feet are the ones that ache now, but I presume that is just the muscle weakness showing. The basics:

1. Lunges: per the usual these are quite a strain so my presumption is they are doing some good. Certainly don't look forward to them though.
2. Rowing: I actually ended up adding an additional resistance band to the heaviest one as well added quite a few more reps before maxing out. Feel nice and clean but this is one of the only exercises that I seem capable of well exceeding the set/reps on the sheet.
3. Standing Ovation: another one I really like. The sets/max reps are perfect and I can feel quite a good burn all the way through the last set
4. Tricep Dip: This is another one where I can knock out a few more than prescribed. Not many more, if I remember correctly it was probably 6 more at the end.
5. Forward Shoulder Raise: on the other end of the spectrum, these continue to be tough, even with the lightest resistance band. I think I strained my neck doing them as it ached most of the day, but still a difficult exercise that I actually enjoy.
6. Leg-ups: I know Kim posted this question so I will be curious to see if it is answered at some point but we had been doing a butt lift with the leg up. Its hard to tell in the PDF pic if that is correct or not, but today I just did the leg up portions without the butt up and I felt it, not in my abs as I did with the lift, but on the tops of my quads. So, a little confused as to what the proper form is here as it appears that this is an ab workout, not a leg one. Or if the muscles are compensating somehow... Anyone have insight on this one?

Day 12 - Ghetto Jump Rope Straightener

Working the kinks out...

Day 12 - Up and Atom!

Today
Reaping the benefits of all that cooking... had some salsa on eggs and toast this morning. The roasted garlic cloves seem to have permeated the mix overnight and the heat relaxed a bit to result in a seriously tasty, easily portioned and ready veggie compliment. Kim and I remarked that because of the taste of the salsa we didn't even notice the lack of salt. 


Granted, the batch I made is far too large given that I underestimated how hot the jalapenos would be and diced up two and had to add a lot more tomatoes than usual in order to quell the heat. Normally it wouldn't be an issue for guacamole and the like, but for whatever reason the Scoville meter was through the roof! And I really like hot food. Anyway, it seemed to mellow overnight and that rich garlic roast flavor should make for a great mix for the quinoa, side or topper for meals moving forward during the coming week.


Our fridge is as full as its been in ages:

Oh, and I was remiss yesterday in thanking everyone for the support, feedback and encouragement during the last few days of jumprope and shin splinty woes. So thanks Pucksters and other PCPers (ex and otherwise)!


Workout
I am simply not a morning person so getting up and at em' (or up and Atom if you are Radioactive Man) is a real struggle. I am the sort, if it wasn't for Kim being so annoyed at me, that would hit the snooze button a dozen times before getting up. But the impetus to get the day started and not have a ridiculously skewed meals schedule (as Noelinator mentioned) outweighed the usual lethargy for once. In order (for once):

1. Jumprope: got a chance to test out the new jumprope... only it didn't stretch out yet and is retained its crumpled packing and kept on rekinking mid-swing which was annoying. So I used Kim's new jumprope. Bliss! Well, that is an exaggeration... the first ~200 were terrible actually. Not a lot of energy. But when I finally hit my stride things looked pretty good (relatively speaking since I'm sure all the fat jiggling only would look good chiaroscuro... emphasis on the scuro). As is par, the last ~200 or so were pretty broken up and the ache comes on. But its a shadow of what it was previously. I can feel it most when its over, but on Alexander's advice I had purchased an proper wrap around ice pack and numbed the pain away (after some stretching and massaging). I'm definitely behind on the jumprope at this point and probably not getting the full cardio benefit that I should be, but am glad that I seem to have isolated the issue(s). Here's hoping that means I can better keep up as the jump count will no doubt continue to rise...
2. Squat: definitely difficult as usual but I like this better than the lunges. Probably because it feels more balanced and I can get deeper. Not quite as burny as the lunges though, so it probably just means that I need the lunges.
3. Incline pull ups: man o man, these are hard. Was able to do them much better than last time, but they are seriously difficult. Didn't feel it quite so much in the shoulders this time though which is hopefully a good sign.
4. Pushups: ever since the switch to the "girly" knee method I am actually feeling these more through the end of the exercise and can keep my form far better. Its weird because the burn comes on very late (latter half of set 3 and most of set 4) and quite suddenly. The first two and a half sets I can pound out without much difficulty.
5. Curls: still liking these... going super slow so there is more significant burn towards the end.
6. DaVinci: much better this time and more full range of motion. Still sticking with the lighter resistance band and plenty o' muscle Scovilles in the last set but definitely a marked improvement over the last time.
7. Situps: again, slow on the uptake here, as I only recently noticed on the sheets that these are more like crunches than full situps. So I modified my form to fix that. Last set and a half were a real struggle and just as I was going to try and push out a couple final ones in the last set my lower back tweaked and reminded me why I had dialed back the reps here. Huge burn so its was entirely a mental thing to try and do the extras but I'll need to listen a little better next time...

Now for a little lunch and a bike ride with my special lady! 

Day 11 - Skippity Do Da

Today
Quite busy... Kim and I decided to do a boatload of cooking and try to get a lot prepped for the coming week or so. Roasted some garlic cloves, grilled 6 chicken breasts, made a massive salsa repository, steamed rice, grilled some tuna, made a gigantic batch of quinoa, grilled more zucchini, tried roasting a poblano pepper and on and on... The kitchen was a disaster, but the fridge looks ready for the apocalypse.


Kim managed to shatter, that's right, shatter a jump rope today. She's that hardcore. So we had to run out and get a new one. I also picked up an ice pack with a velcro satchel so I can ice my leg if it bothers me again.


Workout
Hellz yeah. So I videotaped myself jumping and had my brother (the ex-PCPer) review it and he also solicited advice from someone that graduated in his group (incredible before/after by the way, check it out: http://thepeakconditionproject-jasonb.blogspot.com/). The long and short is that I was jumping far too high and that I should definitely be wearing shoes the whole time. Also, I looked up some links to information about dealing with shin splints and there are a number of exercises and massages I can do to help stave it off and also alleviate the pain once they set in. This is not to say it was all roses, but the improvement was colossal considering the last few days collapse. Was able to get to 500 fairly clean before the leg started aching. Then I broke it up in 50 increments to be safe...

1. Lunges: don't love these, but I can really really feel them
2. Rowing: might need to up the resistance. Hard, but nowhere near as difficult as some of the other exercies
3. Standing Ovation: really laid into these, flexing at the end and it seemed to work. 
4. Triceps Dip: I haven't found these super difficult just yet
5. Forward shoulder raise: Quite hard. Have to use the lightest resistance band on these and its still very difficult.
6. Leg-Ups: good burn towards the end
7. Jump rope: as mentioned, much improved, thankfully. Still achy towards the end and I had to break them up into increments of 50 for the last 150 but much much better. Will have to see how tomorrow goes. Fingers crossed!

Day 10 - Holy Shin-t

Today
I was afraid that perhaps I had bought too much food at my beginning of week 2 grocery run, but that certainly doesn't seem to be the case. In fact I am likely to need to run out again this evening as I'm out of eggs. Still, aside from the colossal size of the meals and lingering questions about some of the ingredients, they haven't been bad at all. I have this weird muscle memory when cooking though... to always reach for the oil and salt. While I haven't been craving either (perhaps I am ingesting enough of my own sweat to satisfy my salt needs), the impulse is there... wanting to move my arm up to grab them.

Still loving the breakfasts!

Workout

Anyone keeping track knows that I am struggling with the jump rope... This morning I ended up having to do 300, then the muscle exercises, and then the last 350, breaking up that last 350 into increments of 100, 100, 100 and then 50. Details at the end.

1. Squats: feeling good... nice burn towards the end and I actually feel like I'm getting the form pretty decent
2. Incline Pullups: same as yesterday, these are a little awkward, partially given the clearance at the end of the table. Quite difficult though, both to maintain plank all the way through, and to do 5-6 reps. As with yesterday, I am feeling this primarily in my shoulders though... not my back.
3. Pushups: saw Bruce's email in the thread about doing these on your knees and the photo suddenly made sense on the sheet. Little wonder I had been struggling with the last set since I was on my toes all the way through. From the knees, "girly" style and I can get deeper and go through the full recommended reps and still get significant burn at the end. Thanks Bruce!
4. Thumbs Up Curl: did these nice and slow up and down... very slight degradation in form on the last 3 reps on the last set. Good burn again.
5. DaVinci: I think these should be called Vetruvians... if the reference is correct it also sounds more like a creature from Star Trek. Went with a much lighter resistance band this time and got a more full range of motion while still getting a good workout. 
6. Sit ups: I always hated sit ups. But these have been feeling good lately. Second to last set is when I start to really feel it and the last set is quite difficult but I can "feel" it all the way through.
7. Jump ropes: the antagonist of this play... As mentioned above I had to stop after 300, stretch and proceed to the muscle exercises before picking up the remaining 350. I had my shoes on this time around to see if that might help, jumping again on the carpet, but the pain in my right leg was no different than before. I rolled out from my calves to my ankles on the sides and on the back, as well as stretched on the stairs again. Then walked around a little to keep it loose before trying the next set. I ended up having to repeat this again in the last set after each 100 jumps as the pain would build back up again. Perhaps not shockingly this means that the jump rope exercises took over an hour to complete all told. Possibly worst of all, I don't think I am getting the cardiac benefit of doing them all at once since I had to break the routine up so much. I'm not sure its shin splints any more but it does run the length of the shin. I took a photo of my leg to highlight where the pain is coming from... The calves themselves are not where the pain is, more toward the bottom and back of the leg, below the calf but above the ankle. Very weird:

Day 9 - Getting Keen on Zucchini

Just made dinner and grilled up some zucchini with roasted garlic. So simple, so very delicious. Will definitely be doing that again.

Bon soir PCPers, hope everyone is fairing well!

Day 9 - Pain Don't Hurt

Suuuuuure Patrick... sure... I'll keep that in mind when jumping rope.

Today
Digging my breakfast routine so far but I'm going to need to get more creative there to keep it interesting. Fingers crossed for a dissertation on avocados, the mystery fruit, from Patrick tomorrow (or in a few hours for most PCPers). If we get the "green" light on that, so to speak, I'm thinking that guacamole, salsa, grilled chicken strips and whole wheat tortillas might be in my future. Yum! Planning to look up mustard recipes over the weekend as well to see if I can make my own and have a light spread for the bread carbs. Also, forgot to pick up eggplant when I was at the store but it feels like a nice "meaty" vegetable with a lot of flavor that is awesome grilled or made into a nice baba ganoush. Which is perfect because I think "Ganoush!" is the sound I make when I exhale on a particularly difficult set...


Workout
Jump rope travails continue to plague. Roadhouse quotes aside, my right shin is so painful it feels like its going to snap and I've ended up limping around for half the day. Probably doesn't help that I worked out last night and switched to a morning routine today so I didn't have quite as long of a recovery period. So that continues to be a struggle, but most of the other workouts, while difficult, haven't been too too bad:

1. Lunges: These are hard, especially with the extra set. I have a tendency to get wobbly towards the end and I have to consciously be thinking about the form each time (which is hard to do as my mind naturally is nomadic)
2. Rowing: again, my form wasn't great. I may have placed the anchor too high before reading Patrick's recommendation that you should have a slight uphill motion on the draw inward. Mine was pretty parallel to the floor.
3. Standing Ovation: again, pretty sure I must be doing something wrong as these seemed pretty easy. Some shoulder and tricep burn towards the end but not nearly as difficult as the other exercises. Not sure if its a form issue or if I need a greater resistance band...
4. Tricep dips: interestingly not too bad. Definite burn towards the end, but felt clean and right, if that makes sense, whereas for some of the exercises I'm pretty sure my body is telling me that something is amiss...
5. Forward shoulder raise: not great. I don't know if this is related to having done the previous standing ovation wrong (too much shoulder), but it felt burnt out almost all the way through. In fact I ended up switching to a lower resistance band just to make it through. Let me know if that is a no no.
6. Leg ups: ab workouts are always hard for me. This was definitely one of the cleaner sets though. Still, when my mind wanders I know my form slips and that's dangerous given the back history.
7. Jump ropes: these were pretty disastrous. Not a clean set in there. Probably tripped up 3-12 times per set. Actually much worse than yesterday both in form and pain. Many a loud expletive and I almost threw the rope across the room. Hopefully the deeply religious neighbors were out as I had the house open since its a little cooler today. I am definitely exhausted very quickly by these, sweating and heavy breathing by 200-300 count. I've been doing them inside on carpet (tried briefly skipping on the mat on the carpet but it kept scooting too much). I had been doing it without shoes as I'm indoors but going to do tomorrow's sets with shoes to see if that helps. So many questions/potential problems with how I am doing these... If I try to do the sets jumping with both feet together I can only do half as many before I am totally winded. So I've been alternating between skipping with the left foot leading for 100, then the right foot leading for the next 100 and so forth. Its possible that I am leaning too heavily for the launches on my right leg and don't realize it and as a result its doing all the work and getting worn out. I'm trying to stay positive about these and maybe it was partially due to the smaller refraction period between working out late yesterday and early today that has aggravated things, but the jump rope continuous to be a major struggle. I feel like I am behind the curve that I see coming, both in terms of what how many I can do comfortably before becoming exhausted and the basic form without tripping numerous times. I'm doing them all, I just suck at them...

Alexander, to your question on the previous post, here is the resistance band set I am using: http://www.aylio.com/Aylio-Basic-Resistance-Bands-Exercise-Set/M/B0018QY22C.htm

I've been using the black one (25 lbs) for almost all of the sets. For most of them it appears to be more than ample (possibly too much for the forward shoulder raise as noted above). It does say in the product description, 

"Unlike regular exercise bands, the unique metal clipping system allows users to adjust resistance levels from 7 to 60 lbs and match the workout intensity to their own level of fitness." 

but I haven't figured out how to do that just yet (only just discovered it).