Confessions, Rants, Raves & Random Thoughts

Sunday AM WOD 01/12/2012

2012-02-12T14:51:00.001-08:00

Good chill workout this afternoon.

Run around the block
25 sit ups
Row 350m/burpees
Burpees/row 350m
25 sit ups
Run around the block

F*CK YOU PETE!!!!

2012-02-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

Stupid Racist Commercial

Funny or Die is comedy!

Controversial Racist Pete Hoekstra Ad - watch more funny videos

Why I care about Jeremy Lin

2012-02-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

Jeremy Lin, at this very moment in time, he is the SHIT. Period. After his 3 straight wins for the Knicks against the Lakers even, this kid is the real deal. Why would I care? Any one who reads this blog and knows me, knows I AM NOT A SPORTS FAN...am not even A BASKETBALL FAN. I will cheer and support my Lakers when we are in a Championship..of course I will. I am in LA duh. But...do I care otherwise? I have never said I was a fan and can barely name any players unless they are associated with a sneaker. But why do I care now? JEREMY LIN. I will state for the record now...

I am not a sports/basketball fan.....

I AM A JEREMY LIN FAN!!!!

This Taiwanese/Chinese kid is changing the game in every definition of that statement. Let's start with the obvious. What makes him so good? After reading several sports articles and listening to commentary about him, every analyst will agree he has a great basketball IQ. He understands the game. Then you look at his what they call "court vision." Seeing your team, knowing where to pass, where to end up, and where to go. Lin has it. His assists are out of no where. How about his plays? Def not fancy at all. Very basic fundamental moves, he is not super showy, he doesn't need it to be...although a couple of spin moves in last night's game will change that statement in a hurry. I will go back to the old school Michael Jordan way of play. One of the things that made MJ awesome, was he actually MADE HIS TEAM PLAY BETTER! That is what a captain is supposed to do. Lin makes his team play better. He can not only take the ball on his own, but he passes and gives assists to his team so they score as well. How about inspiration and motivation? He brings in so much energy, it makes EVERYONE play better. That is what makes him incredible.

Let me just go into why I care so much...why? I see myself in him. Being an ABC (American Born Chinese) I can see and relate to him. He is like millions of Chinese kids in the US...his story is sooooo typical, it could be any of my friends. Grew up in the bay, friggin went to Harvard? He probably plays piano and cleans his room too right? I mean that is sooo stereotypical...but that is where it ends. Jeremy Lin is CRUSHING STEREOTYPES. How is this CHINESE kid doing things on the court and in a game that pretty much African Americans have dominated? The weak, nerdy, WOW playing, Chinese MAN...is totally being changed right in front of our eyes right now. I take that back..forget Chinese...ASIAN. Whether you are Japanese, or Filipino or Korean, you have to LOVE THIS GUY for what he has and will accomplish. What other Asian sports stars do we have? Yao Ming? Well barely and he came from China proper. Maybe there are some golf and tennis pros...but for a Chinese man to come out to Madison Square Garden and light it up against my very own LA Lakers and just kill it? That is game changing. All perceptions of an Asian man in pro sports can be changed now with Jeremy Lin.

I just hope he continues on his path and just keep doing it. I want to tell my kids one day that I was around and was able to see him do his thing.

Now I need to get that Lin Jersey.....stat!

Wall Street Journal - J.Lin article

2012-02-11T14:42:00.001-08:00

FEBRUARY 11, 2012, 9:07 AM ET

Jeremy Lin on Kobe Bryant, God, and His Fast Break to Fame

: Getty Images; Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks drives against Jason Kapono and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on February 10, 2012 in New York City.

When The Garden is full and the right moment hits, it sounds like a riverbed canyon during spring thaw. The roar is deafening, and it rebounds from wall to wall, off the rafters, and into your face with tangible force.

The first time you felt that sonic boom was a few minutes into last night’s program, when No. 17, Jeremy Lin — the man of the hour, the evening and just maybe the season — trotted into the strobing lights of the world’s most famous arena for the first time this evening. As every screen in the house lit up with his picture, the packed crowd let loose with an ear-splitting cacophony: Shrieks and hoots and applause and shouts of “MVP” and behind it all, the roar, that thunderous roar that some call the Knicks’ secret weapon, at least when the Knicks aren’t being utterly terrible. You know, like they were B.L. — Before Linsanity.

Which, as hard as it is to believe, has been with us less than a week.

So maybe it’s not totally hard to imagine a superstar like the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes when asked by reporters about the Jeremy Lin Phenomenon after L.A.’s titanic duel with the Boston Celtics the night before.

“I know who he is, but I don’t really know what’s going on too much with him,” he said. “I don’t even know what he’s done. Like, I have no idea what you guys are talking about….What the [expletive] is going on? Who is this kid?”

Bryant admittedly has plenty of domestic distractions to keep him from reading the headlines that the whole rest of the world’s been glued to. And people have pointed out that Bryant is of the Jordan school, which says that opposing players are the enemy and need to be treated with public contempt and disdain. Still, the remark, coming on the heels of a stunning, uplifting week for those of us who knew exactly who “this kid” was, stuck in the craw.

And all over the Garden, there were signs that the number of people who knew “this kid” had multiplied exponentially over three incredible games. It wasn’t just Asian Americans anymore, or the hardcore Knicks addicts who’d stuck with the team when it was terrible. It certainly wasn’t just Harvard alums.

The first sign was the roar at Lin’s entrance, bigger than for any other player on the team. The crowd, they knew who this kid was.

The second sign was the t-shirts and jerseys, hastily printed and on sale at the Garden souvenir stands. Right next to the ones you’d expect, STOUDEMIRE, ANTHONY, even CHANDLER, there were ones with just three little letters. And as you walked the halls of MSG, there were more backs sporting those three little letters than anything. Backs of all ages and races. The fans knew who this kid was.

At the shootaround, a familiar goateed figure in head to toe blue and orange: Director Spike Lee, the biggest, most bold-faced devotee of the Knicks, the guy who anchored the team’s celebrity sideline (especially on nights when the hated Lakers came to town). Asked what he thought of Jeremy Lin, he immediately whipped out his Blackberry. “Know what I think of Jeremy? I got a list, this is my list of nicknames,” he said. “These all start with Jeremy and end with Lin.”

Lee proceeded to spend the next ten minutes rattling off new handles for Lin, slam poetry style, that he’d invented or received from his vast Twitter following, waving away cameras and other fans: “Jeremy, moves so sick, they need insu-Lin.” “Jeremy, hang my jersey from the cei-Lin’.” “Jeremy, the Lakers, you better be double-Lin.” Lee, he knew who this kid was.

And Knicks legend Bernard King, dressed in a spectacular suit — the only guy able to briefly distract Lee from his litany of Lin-spiration — told Lee to keep going, keep rolling, because he was a huge fan: “Lin is the real deal. He’s the true point guard the Knicks haven’t had in years. He’s the guy the Knicks have needed all along.” He knew who this kid was too.

In the locker room, Lin’s teammates — journeyman Steve Novak and fellow young gun Iman Shumpert — had nothing but praise and love for the guy who’d turned their season around. “He’s incredible,” said Novak. “He’s the sweetest guy in the world, totally humble. He’s young and hasn’t been here long, but he already knows our game, knows the team, inside out. We love him.” Why does Novak love him? “Well, because he gets me shots….I’m kidding!” But he wasn’t entirely kidding. With Lin at PG, Novak has dropped fountains of three-pointers on his opponents and transformed from an obscurity into one of the deadliest parts of the Knicks game.

And soft-spoken Shumpert, seen as a big but disappointing part of the Knicks future before Lin came in and changed everything, he put it best when he talked about the guy he referred to as the heart of the team: “Jeremy doesn’t need all this attention from everybody,” he said. “He’ll give you the clothes off his back. And that’s what makes him a rock star.”

So maybe in an arena of 25,000 people, only one guy didn’t know, or claimed to not know, who this kid was. And that guy was the NBA’s biggest and most flamboyant talent, perennial All-Star and MVP candidate Kobe Bryant.

One quarter into the game, unveiling an amazing ability to penetrate, discombobulate and elevate against the Lakers suddenly Swiss cheese-like defense, Jeremy Lin stood at 10 points, three assists, against future Hall of Fame lock Bryant’s six points, zero assists. Bryant frequently watched stunned as Lin made his teammate Derek Fisher look frankly ridiculous with jellyleg cartoon crossovers and one insane spin move to the basket that became the evening’s signature offensive play. Twitter suddenly boomed with people tweeting: “WHO SAID ASIANS CAN’T DRIVE?” and linking to pics of Lin whipping past a frozen Fish.

By midgame, the screen had lit up with Lin’s smiling portrait and the flashing words LINSANITY a half-dozen times, and Lin’s line was head and shoulders above anyone else on the court: 18 points, five assists, two rebounds. Numbers any player would be proud of at the end of a game. But this was at the half. Lin was clearly on track for a monster performance.

Kobe, meanwhile, who makes almost as much in salary per game as Lin had made all season, had hit just one of his first 11 shots, and put up an anemic (for him) ten points, zero assists, and four rebounds.

It wouldn’t stop for the rest of the game. When Lin was off the court, the Knicks lost momentum. When he came back in, good things happened. In the fourth quarter, with the Lakers making a last-ditch charge and coming within a handful of points, Lin walked off the sidelines onto the floor (ROAR) and threw stilettos into L.A.’s suddenly racing heart, dropping a pair of back to back buckets on Fisher’s noggin — technically beautiful layups, nothing fancy — and then letting himself get hammered to the floor on defense, drawing a charge and offensive foul that turned the ball over and pretty much put the hopes of Lakers fans to rest.

With the game out of reach, Kai Ma, former editor of the L.A. based Koream Journal and now managing editor for New York’s Asian American Writers Workshop, summed up the feelings of Asian American Angelenos watching the game with a tweet: “I’m so sad, BUT I’M SO HAPPY” — happy to see Lin lock down stardom with an unbelievable, Lin-conceivable game-high, career-high 38 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

At the post-game presser, every question Coach Mike D’Antoni got was about Jeremy Lin. D’Antoni looked ecstatic to take them. After all, Lin saved the season, the team, and D’Antoni’s job (at least for now). And then he left and it was announced that Lin would be brought in to the press room shortly. During the break, a veteran sports-beat guy audibly said to his seat neighbor: “I said Lin was a fluke. I should be fired. We should all be fired.”

And then Lin walked in, humble, eyes downcast, without the swash or swagger that one might expect from the NBA’s newest, biggest hero. “I just give all the praise to God,” he said, when asked about the game. God, and his teammates: Lin dished honor to the rest of the roster as smoothly and unselfishly as he distributed the ball on the court.

But the question had to be asked, and so I did. “Jeremy,” I said, when the mike passed to me. “Do you think Kobe knows who you are now?”

A slow smile spread across Lin’s face as the room erupted in laughter. “You’ll have to ask Kobe that,” he said. “But he actually helped me up off the floor” — after Lin was nailed in a cross-court collision — “so I think he knows who I am now.”

Oh, Kobe certainly knows who “this kid” is now. And so does everyone else. Those Jeremy Lin jerseys? Sold out. “We’ll have more by tomorrow!” said a concession stand worker brightly. You’d better, or there’ll be riots.

In the streets outside the Garden, people were shouting “JEREMY LIN!” at the top of their lungs, and chanting, over and over, “MVP.” It’s hard not to feel like this isn’t a watershed moment. Hard not to feel like this is historic. Hard not to think that we’re at the cusp of an actual tectonic shift in the culture, when an Asian American “kid” could be the unquestioned king of one of the most storied franchises in sports, the guy that every guy in the room wishes he could meet and every kid in the room wants to group up to be.

Author and U. Michigan professor Scott Kurashige summed up the sense that we were in a new world now, living in the Year of Our Jeremy, with a Facebook post for his daughter that might have been only a little tongue in cheek: “Dear Tula,” he wrote. “When you were three years old and your father had a fellowship year at Harvard, I took you to see President Lin play when he was a mostly unknown college basketball player, many years before he went on to win seven NBA championships, two terms in the Senate, and the Nobel Prize for ending global warming and ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Love, Dad.”

Maybe that’s a lot to put on a 23-year-old kid just four starts into superstardom.

But maybe it’s not. As Lin put it, you’ll have to ask Kobe that.

“Tao Jones” is Jeff Yang’s weekly column for Speakeasy on Asian culture. Tune in Friday for the next installment. Follow him on Twitter at @originalspin.

What do you think? Leave your thoughts about #Linsanity in the comments.

WOD - 2/11/2012

2012-02-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday AM romp at the gym went something like this.

WARM UP
Run/walk/high knees/butt kicks
Spiderman lunges, inch worm, side squat steps

WOD
Single Arm ground to overhead to overhead squat 8x each arm - 27.5lbs each arm
5 rounds

Dumbbell squat thrusters - 30lb each
Dumbbell row
Squat jumps
Push ups
45 sec on/ 15 sec off
3 rounds

Stretching

this was class...I then headed over for some Olympic Lifting where I worked on my PUSH JERK.
Bar x 10
95lbs x 5
125lbs x 5
135lbs x 3
165lbs x 1
18lbs x 1
**195lbs x 1** - New PERSONAL RECORD!!!!

tired now...gotta get rested for tomorrow.

The Subtle Bigotry That Made Jeremy Lin the NBA’s Most Surprising Star - COLORLINES

2012-02-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Subtle Bigotry That Made Jeremy Lin the NBA’s Most Surprising Star - COLORLINES

Last Night WOD - 2/7/2012

2012-02-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Went in for a WOD last night...still feeling sluggish and slow, hand is 100xs better but is still visibly effed. Weird.

Here is the workout.

WARM UP
1000k Row - 4:04 (setting 3)

WOD

30/20/10 for time of the below:

Dumbbell thrusters - 35lbs each
Push ups
Assisted pull ups (70lbs)

FINAL TIME - 17:54

I know I can definitely be faster...the thrusters KILLED me...ugh.

LOVE

2012-02-04T14:00:00.001-08:00

YES I CAN

2012-02-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

1st Workout Back

2012-02-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

So I pulled/strained a tendon in my left hand. I have been out of the gym for a week now and I went in today for a light workout as my hand is still funky. You can see a visible knot in my hand that goes up and down as I open and close my fist. Crazy. Well here is what we did:

WARM UP
Run/walk/shuffle/high knees/butt kicks

10x air squats
10x sit ups
10x push ups
10x jump squats
3 rounds

WOD

45 seconds of each using a 35# KB (remember my hand is injured so I had to go low weight)

KB squat
KB swing
KB twist
lateral jumps
rest (1-2 mins)

5 rounds

STRETCHING
various stretches with some core/abs movements.

I had a hard time this morning. After a week of, my cardio which was not that great to begin with is even worst. I was gassed. This workout above, I should of crushed it with ease. But I was having a hard time...I hope my hand heals quick so I can get back into it ASAP. It was so frustrating and sad to be so tired during that workout.

Carbs suck....

2012-02-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1668916/pasta-not-bacon-makes-you-fat-but-how

Fat is fat...no more carbs!

Bruce Lee LIVES!!!!

2012-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/01/30/tao-jones-re-enter-the-dragon-why-bruce-lee-is-more-relevant-than-ever/

January 30, 2012, 12:00 PM ET.Why Bruce Lee Has More Kick Now Than Ever.

Everett

Bruce Lee in ‘Enter the Dragon,’ 1973.“From my point of view, the 20th century gave us just two icons who rose above time, space and race: There was Muhammad Ali, and there was Bruce Lee,” says documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack, explaining the rationale behind his two most recent projects, the feature documentary “Facing Ali,” shortlisted for the Academy Award in 2010, and its new followup “I Am Bruce Lee,” which hits 160 theaters across the country for special screenings on February 9 and 11.

It’s an assertion that instantly prompts thoughts of obvious alternatives (was that a muffled cough from Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.?) — but the truth is, it can’t be dismissed as hyperbole either.

Ali and Lee were rare and similar figures: Exceptionally charismatic individuals who thrived in the spotlight, and who earned their permanent place in history by both embodying and overcoming the contradictions of their era. They were unifiers and provocateurs, paramount warriors who preached peace, racial role models whose impact reached far beyond their own communities.

Both were named to Time magazine’s 1999 list of the 100 most important individuals of the past hundred years. And yet, when the list was unveiled, there were those who groused about Lee’s inclusion. A martial arts movie star? Alongside the likes of Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and, uh, Gandhi and King?

Well…yes. “I Am Bruce Lee” is essentially a 94-minute-long argument that Lee was more than worthy of recognition among the century’s greats, and frankly, it’s a convincing one. The documentary is a cascading chain of reminiscences from friends and family (including wife Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon, inner-circle member Dan Inosanto and goddaughter Diana Lee Inosanto), tributes from students and fellow fighters of many styles and generations, and vivid celebrations of his legacy from an eclectic mix of celebrities who claim him as a personal inspiration: NBA superstar Kobe Bryant; filmmaker and former BET chief Reginald Hudlin; actors Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”) and Mickey Rourke (“Iron Man 2″); skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, B-boy Jose Ruiz, and Black Eyed Peas member Taboo.

Interspersed with the talking heads and moving bodies — the interviewees prove that it’s impossible to expound on Bruce Lee while standing still — are samples of his life and work, including personal clips and images that have never before been seen on screen.

Together, all of it makes the case that the biggest source of Lee’s impact wasn’t his onscreen performances, but the unique philosophy he formulated and preached, and that has made converts of individuals from an amazing range of backgrounds — what you might call a way of thinking that leads to a way of moving that leads to a way of life.

The belief system behind Lee’s art, Jeet Kune Do, was rooted in resourcefulness: “Use what works, and take it from any place you can find it”; in flexibility: “Don’t get set into one form, adapt, be like water”; in simplicity: “Express the utmost with the minimum”; in action: “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

But most of all, it’s one that was steeped in a defiant antiestablishmentarianism, a rebellion against the status quo that walks in startling lockstep with the sensibilities of today’s cultural and political moment.

Some of what he said sounds like it might appeal to the Tea Party right: “Not a daily increase, but a daily decrease: Hack away at the inessentials”; “To hell with circumstances — I create opportunities”; “A big organization is not necessary….all members will be conditioned according to the prescribed system; many will end up as a prisoner of a systematized drill.”

But though Lee was a firm believer in the power of the individual, he was if anything the inverse of the Ayn Randian self-interested superman, contemptuous of the lesser beings around him. He told his disciples that “the successful warrior is just an average man with laser-like focus”; he stressed to them that he wasn’t their master, but a “student-master,” still constantly learning from them and from the world — “you can consider someone a master when you’re closing their casket”; he reminded them that “real living is living for others.”

Lee abhorred the elitism of the martial arts world, refusing to issue belts or to imbue his lessons with quasi-mystical ritual. He was relentlessly egalitarian, teaching anyone and everyone who wanted to learn and was willing to work, regardless of size, shape, background — or race: Early in his career in the U.S., he came into violent conflict with the incensed heads of other Chinese martial arts schools, who demanded he stop initiating non-Asians into their secrets. Lee thrashed the representative they sent to challenge him, and continued instructing whomever he wanted.

To Lee, boundaries and divisions, whether between styles or between peoples, were nothing more than a tool of oppression — and as Lee’s wife Linda says, “Bruce hated the oppression of the little people, which he saw everywhere: The Japanese occupation, the Boxer Rebellion, the foreign powers going into China. He just thought all of that was wrong.”

In the film, an animated Reggie Hudlin adds that Lee emerged at a time when the angry underclass was seeking out leaders and symbols, “counterculture figures to fight the establishment” — figures like Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, Muhammad Ali — and Bruce Lee: “When he fought Chuck Norris [in "Way of the Dragon"], Bruce Lee represented the entire Third World, all people of color, fighting the Western oppressor.”

In short, it’s fair to say that Lee was a badass of the 99 Percent.

Today, Norris has become a kind of conservative kingmaker, anointing right wing candidates he decides are worthy of his badge of toughness (he’s the one who famously called Arizona Governor Jan Brewer a woman who eats “scorpions for breakfast,” which she promptly used as the title of her now-famous memoir). If Lee had lived to today, might he be replaying their famous battle at the Coliseum in the political arena — giving progressive politicians the benefit of his personal magic to counter Norris’s fists of approval? Or would he, as Kobe Bryant jokes in the doc, be competing on “Dancing With the Stars” — and winning?

Maybe both.

“My dad didn’t see limitations, in himself or in other people,” says Shannon Lee, who served as the film’s executive producer. “He did what he did his way, and left behind an extremely unique footprint.”

Unique enough to last 40 years without fading, as trainer and expert Jeet Kune Do practitioner Teri Tom says in the film: “You’d think people would have forgotten him by now, but no — I think a lot of cultures have actually picked him up as their hero.”

In 2005, a grassroots youth organization in Mostar in Bosnia spearheaded a successful drive to commission and erect a statue of Lee in one of the city’s main squares, calling him a symbol of “the fight against divisions, and the struggle to bridge cultures — one thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee.” (There’s also a street named after Lee in the city of Drvengrad in Bosnia’s bitter rival Serbia, suggesting a broad-based Balkan fascination with Lee.) That same year, Lee fans raised over $100,000 to get Hong Kong, the city of Lee’s childhood, to erect a statue of him in a choice location by the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on the Hong Kong Walk of Stars. A thriving theme park dedicated to Lee, “Bruce Lee Paradise,” opened in his ancestral town of Shunde on the China mainland in 2006.

But this year could see the way open for the biggest Bruce Lee memorial yet — a $50 million Bruce Lee Action Museum targeted for Seattle, Washington’s International District, which is currently under review by the city’s council. According to Shannon Lee, the museum would have a permanent exhibit of Lee’s life and memorabilia, galleries for visiting shows on themes related to his ideas, a store, theater, meditation space, outdoor training area, research library and café.

And what better year to announce the museum than this one? Lee’s family and fans await the council’s announcement with bated breath. In the meantime, there’s “I Am Bruce Lee,” which is as good a reason to Occupy movie theaters on February 9 and 11 as any. Happy Year of the Dragon.

***

The truly amazing thing about Bruce is how much he accomplished in such a short span of time. He died in 1973 at the age of 32, with just five feature films to his name — one of which, “Game of Death,” was assembled posthumously around 11 minutes of footage shot before his demise. Despite this fact, Lee may be the only Asian American with household name status nearly everywhere in the world — he’s certainly the only Asian American on the Time 100 list of the century’s most influential individuals.

It really does make you wonder what he’d have become if he hadn’t died. Given his amazing drive, ambition and intellect, it’s hard not to imagine that his career wouldn’t have continued on its upward trajectory, to paraphrase one of Lee’s most famous lines, like a finger pointing at the moon in all its heavenly glory.

Lee’s legacy is something that’s already tough to live up to: “I’ve studied martial arts, but of course I’m not anywhere near the level of my father,” laughs Shannon Lee. “Still, people assume I’m a lethal weapon anyway! Sometimes people come up to me and I have to correct the impression — look, I’m a mom and a businessperson, and no, I can’t kill you with two fingers and an evil look.”

I get that all the time myself, Shannon. Maybe it doesn’t help that I’ve written a book called “I Am Jackie Chan.”

The Tao Jones Index

Must-click quick-hits from across Asia and Asian America: Year of the Dragon Edition

Party Rockin’ Lion Dance: Or make that “tigers,” given that this East meets West meets WTF New Year’s performance, set to LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” was sponsored by Singaporean brewmeisters Tiger Beer

New Yarn Dragon: Stephanie Jessica Lau, expert in amigurumi (the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed critters) gives you step-by-step instructions on how to make your own maxi-cute mini-drag

Angry Birds Seasons — “Year of the Dragon”: The Angry Birds have their own animated webseries! In this episode, Lunar New Year festivities go awry for those pesky pigs.

“Avatar: The Legend of Korra” Scene Leaks: If you’re a fan of the original animated TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” you’ve been waiting for more nuggets about the upcoming sequel, set seven decades later and due this year, with Korra, the next Avatar after Aang, as its protagonist. Well, wait no longer: This action packed sequence, featuring Korra going Bruce Lee in what looks suspiciously like Chinatown.

“The One-Inch Punch”: A brief documentary by Victor Tran on the secrets behind one of Bruce Lee’s best-known feats — the so-called “one-inch punch,” a close-up fist-drive that could send an adult male flying across a ring.

What’s your take? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

GO AVA!!!!

2012-01-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/30/ava-duvernay-sundance_n_1241286.html

So proud to say I learned everything I know about PR from this woman. Ava...congrats to you and I cannot wait to read more and see more from you!!!

LA Chinatown Parade - CNY 2012

2012-01-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! 2012, Year of the Water Dragon!!

Headed down with the girlfriend to LA's Chinatown for some dim sum and to catch the Parade!

Here are some highlights of that....good times!

I really have this obsession/love for Chinese Lion Dance. When I have kids, I want them to join an association and learn how to do it. I really just love it.

had a great afternoon and boy am I tired. Maybe I can take a nap now...hope so!

Hiking in LA - Lave ave/Pasadena

2012-01-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

OK OK...I know it is super annoying to "Love LA" outside of So Cal. But really...we are the best when it comes to perfect..and I literally mean perfect weather. Here we are at the end of January...I can post this little trip...

Lake Ave/Pasadena Hike to the top!
There is a trail here in Pasadena at the top of Lake Ave. It takes you all the way to the top of old hotel ruins. Apparently the hotel burned downed 2xs and the second time they just did not rebuild it. It is a gorgeous site and a great workout. 2.7 miles ONE WAY...so almost 6 miles round trip and a few hours kicking your butt. Here are some highlights.

The entrance

Shots on the way up and up....

proof my fat ass hiked up 2.7 miles...ugh...

old railway that took you to the hotel...

left over rail junk...

Hard work getting up there but it was worth it once I got there. Good stuff and great times. I am glad my girl made me go all the way up!

Vanilla Ice goes indie

2012-01-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes work is so rewarding...this is one of those times. I was able to book this bit with THE SOUPTV.COM with Vanilla Ice to help promote the 2nd season premiere of his DIY NETWORK show, Vanilla Ice Project! We shot this in an Echo Park bookstore and it was HILARIOUS! I have some personal video that I will post up later once I load to Youtube. Rob is a super cool dude and this was so much fun to film.

Happy Chinese New Years WOD - 1/22/2012

2012-01-22T18:08:00.001-08:00

Awesome Chinese New Year Eve Afternoon, pretty much perfect So Cal weather to workout and walk. Here is the WOD-1/22/2012:

Warm Up
1000m Row-4:12 (not great)

8 minute workup to max 3x deadlift
-135# x 3
-185# x 3
-225# x 3
-255# x 3
-275# x 3 (end in 8 mins)

Every minute on the minute for 15 mins. If miss, rest for remainder and start at new minute:
3 x burpee
4 x push up (hand release)
5 x sit ups (I cheated on these with less than strict form)
6 x air squats

Results:
1-11 unbroken
12 - missed and rested
13-15 - completed
So I missed ONE...out of the 15. Not too shabby!

After I walked about 3 miles around the Silverlake reservoir with my girl and her doggy. Nice cool down. Perfect perfect afternoon! Now time for dinner at mom's!!!

I AM BRUCE LEE

2012-01-19T17:03:00.001-08:00

So excited for this...

VIP - Ice Ice Baby

2012-01-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

Yes VANILLA ICE is in the house!!!

I was able to meet and spend a couple days with the one and only VANILLA ICE. I am working on the premiere of the 2nd season of his DIY Network show - The Vanilla Ice Project. We did a couple days in LA for press and it was so much fun.

I was able to snap a pic with him while at the E! offices right before his interview!

Please watch THE VANILLA ICE PROJECT on DIY Network, this Saturday 1/21 at 10PM EST/PST. Actually the channel will be repeating the whole season 1 throughout leading to the ICE MY HOUSE special and then the premeire episode! Def follow him @VanillaIce and of course @DIYNetwork!!!

Awesome Inspiration

2012-01-08T18:18:00.001-08:00

WOW

Thanks to my friend at work Fader for this video....I want this to be MY STORY. I have alot of work ahead and I am very happy about my gains thus far but wow...I want this.

Brutal WOD - 1/8/2011

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today's workout...made me think of a great movie and a great scene in that great movie. Who loves MY COUSIN VINNY? So remember this scene when Vinny goes to the red neck to collect the $200...they get into a conversation and Vinny says:

Oh, a counter-offer. That's what we lawyers - I'm a lawyer - we lawyers call that a counter-offer. This is a tough decision here. Get my ass kicked or collect $200. Let me think... I could use a good ass-kickin', I'll be very honest with you... nah, I think I'll just go with the two hundred.

I guess today was the day, I needed a GOOD ASS KICKING....my friend May and I did almost the same workout. Here it is:

MAY's WOD
20 minutes AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
20 x thrusters @ 75#
20 x pull ups
20 x burpees

MY WOD
20 minutes AMRAP
20 x thrusters @ 115#
20 calorie row
20 x burpees

We both were able to complete 2 full rounds and a few thrusters. I was able to get 7 before the 20 minutes and I think May was able to get over 10. Not sure...but that was the hardest 20 minutes in a long time. What a way to start the new year. It was BRUTAL...I expect this Wednesday's GRACE attempt to be just as bad. May and both are going to do it and get a baseline to try to improve. We shall see!

1/7/2012 - WOD

2012-01-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

A good day at the gym. Morning was misty and very cold but it warmed up and we did some good stuff in class this morning.

WARM UP
Jump Rope
Stretch

WOD Part 1

Strict Dumbell Press hold for 3 count at top, 2 count down to shoulders x 8
Single Arm Ground to Overhead x 8 each arm
@30#
5 rounds
2 sets then rest for 2 min

WOD Part 2
5 stations for 1 min each rotate 2xs
Wall Ball
Sit Up
KB Swing (35#)
Box Jumps
90# Sled Pull Burpee
Rest

Stretch

After class, I then headed for some Olympic Lifting aka my "techniques class."

I told my coach I want to attempt GRACE (30 x clean and jerks @ 135lbs) this Wednesday. Maybe I should of kept my mouth shut. So to prep for that here is what we did.

Clean Grip Dead Lift - 3 x 3 @165lbs
Clean Pulls - 3 x 3 @ 155lbs
Power Clean & Press/Jerl @ 135lbs - 1 every 45 sec for 10 reps

All True...pretty much.

2012-01-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203471004577140900388728374.html?KEYWORDS=Jason+Gay#printMode

The 27 Rules of Conquering the Gym By JASON GAY..

.This is the time of year when even people who hate the gym think about going to the gym. Many of us are still digesting whole floors of gingerbread houses, and jeans that fit comfortably in October are now a denim humiliation.

Sweating is a good way to begin 2012. Exercise, like dark chocolate and office meetings that suddenly get canceled, is a proven pathway to nirvana. But if you're going to join a gym—or returning to the gym after a long hibernation—consider the following:

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

2. Give yourself a goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. Maybe you want to quarterback the New York Jets into the playoffs. But be warned: Losing 10 pounds is hard.

The New Year's push to lose weight is bringing crowds to gyms. Jason Gay offers tips to conquering the gym. Photo: Getty Images.

.3. Develop a gym routine. Try to go at least three times a week. Do a mix of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. After the third week, stop carrying around that satchel of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.

5. Bring your iPod. Don't borrow the disgusting gym headphones, or use the sad plastic radio attachment on the treadmill, which always sounds like it's playing Kenny Loggins from a sewer.

6. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.

7. Yes, every gym has an overenthusiastic spinning instructor who hasn't bought a record since "Walking on Sunshine."

8. There's also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym. Just when you think he isn't here today...there he is, lurking by the barbells.

9. "Great job!" is trainer-speak for "It's not polite for me to laugh at you."

10. Beware a hip gym with a Wilco step class.

11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.

12. Nope, that's not a "recovery energy bar with antioxidant dark chocolate." That's a chocolate bar.

13. Avoid Unsolicited Advice Guy, who, for the small fee of boring you to death, will explain the proper method for any exercise in 45 minutes or longer.

14. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that's super tough!

15. If you're motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a "wooden coat rack." It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing.

16. There's the yoga instructor everyone loves, and the yoga instructor everyone hates. Memorize who they are.

17. If you see an indoor rock climbing wall, you're either in a really cool gym or a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson.

18. Be cautious about any class with the words "sunrise," "hell," or "Moby."

19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch.

20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.

21. Don't buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water. Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.

22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you're basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.

23. Everyone sees you secretly racing the old people in the pool.

24. If you're at the point where you've bought biking shoes for the spinning class, you may as well go ahead and buy an actual bike. It's way more fun and it doesn't make you listen to C+C Music Factory.

25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.

27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.

Where's my infomercial and best seller?

Copyright 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Holstee Manifesto lives on

2012-01-03T00:30:00.001-08:00

this manifesto always inspires....

Premium Denim

2012-01-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Tellason...I have been fiending for a pair for a while, but I can never find a pair, this brand is a tad exclusive and hard to find. But they make some of the best jeans around that rival the Japanese denim,.

Now I am not a true denim whore, but I do like to rock SELVAGE whenever I can. My first pair of "nice" jeans was back in 2007 when I had my first pair of RED MONKEY jeans. These were the jeans Jay-Z rocked and they cost a pretty penny. Fast forward a few years I was able to grab a pair of Yoropiko jeans

http://www.yoropiko.co.uk/

then I was hip to the GAP 1969 collection. FINALLY some Selvage jeans that were "reasonable" in price. I picked up 2 pair of the Gap ones. I guess I am snobby in the sense that I will probably NEVER own a pair of True Religion, and I do have a pair of Sevens and Diesel jeans that I got on discount at Nordstrom Rack, and I consider those my "cheap" jeans.

see the link below to a great article on Tellason which is a local shop in SF that makes some good shit...I am still looking to find a pair in the wild!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/01/LVR71LQS35.DTL

What makes these jeans worth $198?

Lorraine Sanders, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, January 1, 2012

With the average pair of jeans sold in the United States retailing for $37, less than most city drivers these days spend on a tank of gas, it's easy to question the practical wisdom of dropping $200 on a pair of so-called premium denim jeans.
But plenty of guys are willing to pay that - or more - for jeans made of selvage denim and sold in stores catering to denim-buying men. What's the allure of a higher-priced pair?
"I didn't grow up with a lot of money, but my parents always said, 'We're too poor to be cheap.' Get the pair that lasts longer," says Howard Gee, owner of North Beach's AB Fits, which specializes in premium men's denim brands and also sells its own line of jeans for men.
Jeans cut and sewn from selvage fabric, made on old-fashioned shuttle looms that produce textiles with closed edges known for their durability, may cost more to produce than denim made using fabric created on the wider and more efficient modern-day looms used by the vast majority of manufacturers. But they are known for lasting longer than their cheaper counterparts, as well as for offering other benefits.
"They form to your body, you get your own natural wear patterns, they last longer, it's more environmentally friendly," says Tony Patella, who co-founded local denim label Tellason in 2009 with Pete Searson.
Tellason, which manufactures its denim in a SoMa factory, is one of a handful of denim labels producing men's jeans featuring selvage denim and other high-end details in small or limited quantities in the Bay Area. Others include Gustin and AB Fits, as well as Self Edge exclusives Roy Denim, made by one-man-operation Roy Slaper in Oakland, and 3sixteen+, a design collaboration with 3sixteen, a New York label that manufactures in San Francisco.
The notion that paying a little more may net you a sturdier product capable of lasting longer is one likely to appeal to many male shoppers, according to recent data from textile industry group Cotton Incorporated. While women are more likely to choose jeans based on style, men buying new jeans prize comfort, fit, durability and quality above almost everything else and far ahead of style or brand name.
Of course, practical concerns aren't the only consideration.
Says Tellason's Searson: "We just believe people should care about how things are made and where they're made."
The model: John Graham Mellor Slim Straight ($198, DDD). Made in San Francisco, using Cone Mills White Oak Selvedged denim in a 12.5-ounce weight made for the label, with thread from North Carolina and buttons and rivets made with a copper oxide finish by a Kentucky company.
Inspected by: Official stamp of approval made by either Tony or Pete, who inspect each pair.
Patch: Leather patch (back waist) by Portland's Tanner Goods.
Longevity: As it ages, raw denim forms to the wearer's body and develops its own natural wear patterns and markings. Raw denim is also unprocessed, so it not only wears differently, but does not involve chemical treatments or labor-intensive processes that artificially distressed denim requires.
Durability: Polycotton thread (pigskin-hued thread) for added strength, and 10 stitches per inch, a ratio similar to finely tailored menswear, also for strength. Reinforced stitching on belt loops and pocket corners.
Pockets: Bar tacks on pockets instead of metal rivets. Bottom half of back pockets lined with the same heavyweight twill found in front pockets, a.k.a. bags, for longer wear.
Logo: Back pockets feature a subtle "T" in dark blue thread, the brand's alternative to a logo or logo tag.
Hem: Chain stitching on bottom hem, and red selvage line is a sign that the jeans were created on vintage shuttle looms.
Seams: Busted side seams lie flat against the leg.
Extras: Free hemming service on any pair, regardless of where you purchased them. Extra-tall customers can custom order pairs with longer inseams.

S.f. denim resources

STORES

AB Fits (AB Fits, Tellason, Gustin): www.abfits.com.
Jack's (Gustin): www.jackssf.com.
Revolver (Tellason): www.revolversf.com.
Self Edge (Roy Denim, 3sixteen and 3sixteen+): www.selfedge.com.
Taylor Stitch (Tellason): www.taylorstitch.com
Union Made (Union Made Indigo, Tellason): unionmadegoods.com.
LABELS

Tellason: www.tellason.com.
Gustin: www.gustinqualitygarments.com.
AB Fits: www.abfits.com.
Roy Denim: www.roydenim.com. Made by one man (Roy Slaper) in Oakland and sold exclusively at Self Edge.
3sixteen and 3sixteen+: www.3sixteen.com. This NYC company produces its denim in San Francisco and offers collaborative line 3sixteen+ designed with Self Edge's Kiya Babzani.

Hong Kong - The Watches

2011-12-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting around to posting this...I have been back from my trip a few weeks and just had no time. While I was in Hong Kong I of course met up with the homies. My watch friends...my Paneristi. I have known these guys since about 2005. These are my big brothers and have always taken good care of me when I was in HK. Of course...our shared passion is WATCHES....so here are some random pics from my watch adventures while in HK.

We stopped here for a pvt event...

It was for this brand..
.

Skeleton Tourbillon watch. When closed it looks like a regular watch. Open up and you can literally see the insides of the watch ticking away.

Some more random shots

Then we took a look at some of the GRAND SEIKOs in stock....super nice!

You would be surprised to know how much those SEIKOs cost...I have to admit, I was a little shocked.

One of the guys picked up this nice Zenith with a tobacco face and brown strap. Gorgeous.

than the ballers came out to play....this watch is crazy.

on my wrist...a dream watch.

Blacked out Rolex anyone? On a military strap?

I am usually not a fan of modding a watch but the treatment here is pretty good.

Elegant and nice...smaller custom watch maker..

Everyone loves a display back...

I have kinda like VC...but they are not branding themselves correctly...

my buddy than took me to walk around the HK second hand watch stores...check this. Anyone looking for an AP ROO? Plenty to choose from!

how about some Panerai?

Good times as always and drooling over watches is pretty fun. I have my eye on a couple that I hope I can pick up next year. If all else goes well, I may be able to add to my personal stable.

Tick Tock Don't Stop!!!!!

2011 - A Great Year

2011-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

This will be my last post of 2011. I am writing this on 12/30 but I am planning on writing over this weekend and publishing this on or before the new year. I have a lot to say and was not sure how long it would take and if I could get my thoughts together all in one shot, so I figured why push it...let's just take some time and get it right.

I have to say 2011 was an amazing year for me. I have done lots, accomplished lots and so very happy about everything. I am only more excited about 2012 and keeping the momentum going from this year and just keep moving forward.

I will jump into the first thing that made this year incredible. July 4th, 2011. WORLD SERIES OF POKER.
http://theder.blogspot.com/2011/07/july-4th-wsop-weekend-part-1.html

You can go to the above blog post and see how great it was. This event started it all. From this one thing, I snowballed into other things.

This is the second major goal and accomplishment I did in 2011. FIGHT GONE BAD. This was major...I am still thinking about it. It was such an experience.

http://theder.blogspot.com/2011/09/fgb6-accomplished.html

Then the final piece to end the year was my awesome trip to Asia. I visited Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam and then Bangkok, Thailand and finally to Hong Kong. I posted a bunch of things and here is the first one...it goes on throughout my trip:

http://theder.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-1-ho-chi-minh.html

All along the way I did little things here and there all small but important and gratifying steps. Steps to the larger goal. I am going to tackle 2012 the same way. Keep the momentum going. Life is all about experience. I want to experience everything I can. I am going to take small steps. I want to travel more, I want to do more physically, I want to excel at my job and move up, and lastly...I want to work on the LOVE department. Yes folks...towards the end of the year, I met a special someone. I wont get into too many details as I would like to keep that stuff private. But I have to say I am very happy and I want to keep this happiness going for as long as possible. Life has been good this past year...I know I can make it even better this year.

Lastly, thanks to all my good friends and casual readers of my blog. All 8 of you. hahaha.....I will try to keep this going and keep things interesting and share things as they happen. 2012 is going to be awesome. I will make it happen!

12/28/2011 WOD

2011-12-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I did an actual workout from the crossfit HQ. Check it out here:

So for warm up:
Row 1000mm = 4:24
A little slower then usual but it was a slow warm up.

I did some stretching with the PVC pipe, shoulder rotations etc.

Now on to the WOD.

9 x deadlifts
6 x hang power snatch
3 x overhead squats
5 rounds for time
As RX is 135lbs for men and 95lbs for women

I will be honest I had to do the women's weight. So I did the above WOD at 95lbs and completed in:

8:25

Not crushing it by any means...but I guess it was OK. I can improve for sure.

12/23/2011 WOD

2011-12-24T01:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I love having a nice 4 day weekend! I was able to sleep in and run a bunch of errands and get to the gym to take the 530 xfit class. Here is what we did:

Warm Up
Class usually run/walk etc. Today I opted to jumprope. Before class I rowed.
1000K row - 4:19

Spiderman lunges back and forth

5 x air squats/push ups/sit ups - AMRAP 5 minutes

WOD

1 min box jumps (I used 6 risers on each side)
30 sec squat thrusters (30#s each)
1 min plank off the risers
AMRAP for 10 mins

Weighted walking lunges (used 1 30lb weight) w 1 burpee at each end and adding a burpee all the way to 10. For example - 1 burpee, then walk lunge with weight to other side of room, 2 burpees, walk lunge with weight to other side, 3 burpees walk lunge with weight etc etc all the way to 10 burpees.

I only completed 9 burpees

12/22/2011 - WOD

2011-12-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! I got off early from work today! I was able to leave the office at 130PM this afternoon for the xmas holiday which meant I was able to hit the gym before dark and get some errands done.

Here is the work out...a particularly hard one for sure.

WARM UP
1000k row - 4:17 at a 7 damper setting. Not too bad. I would like to get this row at or under 4 mins.

WOD

AMRAP Single Unders - 10 mins
Rest 2 mins
AMRAP Walking Lunges - 8 mins
Rest 2 mins
AMRAP Burpees - 6 mins
Rest 2 mins
AMRAP Dumbbell Swings @ 55lbs - 4 mins
Rest 2 mins
AMRAP Sit Ups - 2 mins

My Scores:
Singles = 414
Lunges = 137
Burpees = 45
DB Swings = 35
Sit Ups = 34

Man..what a workout!!!

What is Crossfit?

2011-12-20T23:01:00.001-08:00

Hope this answers the question!

12/17/2011 - WOD

2011-12-17T15:07:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning workout.

Run/Walk

WARM UP
10 x handwalk out push ups
20 x air squats
10 x handwalk out push ups

WOD
300 single jump rope
40 x ground to overhead
20 x burpees

300 s/u jumprope
20 x g2o
10 x burpees

300 s/u jump rope

I did not complete the last 300 jumpropes...booo. I started using 40lb dumbbells and it was way too heavy. I dropped down to 25s and was able to complete the set unbroken.

40lb Back Rows 10 x each arm
hands overhead walking lunges back and forth
3 x rounds

Stretch

OLYMPIC LIFTING
Practiced my hang power snatch and over head squatsgot to a
PR of 95lb Snatch Balancegot to a
PR of 95lb Hang Power Snatchthis is all from using just the bar...so good jumps.

Very good day!!!

Air Jordan 3 Retro - Black / Cement

2011-12-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

I have not picked up a pair of shoes in a while. I have been concentrating on a lot of things and just kind of fell off the sneaker hunt. That being said, in 2011 there are just a couple pairs I want. The retro 11 in concord and these..the 3s in Black/Cement. I have a pair of these from the CDP pack but I plan on keeping those DS for a bit longer.I was actually on vacation when these dropped but my boy Steve was able to get me a pair...LOVE THESE KICKS!!!Such a classic ICONIC colorway...a MUST HAVE for sure....

DO IT!!!

2011-12-15T12:46:00.001-08:00

Watch this...and DO IT.

The Belt Dont Lie

2011-12-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

So I felt I had to share this morning's amazing discovery. Everyone that knows me, knows the last year has been a tremendous "FITNESS" year. Goals reached and some surpassed. I have never felt better, performed better and dare I say it looked better in my life. I have told several friends...I would kick my 21 year old self's ass. I am seriously in my best shape ever. Weird to say that...even weirder to feel it...and see it.Anways...I wanted to share this pic...

This is my brown belt. I hardly ever wear it as I usually rock a swap meet, cholo style metal slider buckle. But on the occasion I am wearing a brown outfit, I will switch up my belt. I have had this belt for a few years. As you can see by the markings, I am not lying this is 100% TRUE. This is a size 40 waist Banana Republic leather belt.The picture shows the markings....I USED to wear is on the 3rd hole. The most used one...about 2 months ago, I was able to move it to the 4th hole! BIG DEAL! I was so proud and would tell anyone that would listen...hey I moved one belt loop! Fast forward to this morning...Yes friends...I AM ON THE LAST HOLE. The last hole on a 5 hole, 40 waist size belt. I knew I lost some weight before when I was able to squeeze into a sz 38. Even on vacation, I jumped on a scale when I was in Hong Kong. At my heaviest, I was around 245-250. 255 at the ultimate heaviest. But to be fair, I would say 250 was my fighting weight.I weighed 233 in Hong Kong last week. I dropped about 20 lbs. This along with my new belt hole...I am feeling great.THANK YOU to all the peeps that helped me. I am going to keep this train moving...more to come folks! YAY!

Hong Kong - Last Day

2011-12-04T14:53:00.001-08:00

I checked out and my boy Daryl came and picked me up for some lunch and a ride to the airport.We went to this really good Pork Katsu place.Potato CroquetteWalked around some of the 2nd hand stores for high end watches...anyone need an AP ROO?How about a Panerai?Then in the evening we headed to Harbour City Mall Excellent ending to an amazing 2 weeks.Thank you to all the people that I met and showed me hospitality. It was so great and inspiring. Excellent time for sure.

Hong Kong - Day 3

2011-12-04T14:37:00.001-08:00

Met up with Doris and Kelia today....which was a nice treat. Kelia is Doris' BFF in Hong Kong so we got to enjoy lunch and some walking around together!We had some famous Roasted Goose at this place...A 10K dinner...in Hong Kong dollars.here is the goose...roasted porknoodlesegg whites with crab meat...walking around Hong Kong with our mini tour guide Kelia!Crossfit prepped...famous Gas Lamps...Doris and KeliaMore walking in Kowloon

Hong Kong - Day 2

2011-12-04T14:21:00.001-08:00

Second day...I actually found a place to work out!this is all I need....timer app and my jump rope!Hotel 2nd floor...One guilty thing...is Mc Donald's over seas has FRIED APPLE PIES! WTF? If they can bring back the McRib why they cannot bring back the fried apple pie for a limited time? I mean come on...Kowloon Park is actually very beautiful with lots of little gardens everywhere...this was very cool....check it...yes it is made entirely of the candy...where all the fancy people go...aww how cute...have to visit the master the ultimate...Nothing like a Iced Vanilla Latte sitting in front of Hong Kong Harbour....Hong Kong loves Christmas....

Hong Kong - Day 1

2011-12-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Now that I am back home I can FINALLY load up some of the Hong Kong pics. Here is what I did and saw day one!View from my 24th floor room at the BP International Hotel on 8 Austin Road in Jordan north of TST.The corner of Nathan Road and Austin Road,My friend Doris from the gym was in town on her won adventure so we met up for a late lunch and caught up! Doris was in town for almost the same time I was there so we would definitely hang out again!here is the food...noodles and wings!we walked over to the "famous" waffle egg things....this was a chill first day...tired from traveling etc. More on day 2~

Day 10 - Last Day in BKK

2011-11-29T09:13:00.001-08:00

This is dedicated to Mr. Aaron Tan. Brother...you are the coolest and best host man. I am still pissed we got to hang on my LAST day and not earlier! Thank you for everything brother and I will see you in LA soon for some payback!Now moving on...started the morning out with a quick tuk tuk run into the middle of the shopping of BKK. I went to Center Siam's Starbucks on my way to MBK.Tuk Tuks are cool..oh yeah and don't fart in one.now I am not a huge coffee drinker, my friends know I drink coffee like others drink alcohol...I like to go OUT for coffee but never drink it just because. That being said, something about heading to a Starbucks halfway across the world feels like home.After some shopping I met my friend Aaron for lunch and an afternoon of shopping and kicking it.I forgot the name of the restaurant but it was a Thai Fusion place in the mall. This bacon fried rice was BOMB!Chicken WingsThis is a meat dish, again it was delicious and I had no idea what it was..we also had some shrimp...but I failed to take a pic as I was too busy eating it.some random graffFor dinner we had Italian..and it was GOOD..I know good Italian food in BKK? Yes..Spaghetti Ragu BologneseWood fired thin crust Prosciutto pizzaand this...braised Ox tail...OMG..so good.Thank you again Aaron for everything...it was an awesome afternoon in "Paradise." I hope to hear from my "LHD!!!"

Day 9 - Islands of FUN!

2011-11-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

Today I woke up really early...say 6AM yes...6AM. I took a day tour to Pattaya and the Coral Island.It was an amazing time...I am soo happy I took this tour. It was fun fun fun. I am sure now, next time I am in Bangkok, I am going straight to Pattaya I think. It is a super party/beach city so yeah next time I will go there.I will let the pics do the talking...the place was gorgeous!!Lunch!I have more....Had an awesome time...definitely a must do or must try!

Day 8 - Food and Shopping

2011-11-27T08:02:00.001-08:00

Today I was supposed to meet a friend but we missed each other. So I waited for him and when he did not show, I was in the middle of shopping central. SIAM where all the shopping is...had lunch here...random shots Help the flood victims in ThailandI did not part..with my 300 baht donation I got this cool shirt...sadly it is an XL and and Asian XL pretty much I cannot wear it at all...oh well it was for a good cause.For dinner I went to CHABUTON...a "famous" ramen house...The Gyoza's were great, they tasted very fresh and def home made...Tonkontsu Char Siu Ramen and some Ice Green Tea...The ramen was good, definitely LIGHTER than I was used to ie Santouka and Daikokya sobut was OK. The char siu was ok..it did not melt in your mouth like others But yes it was a decent bowl of noodels.

Sak Yant - Paed Tidt (8 Directional)

2011-11-27T07:11:00.001-08:00

Wanted to give some more info on my second yant or sacred tattoo. This second one I have is called a YANT PAED TIDT or the 8 Directional Yant. This is the traditional "next" yant you get after getting the one I already have. I went in with ZERO idea of what to get. I left it 100% on the monk to give me whatever he wanted. He selected this one which made sense as this is the next one...I am very pleased!This is my Monk..that placed the Yant on me.Here is the offering...THANK YOU!This tattoo is meant to protect the wearer wherever they may go. Wherever I travel I will be protected. Here is some more info I picked off from the web.The Kata is written in a circle around the centre of the Yant,and reads as follows;I Ra Chaa Ka Tha Ra SaaThi Hang Ja Thoe Roe Ti NangBi Sam Ra Loe Bu Sath PutSoe Maa Na Ga Ri Taa ToePa Sam Sam Wich Sa Tae PaKa Put Ban Tuu Tam Wa KaWaa Toe Noe A Ma Ma WaaA Wich Su Nuch Saa Nuth ThiIt is representative of the 8 directions of the Universe and has a kata to protect you in each direction you may travel in.Paed Tidt’ or Eight Direction Yant is a sacred Geometric Yant containing eight Mantras written in 2 concentric circles in the centre of the design. The design of the Paed Tidt Yant also incorporates eight representations of the Buddha. These are the groups of 3 ovals each increasing in size from the top.In Thailand, there is a Buddha image, each one in a different pose, for every day of the week. (On Wednesdays there are 2 Buddhas, one for the morning and one for the evening) and these 8 Buddha Images can be seen in many Thai temples, usually surrounding a Chedi.The peaks of the Paed Tidt Tattoo symbols the 8 directions of out universum. It is a stong protection tattoo, which protects you specially when you are on a journey. For every cardinal direction there is a special Kata to pray, to activate the power of the tattoo.here is video of the tattoo process...let me tell you, IT HURT ALOT...alot more than a traditional tattoo gun. Maybe I am just a wimp...

Sak Yant Tattoo - November 2011 from The Der on Vimeo.

Day 7 - Floods and Tattoos in BKK

2011-11-26T08:59:00.001-08:00

Today I not only did a great workout as per my previous post but I went out to get another tattoo...another Thai religious tattoo also known as a Sak Yant.I walked to pick up my friend Marlin who I met in VN to come along. I saw some GRAFF in BKK! on the way to the temple...I got to see first hand the flooding and damage it caused in neighborhoods...it was scary driving through that water.then here I was...chatting with a monk...and getting my next yant.my monk...let me tell you...it HURT LIKE CRAZY!!!Here it is...

WOD - 11/26 Bangkok, Thailand

2011-11-25T20:20:00.001-08:00

This morning I finally got enough energy to get my fat ass out to workout. Please bare in mind the weather here in Thailand. It AINT conducive to working out. It is hot and muggy and pretty gross outside. I woke up, went down stairs for my free breakfast of rice, chicken, scrambled eggs, small sausages and juice. I came back up to rest a little and digest before TRYING TO workout.thanks to Coach B that posted a WOD for me to do using what is avaialble...I had a plan of attack. Here is my WOD.Walk/Fast Walk on high incline treadmill - 2 min30 air squatsgo 4 times increasing pace each timehere is what I did...1. 7 incline @ 3.5 mph2. 7 incline @ 4.0 mph3. 8 incline @ 4.5 mph4. 8 incline @ 5.0 mph*5. 8 incline @ 5.5 mph (bonus one)and squats were as prescibed.After this I was huffing and puffing and decided to cool down with some jump rope. I did about 100-125 single unders to finish off. BUT!!!THAT IS NOT THE BEST PART!!!! WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT!!!!!!I GOT MORE DOUBLE UNDERS COMPLETED!!!!To those that dont know or dont care you can stop reading here...but for the rest of my friends that know how hard and important getting these are to me...know what an accomplishment this was!!!My single unders have vastly improved in the last month, I can go for about 50 pretty easy unbroken and in a good rhythm, so I have been messing around and practicing getting ONE...and then maybe TWO...etc. TODAY on the rooftop of the Best Western Mayfair Suites in Bangkok, Thailand I actually hit a few and strung them in a meaningful matter.I was able to do this..start with singles...DU...singles....DU...singles I was able to complete the above sequence for a few times. I still get tripped up but my wrists are getting used to the action of flicking the rope 2xs under me. I am sooo super psyched...this is like super awesome. A few more practice sessions and soon I can string these bitches together!!! Very Very happy today, great cardio, great sweat... felt so good. Now its time to go out and play in Bangkok!!!

Day 6 - First Day in BKK

2011-11-25T08:03:00.001-08:00

This morning I said goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I was chilling at the illy cafe in the international flight section of the airport.This is how a boss chills...illy ice cap, apple danish...all good for 8AM in the morning. Here in LOS = Land of Smiles! and traffic....lots of traffice.went here for dinner...and it was kinda crappy.cup of mushroom soup. Not great at all...so since I was still hungry I went to try some Padthai from the street.............deeelish!!!eating in the streets baby!!

Day 5 - Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:34:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!Today was my last full day in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I had no tours but wanted to head to Chinatown for some dim sum and to visit a specific pagoda. Since mom worships the Quan Yum, I wanted to visit her pagoda after dim sum.I was a good boy and lit incense and made some wishes/prayers for family and friends.Then I went for a neighborhood walk all around Chinatown.After, I went to my tailor to pick up my suits. I brought those back to the hotel and got ready for dinner.Dinner was at the Black Cat a super hipster bar.It was a simple dinner buffet but it had familiar tastes.Turkey was great and the it did taste like more...

Day 4 - Ho Chi Minh City Tour

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

Another great day of seeing the city. I am a pretty lucky guy. I am laying here in my hotel room, sipping on a fresh sugar cane juice, with some random Asian music video playing behind me as I type this blog. Man...these experiences are so special and they are mine. I love it. OK enough with the reflecting and more pics right?First stop the war remnants museum...I have to be honest, this place was a bug DOWNER...man it is depressing.

The museum was full of pictures and alot of them really sad. I will spare the deep descriptions. But it was a war, a terrible war and bad things happened. Yeah..a bummer.ok moving on...next stop we headed to the Mother of the Ocean Temple. This is a sea goddess that protect sailors and fishermen. This is her temple in HCM's Chinatown area aka Cho Lon.Next we went to the Binh Tay Wholesale Market...it is crazy inside and you can buy whatever you want...just as long as you buy at least 100 or so...We then headed to the Reunification Palace...where the president of VN lived etc.last stops Notre Dame Cathedral one the oldest churches in the country, every brick was brought in from France to build it. Pretty awesome church.Post office that was it...another long day but filled with cool things, sites and learnings.Tomorrow is Thanksgiving over here and I found a local restaurant that is hosting a "Traditional Thanksgiving" buffet for $28USD. Not too bad, so I am going to go there! I also get my suits back from the tailor too. Exciting!

Day 3 - Cao Dai Temple and Cu Chi Tunnels

2011-11-22T07:24:00.001-08:00

Second tour of the week, today we went to the Cao Dai Temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels.First it was one of the longest days in bus travel. We were on the bus for about 5-6 hours today. OMG..it was crazy UNCOMFORTABLE...hot as heck and crowded bus for the tour.CAO DAI TEMPLEThis was our first stop. It was soo hot...but look at the pics...I think it was worth it:Inside...so beautiful.We got here around noon, which was prayer time. Perfect timing...We then headed to lunch...10 mins away.Then we were finally headed to the Cu Chi tunnels..Surprise tunnel for the Americans!Oh yeah I got the get my RAMBO on..and shot an M16after a long ass ride home, I just wanted to eat...soooo

Day 2 - Mekong Delta

2011-11-21T08:31:00.001-08:00

Today I went on my first of 3 tours in Ho Chi Minh city. I thought I was going to do the city tour but instead it was the Mekong Delta tour. Man it was a great day and I met some great people too!I started the day with my "free" hotel breakfast of a pretty decent bowl of wonton noodles. Like for reals it was not that bad...I got in a van and we headed off...the Mekong Delta is about 2 hours outside of HCM so it takes some time to get out there.Here is our guide giving us the details of the day.then we were on the river...first stop on the island was a bee farm with the freshest and crazy good tasting honey ever.I had to try it...oh man this tea tasted so good with the honeyanother big deal is the snake winenot too bad as a snake handler right?We then headed for some tropical fruit tasting all from that area... The fruit insideOne of the folk singers that came by to sing for us:then we went to row in a banana boat!and our lovely lady boat rower....it was pretty crazy on the river...After that we got to have luncb: After that we took a small bike ride through the village and got to see the real rural lifestyle.;;;;;;;;;;;;;it was a great day...so I wanted to have something nice to eat and I saw this BBQ place across the street from my hotel adn wanted to give it a try:SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Great end to a great day! Shout out to the "Naruto" guys from as well as the Filipino Family from Cebo!!

Day 1 - Ho Chi Minh

2011-11-20T07:49:00.001-08:00

Sunday November 20, 2011 - Day 1Today was the first day of my vacation in about 5 years. The last time I traveled was back in 2007 so this was a long time coming. I left LAX on Friday 11/18 for a 15 hour flight to HK with a connecting to HCM in 2 hours which was a 2 hour flight. I finally arrived in HCM around 11AM.During my lay over in HK, I needed a snack...Oh man this was gooood. The Chinese know their bread with condensed milk. I had a milk tea to go with it and yes it tastes better here than back home...or maybe it is in my head.I arrive in HCM and get a cab to my hotel. I think I got jacked on my cab...in fact I know I did. I should of just went to the stand than follow that dude for his cab. I guess chalk it up to a donation. Dont want to knock the hustle...I guess for everyone of me that pays too much there are a bunch of others that he dont get. Anyways...I arrive here:This is located in District 3 which is in between the main parts of District 1 and Chinatown in District 5 and 6. It had very good reviews on Trip Advisor and they have that standard free breakfast and their own tours. So I sign up on my tours. I have the next 3 mornings full of tours.I walk around looking around the hotel and see if what is nearby.front of the hotelI was hungry now as you can imagine so I walked into this place that looked very busy...so why not. I wanted to try the Vietnamese "pancake" as I figured there will be plenty of opportunities to have Pho here. In fact I can have some tomorrow for breakfast downstairs.Beef noodles and veggiesand then this huge thing...random walking around shots I cant wait for more of what this city has to offer!

Knoxville TN

2011-11-14T18:52:00.001-08:00

As I type this, I am sitting in a pretty nice hotel room in Knoxville, TN. I am at the OLIVER HOTEL a cool little boutique hotel in downtown. I came here for work. We have 2 days of meetings, I flew out of LAX very early on Sunday, headed to Chicago to connect and on to Knoxville. Had an all day meeting and tomorrow we have a half day meeting then it is off to the airport to fly back to Los Angeles. We are supposed to arrive by 9PM...ugh. Then I have to be at work the next morning. OK enough complaining...here are some pics!

The Hotel

Empty bar

WOD 11/12/2011

2011-11-12T10:34:00.001-08:00

Went in for the usual Sat AM class. This is going to be one of my last WOD for the next few weeks. I have to travel to Knoxville TN on Sunday not getting back into town until late Tuesday, I am then in the office Wed-Fri and leaving for my 2 week vacation that night. I need to get in as much as I can before going off the grid. Here is what we did:

WARM UP
Run/Walk/Side steps/Spiderman Lunges/high knees
5x burpees = 2 rounds

WOD
1 min x Jump Rope
1 min x Renegade Rows (used 30# dumbell)
1 min x Burpees
1 min rest
5 ROUNDS

25lb plate - floor push back and forth
25lbs plate thrusters x 3
AMRAP for 10 mins

1 min Supermans (3)
1 min Side Planks (3)
foam roller stretch

END

good stuff. I am going to squeeze in one more Wed night when I get back from TN. Also...another highlight of the day, I did my first DOUBLE UNDER! I think I actually strung 2 together. I need to work on my wrists and my jump. It is very sloppy..but I need to practice. YAY! Hey my first double under is pretty epic!

WODS - Tue and Wed

2011-11-10T12:16:00.001-08:00

Been slacking and lazy to blog my WODs from this week...so I better do it now.

TUESDAY - 11/8
As Many Rounds as Possible in 16 minutes

5 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (95# Male/65# Female)

5 Power Clean (95#/65#)

... 5 Push Press (95#/65#)

1 burpee

You must add one burpee for every round (2 in round 2, 4 in round 4, etc)

I was able to complete 7 rounds. I almost died...

WEDNESDAY - 11/9
Warm up, stretching, PVC pipe back stretch (push press, squat, o/h squat, cleans)
70lb KB swings

Push Jerks
45lbs x 5
75lbs x 3
95lbs x 3
135lbs x 3 (2 rounds)

sigle arm kettlebell thrusters 10x one arm
5 burpees
10x other arm
5 burpees
20m sprint

3 rounds as Rx, completed 2 rounds

20 unbroken KB swings (70lb)
2 rounds

Good stuff, now I can rest until Saturday's class!

I heart Camille...seriously.

2011-11-10T12:11:00.001-08:00

WOD 11-05-2011

2011-11-05T10:20:00.001-07:00

Warm up per usual... run/walk/lunges and jump rope.

5 x push ups
10 x sit ups
15 x air squats
AMRAP in 15 min

WOD
Floor push plate (25lbs plate) then 20 g2o
Repeat
Repeat w 10 g2o
Repeat

3x burpees then walking lunges w 25lbs plate x 8 rounds

12 x plate swing
8 x reverse burpees
3x rounds

Stretching

WOD - 11/02/2011

2011-11-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Crazy night...most people get off of work and head home to their families to relax and unwind after a long day at the office right? Some others may even drag themselves to a gym and actually work out. Still others are just insane and go and do this...voluntarily...sigh.

WOD

200M run

100 x push ups

100 x air squats

100 x box jumps (20")

100 x push ups

100 x air squats

200M run

as Rx it was for time..but we just did it to complete it as well as focus more on form and making the sure the movements were correct. We all did it around 20-25mins. Everyone was under 30 mins for sure.

HALLOWEEN WOD - 2011

2011-10-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the LBGT community and the City of West Hollywood. Because of the Annual WeHo Halloween festivities we were all sent home at 3PM. THANK YOU!

because of that I was able to attend Brandon's 5:15 class at the gym! YAY! Here is what we did...

WARM UP
Jump Rope
Burpee Jumps across
Lunges
Spiderman lunges

WOD

Single arm ground to overhead (30lb)
split lunge
lunge
20x (10x each side)
3 rounds

Push up w twist - 45 seconds
Tuck jumps - 45 seconds
Jack knife sit ups - 45 secons
rest 30
repeat
rest 1 min
repeat
rest 1.5 min
repeat
rest 2 min
repeat
rest 1.5
repeat

Happy Halloween! Pam from class took photos, so as soon as I have it I will post it up! Good night all!

UPDATE! Here is a pic!

New PR - Sumo Deadlift

2011-10-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Went over for the usual Sunday WOD....here is what we did:

Stretching, partner stretching etc.

HEAVY DEADLIFTS - I do SUMO DEADLIFTS
135lbs x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
295 x 1
315 x 1

Here is a video of the 315 lift...

Now...315# is a new PR! (personal record) and it was kind of light. I am going to go for more next week.

What a weekend...AMAZING. I did my first handstand push ups and I deadlifted over 300. WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!

2011-10-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

OK..so today is ONE OF THOSE DAYS....seriously. I had a fitness breakthrough that I am VERY VERY PROUD OF.

First let's get the normal WOD out of the way.

Get to class at my usual 8:20AM time to begin our 8:30AM class.

So we warm up the usual:
Run/Walk/Lunges around the room. Then we had to do:

25 Burpees
50 Push ups
50 Sit ups
50 Air Squats
I cheated the sit ups..I mean duh...I only did 15. Time ran out anyways....sigh.

Now to the WOD....

Please excuse the little drawing on the bottom right...the instructor thinks he is a comedian.

Boxjumps x 10
KB Swings x 15
Push Press x 10
Burpees x 15
AMRAP - 15 minutes

I used a 35 plate for my swings and 45lb dumbells for my presses

I got 3 rounds...well more like 2.75 I almost finished the 3 round.

The for a cool down we did 1 min planks and 3x Wall Walks, for 2 rounds.

While doing my wall walks I felt kind of "strong" so I tried it....IT mean HANDSTAND PUSH UPS!!!!

Yes folks...I was able to rock out like 3 in class. My buddy Gerald wanted to see it again, so I did another 3 for him. I had to run out and tell Coach B so I literally skipped over to him outside and told him that I am no able to do handstand push ups.

Of course...my form is not perfect...but coach is going to help me...the point is I CAN DO IT. I WAS UNABLE TO EVEN DO ONE WALL WALK about 6 months ago. Once I was able to do the WW, I was able to hold myself up for 1 min....I never tried it again. Until today....

We went upstairs with Coach and my friend May to try again. My boy Eddie took my phone to capture the footage:

Again, not the prettiest...but hey I DID IT! No...I CAN DO IT!

So Coach has promised to help my body position and other factors to get a better press but I am beyond happy. This is a big deal...to me at least. I hope my friends that read this lowly blog will be happy for me as well. WOOHOOOOO!!!!!

Oh yeah after all that, I went over to the bench and pressed 275x3 cold.....what? what? =)

RED TONIGHT - Notorious MSG

2011-10-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons I don't drink...lol.

Notorious MSG is the shizz!!!

WOD 10/23/2011

2011-10-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Awesome Sunday...I started it off at my good friend's child's bday. Little Kylie turned 1 back in late Sep but they celebrated today at a Chinese restaurant in Gardena. I went in had some great food and even brought some back...but had to take off early and drove all the way back home to meet my crew at So Pas High School track. We had to go hard...

Here is what we did:

40lb sandbag carry up high school bleachers up then down
15 x 40lb sandbag squats
5 rounds

100m sprint x 6
2 min max rest as needed

Good stuff...super tired and in the sun. It was not scorching but it was very sunny and bright. The sprints really wasted all of us.

I am looking forward to a day of rest then start the week again on Tuesday. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

WOD 10/22/2011

2011-10-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

This morning was hilarious. I arrived at the gym a little early...around 8:20AM class starts at 8:30 so I figured I had time to mess around and chat. I get there and I see about 20 people standing outside. Doors LOCKED...apparently the person who was supposed to open over slept and there was just one key. Soooo...we stand around until literally 9AM. Please note the gym is supposed to open at 6AM. So yeah 3 hours...and a few people just went home. I dont know the deal but someone is in trouble....

Anyways..we get in and get started....

this was the first WOD.

We did the usual warm up of running, walking, lunges, side steps, jumps, inch worm, long lunges etc. We jumped into this. Now I only got to 10 burpees. I was unable to finish in the correct amount of time. Oh wells...and the 15 double unders...I had to 50 single unders to make up for the doubles.

After we did that...we had to do this:

Again because of time I only did 3x. My last set I only wall walked for 2. Everything else was as Rxed.

I am actually not done...since Coach B is subbing Kick Boxing this afternoon, I will be going in at 4PM for his class.

So yeah double dipping for sure....

More to come...I am expecting a good workout tomorrow as well.

WOD 10/18/2011

2011-10-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

I came in the gym this evening and did the core abs class for about 30 min...and seriously just half assed it...because I knew what I was going to do. My homie Scott teaches that class so I really go to support him and kick it in his class....

Here is what I was really going to do....and only 24 mins to do it....

Challenge Workout this week

35 Burpee Box Jumps (20" men, 16" women)

225# Deadlift, 20 reps
9 hand release push-ups
9 toes-to-bar

225# Deadlift, 15 reps
15 hand release push-ups
15 toes-to-bar

225# Deadlift, 10 reps
21 hand release push-ups
21 toes-to-bar

35 box jumps (20"/16")

my time?

29:39!!!

I was just happy to have completed it...first and foremost...and then doing it under 30 mins. So yeah...very very very happy!

Rowland Heights Food Fun!

2011-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

After a good workout, what is the best way to celebrate? Food of course. I went out east to the "new Chinatown" where the rich Chinese go. Rowland Heights, Hacienda Hts, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills area. The agenda was a dumpling place, some shaved ice and the some bread to bring home.

F.F.Y. Dumplings/Class 302/85c Bakery

let the pics speak for themselves...

Beef Stew Noodles

Scallion Pancakes

Pork and Shrimp Steamed Dumplings

Pan Fried Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

So this place was OK. The worst thing were the noodles. They had no flavor. The scallion pancakes were good but not awesome, the best thing where the dumplings. Steamed being better than fried.

Some dessert...at Class 302

This was pretty much worth the hype. Pretty damn good and I now see where Fluff Ice copied from. Mango Strawberry Shaved Iced.

Then we went to 85c for some bread...no pics there. There is enough pics and hype for this place so you dont need to see more. Thanks to Alice for coming out! Check out her blog at:

http://chungchange.wordpress.com/

WOD - 10/15/2011

2011-10-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

WARM UP
Run/Walk/Side steps
Walking lunges
high knees and hops x 2

50 x burpees (only did 30)

WOD
As Many Reps As Possible in 12 minutes

15 Jump Rope double unders or 50 single unders
10 x squat thrusters (35lbs each)

I completed 5

then we did slow push ups. Begin in top of push up position and hold. Chest to floor and then back up slowly per trainer's count. 20x for 1st set, and then 10x to end.

Stretching...and done!

Elite Aviation Party - 10/13/2011

2011-10-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night I had to work one of my client's party held at her Van Nuys airport hanger. Elite Aviation is the premiere private jet charter service! Yes I mean it! hahaha...all jokes aside it was a cool evening and best of all...cars cars cars. See below....

and my favorite car there...only $420K

Pushing Past

2011-10-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last night was one of those pivotal times in my training...this year has been filled with a few of these moments where I have blogged about a break through a new lift, a new weight etc. When I look back....it is truly amazing what I have learned about fitness and myself and what it means to be "healthy." It is a constant learning curve and the only way to know is to push push push. You cannot stop...you have to keep going. This drive helps in my career, personally and everything else in my life.

Anyways...if you all remember I had the biggest rush of pride and victory from doing FIGHT GONE BAD 6 and upping my personal best from 178 to 217. It was awesome. Last night ranked up there in accomplishments.

I have to admit I was a little more "motivated" than usual. I had to get out of the gym earlier than usual as I had a "dinner date." Funny thing is...right after I completed the WOD, she called and cancelled! HA! I had to tell my friend thanks for cancelling AFTER my workout...if she cancelled earlier I probably would of been less motivated to attempt this. Funny what girls will make a man do....when trying to impress. Either way I will take it...having a sense of urgency that I had to be at dinner later that night really helped me plow through this and focus....see what the heck I did below:

WOD 10/11/2011

All dumbell work with 45lbs in each hand (as Rx was supposed to be 1/4 body weight which meant 60lb dumbells and I could NOT lift that much...way too heavy)

25 x Hang Squat Clean
20 x Burpees
25 x Front Squats
20 x Burpees
25 x Push Press
20 x Burpees
25 x Squat Clean Thrusters (dumbells must touch the floor for each rep)

I had 35 mins to complete the above. Coach gave me that time because he figured he could do it in around 15-17 mins so he doubled it for me. So we set the timer to 35 minutes and I was off and running.

This was the hardest workout I have ever done period. Very close to or even as bad as FGB. FGB you have such a strict time it makes you go crazy pushing yourself. This WOD I had more time but the moves were so much harder. IT WAS HELL.

But I completed....and how long did it take me?

UNDER 30 mins! 29:24 BABY!!!!

I need to thank Coach B and Scotty for just talking trash and giving me crap the whole time. Coach has really been so instrumental to my mental and physical success that I cannot thank him enough. He has instilled this confidence in me that I guess I have to just keep working harder to make it worth it for him to keep believing in me. Coach has pushed and pushed and still pushed me to finish these STUPID workouts...and yeah it is amazing.

Nothing in this world is 100% solo...you need good people around you. I am very lucky that the gym, PS&C and all my gym buddies are there with me. If any of you are reading this blog you know who you are. Scott, May, Abby, Karen, Eddie, Jared everyone in the classes I take. My improvements are REAL. To others that just see me, may see no difference...I am still the same chubby funny friendly guy. But I am not the same person I was 3 months ago. I am not the same person I was since last night. This year has been incredible...I hope I can post more of these blog posts before the end of the year. I have some goals for 2012...and already know I am going for it. Career, Health, Family...and maybe even LOVE....are all within my grasp...who knows? It is not what I can't do...it is 100%...WHAT ELSE CAN I DO THIS YEAR?

I ask again...what are YOU going to do?

WOD 10/9/2011 "Liliana"

2011-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty intense...here is what we did. My friends have comically called this workout the LILIANA. Let's just say they think they are funny...they are not. Anyways...here is what it is and what I did.

2K Row for time

Rest of 20 mins

Complete all below for time:
10x body weight squats, meaning your body weight on a bar, not to be confused with air squats.
30x burpees
50x sit ups
150x double unders or if you are like me and can barely jump rope, have to do triple single unders so 450 singles
800mm run

Here is what I did!

2K Row - 8:44

Rest of workout - 42:40
My squat was 245lbs x 10
Burpees and sit ups as prescribed
Jump Rope singles - I jumped half, about 225 and then "ghost jumped" the rest, basically the jumping without the rope.

For the run we ran a little over a mile. We did not have a precise .5 mile marker so we went around a large city block. I had to walk most of it admittedly. I was beat and my shins and calves were in pain. I am simply not much of a runner, never have been. So the jump rope and run really ruined me. The rest of my friends all were under 30 mins under 25 mins I think. Good for them...I am just happy I finished!

Not bad for my first try of the "Liliana" WOD!

WOD - 10/8/2011

2011-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

WARM UP
Run/Walk/Lunges/Side skips
Long lunges, hand walks, high knees, high skips, sideways squat across the room

20x burpees (15 completed)

WOD

Sumo Deadlift High Pulls - 45lbs = AMRAP in 30 sec
5x wall walks
box jumps (4 risers) = AMRAP in 30 sec
12x push ups
5 rounds

I had to cheat the wall walks a little...
1. as Rx
2. 4 x WW
3. 4 x WW
4. 4 x WW
5. as Rx sub normal push ups for clapping push ups

Stretch

good day today in class. Lots of energy and everyone did it. Great way to start the morning!!!

XFit in FAST COMPANY!!!

2011-10-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

http://www.fastcompany.com/1771136/crossfit-where-navy-seals-and-pregnant-soccer-moms-get-ripped

Excellent article.....

N.O. Xplode 2.0

2011-10-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Just came in! Cannot wait to try it!

WEEKEND WOD 10/1 and 10/2

2011-10-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy this weekend I have not had a chance to post up on the workouts this weekend. I will try my best to remember what the heck we did!

SATURDAY 10/1
WARM UP
run/walk/lunges
high knees/hand walk/long lunges
5x burpees
10x burpees

WOD

12 x burpee box jump
10 x hand pike ups
12 x goblet squats (55lbs dumbbells)
5 rounds with 1 min rest in between as RX

I of course had to modify the workout.
I only did 10 burpees and 5 pike ups for the first 3. Fell off even more on the 4th and 5th.
I did 10 of the squats towards the end too.

SUNDAY 10/2
WARM UP
run 200mm, 25 air squats - 5 times

WOD
12 min - 1 rep squat max
12 min - 1 rep weighted pull up max

squat I got 275 easy, I can go heavier next time
pull up I got 26lb weight

10 min 1 arm KB snatch AMRAP
I used a 44lb KB and got 78.

I wanted to break 100 but my wrist were hurting after the first couple minutes.

LA County Fair - 9/30/2011

2011-10-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Friday night me and the SGBF gals went to the fair for some bad food, people watching, games and more bad food. This is how the night went...

We arrive close to 9 and were starving...having just came from work no one ate. So we made a beeline for some BBQ!!!!

More BBQ it was smokey but smelled wonderful

This was horrible. We wanted to try the krispy kreme chicken sandwich. Big mistake it was nasty!

Fried twinkie above was deelish...the this sandwich below SUCKED!

we felt like these guys when we left....

Goals...what are YOU doing?

2011-09-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

http://performancestrengthconditioning.com/blog/?p=86

Second part to my coach's blog on GOALS and expectations etc. Give it a read...and yeah...guess who he is talking about near the end? Yay baby...over here!

WOD - 9/26/2011

2011-09-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Obama and his visit to Los Angeles! They closed the office at 3PM because he basically killed West Hollywood. I was then able to attend Coach Brandon's class at 5:15PM. It was a treat for sure. Here is the white board for the WOD.

WARM UP
Run/Walk/Lunges/High Knees, Heels to Butt/Side Lunges

Lunge Hold (30lbs dumbbells)
Press Hold
V-Sit Hold (Impossible - I basically cheated this whole thing)
3 rounds
*obviously, the press hold was the best for me. Just for FYI, I did have the heaviest dumbbells in class...so that has to count for something right?

WOD
Jump
Plate Pushes (35lbs)
Suicide Runs
AMRAP
*Plate pushes were the hardest for me. I could not get a good grip to push that damn plate. I skipped the last couple and just jumped and ran.

2 min push ups AMRAP - I did 54 (well more like 52.5...I kind of cheated the last 2)

Stretching/Cool down

Good work out...definitely good work out!!!

Steph and Eddie's Wedding 9/24/2011

2011-09-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to my friend Stephanie's wedding at the Chino Air Museum....it was fitting since it was a 40s theme. Steph and her hubby met while swing dancing so it was perfect!

This is the cool Cadillac they drove in. Again very cool theme!

And my shot with my and the bride! Love you Steph..and congratulations.

WOD - 9/25/2011

2011-09-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

PERSONAL RECORD!!!!

290lb Sumo Deadlift x 3

Not a bad Sunday afternoon. Here is is the workout.

WARM UP
Row for 3 mins
Stretching
Air squats x 20
KB swings x 15
Single arm KB Swings x 15 each arm

SUMO DEADLIFTS
45lb bar x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
285 x 3
290 x 3

today is a great day.

WOD - 9/24/2011

2011-09-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Good day in class today....here is the WOD. 4 rounds...would of done 5 but we ran out of time.

WARM UP
Jog/walk/lunges around room
hands over head lunges back and forth
high knees b+f
rock climbers b+f
hand walks b+f

5x burpees = 4 rounds

WOD (see picture) below were my modifications/completed
1 - as Rx with 30lb each weights on lunges
2 - 5 burpees, 10 kb swings, 45 sec plank
3 - no weight on split lunges as Rx, 30sec plank
4 - no weight on split lunges, 5 x burpees, 15 kb swing, 30 sec plank

Another good day....

Then it was off to Whole Foods for some juice. The usual...16oz of apple, carrot, spinach, kale, chard, lime and some individually wrapped somewhat natural good for you carrot cake, we split it between 3 of us.

Oh yeah Pam...bought a 32oz to share and she/it spilled all over us and the floor. I should of taken a pic of it for the blog! We were saying dang PAM! Cannot take you anywhere! hahahaha....but yes nothing like hanging with good friends and chatting up after a good work out. Thank you Pam and Jessica for hanging out! =)

now time to do a little work and get ready for Steph's wedding. I will be taking some shots...so look out for that blog post above! WOOT!

Dwan on Fox Business

2011-09-21T19:44:00.001-07:00

Tire Flipping Fun - WOD 9/18/2011

2011-09-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon fun! Here is what we did:

WARM UP
Walk/Jog 100mm
10 x push up burpees
10 KB swings
*being burned out from yesterday I took it real easy and warmed up slow and easy.

WOD

Front Squat
Practice - empty bar and PVC Pipe stretching.

Four Rounds of:
Front squats x 4
95#/135# (3)

GHD sit ups

20sec sprint row

Then we had some fun doing this!

Yes did some tire flipping. The tire brand new weights over 400lbs, worn it can get as low as 350lbs. So we can guesstimate and split the difference.

First set was to flip the tire 5xs across the yard
Second set was to flip the tire 5xs but jump in then jump out, jump back in and jump back out and then flip it and continue. I flipped again but did not jump as my feet were hurting from FGB.
Third set was 5 flips and 5 jumps on the edge of the tire...as I so expertly demonstrate in the pic below. LOL!

Yeah...look at that form! hahahaa....

I finally get to rest now...go back in on Tuesday to get back to my normal training. Have to lift some more, I think I am getting weaker on my bench. I better make sure I dont lose any strength. Have a great rest of your weekend readers! MONDAY is coming up real quick!

*ps - for all you ladies out there. My gal May...is a BEAST. She flipped the tire 100% by herself by the 2nd set. She is flipping pretty much double her weight...INSPIRED BABY! GREAT JOB MAY!

and her hops...

What is Crossfit?

2011-09-18T12:34:00.001-07:00

Motivation

2011-09-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

LOL...I saw this on this blog here:

http://www.johnphung.com/category/motivation/

I had to repost...too funny!

FGB6 - Accomplished

2011-09-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today was it. I actually did it.It was an amazing experience, both physically, mentally and emotionally. It was crazy. I have never did any sort of physical competition ever. Lots of kids have done little league or karate tournaments or soccer or played organized sports in high school. Basically most people in one time in their lives did some sort of physical competition...I have never. NEVER. I have had friends do their first marathons or mud runs etc. This was my "event." I focused...and trained for it. So this was a big deal for me. It was simply awesome.

I was so nervous....the event was held at the Sony Studios lot on Stage 14. The energy in the room was electric.Opening remarks....

Crowds...

Whiteboards....this is where you find out what heat you are in and where to report.

Look there's me!Front shot...

So how did I do? If you read this blog about 3 weeks ago I did a baseline of Fight Gone Bad. I got 178. My goal was to get at least 200. Check it out...

YES! in 3 weeks, I raised my score about 25% which according to my coach was a huge deal. It was a success. I was a success...it is so great to type that. I did it...and I did it BIG.Here is my lane...1A

My thank yous...I owe this day to 2 people. Two very important people that made this possible.Jen, my colleague and the person that talked to me about this, got me to enter, able to get me inside the event and helped me believe in myself that I could do this. Jen was able to talk to her gym CROSSFIT LA and get us "adopted" so we could do it. THANK YOU JEN!

Brandon, coach/trainer and friend. Brandon took this project on...helping me achieve this goal. He did not have to do this...he could of said good luck buddy that be end of it. I definitely could not do this without his help. Training me, programming my workouts, working on my deficiencies and exploiting my strengths so I could get my score. I owe this day to you...THANK YOU BRANDON!

Sigh...here it is...my last shot. I had to get the cheesy touristy.
I

I will never forget today....another personal bucket list item done.

I also made a deposit on my end of year vacation...I will blog about that once I have it done...but when I do. It will be my THIRD item I achieved this year. 2011 is the year of GETTING THINGS DONE. So far so good....so I have to ask...what are YOU doing? Whatever you want...go out and get it done. Like my favorite brand...JUST DO IT and DO IT BIG!!!

Custom Protein Mixes

2011-09-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

In my quest for better and better stuff to put in this temple of a body of mine, my friend/coach/trainer Brandon turned me on to a company that makes CUSTOM PROTEIN MIXES. You can go on their site and custom make whatever you want.

https://www.trueprotein.com/

The rub is of course KNOWLEDGE. What the heck do you get? Do you THINK you know? You probably don't know....in fact I am sure you have no idea what you need.

So I wanted/needed two different mixes. I wanted a Meal Replacement mix that I can drink in the AM or when I am hungry and dont want to really eat anything. Next I wanted a Post Workout mix, for right after a workout. Of course each mix is for different purposes and each mix is made for a specific person. So what I have here may or may not be good for you. This mix was made for me. I only picked up 1 lb of each to try out.This is my POST WORKOUT MIX

This is my MEAL REPLACEMENT

Hopefully this will be good and I can order bigger and bigger quantities. But first I have to use up the crappy Trader Joes Whey protein I have as well as finish up my Syntha-6 which I actually like.

2011-09-15T10:31:00.001-07:00

nuff said...she is too damn FINE.

Trifecta Fitness - Grand Opening

2011-09-14T23:32:00.001-07:00

Last night I went to my friend Irma's grand opening of her new semi-private gym. I have known Irma for about a year, when she used to be GM over at my current gym. She was able to branch out and start her own thing. I am very happy for her and proud she did it.
Located on Green st in Pasadena

Best part? TABOO of the Black Eyed Peas DJed the first half of the event!!!

It was very cool to meet him...especially after my week working with Will.iam. I guess I just need to meet Fergie and the last guy and I would of met them all!

FGB Traning

2011-09-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

As some of you faithful readers may know, I am going to be doing this event on Saturday 9/17 called FIGHT GONE BAD 6.

Just search my blog for more info I have posted much info on this workout and event.

To prep for this I am doing some very specific training this week.

Tuesday
A. Heavy Push Press 5 sets of 2, rest as needed
B. AMRAP Box Jump in 20s, rest 40s x 3 then,
3 rounds @95%
Row 300m
20 DB Thrusters (pick a weight that is challenging to do unbroken 1st set and you will need to break by the third)
10 pullups Rest 4 min

Wednesday
A. Sumo Deadlift (not high pull) 3 x 3 @ 80% effort, rest 2 min
B. Back Squat 10 x 2, rest 45s @ 50% of 1RM then,
3 RFT: 15 SDHP, 95# 15 Burpees

Thursday
Row 5 min warm up + Wall Ball practice,
5 min + Tabata Row, 6 rounds (20s on, 10s off) @ 70% exertion + Tabata Push Press @ 95#,
6 rounds @70-80% exertion + Cool Down/Stretching

Friday
Stretch + Light movement (jump rope, walking, etc.)

Saturday
Sleep good Depending on the time of our workout, eat 3 hrs earlier or just go empty stomached

Footsteps - UA

2011-09-12T11:27:00.001-07:00

UA getting in on the crossfit...perfect fit if you ask me. Many athletes already wear UA and they have such a huge brand recognition. Makes sense to get into the footwear game. I am still loyal to my INOV-8s though..... Nike needs to wake up and make some moves into this and not let Reebok, Vibram and now UA get on this.

Sneaker Confidential - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

2011-09-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Sneaker Confidential - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

WOD 9/11/2011

2011-09-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Worked my ass off this afternoon...literally. ugh.

Here is what we did...WARM UPstatic and dynamic stretchingJump rope, the rest of the class did a runWORKING SETBack squats x 5warm up - 45lbs x 5 (2xs)95 135 (2xs)185 (2xs)WOD150-180mm run/walk10 burpees15 KB swings (55lb)10 push upsas rx = 5 rounds for timeI did 3 rounds in 15:08

WOD - 9/10/2011

2011-09-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday workout...8:30AM gets a little easier when you get used to it I guess.

WARM UP
walk/lunges/inch worm/high knees

WORKING SET
25 walking lunges
50 box jumps
100 single unders or 50 double unders
50 sit ups
25 burpees

2 rounds of the above

I had to cheat on the above...I did less than half the sit ups due to my belly cramping up and I think I only did 15 burpees at the end. As for jumprope I only completed 50 single unders and I did step ups rather than jumps.

Not my greatest day by far.After workout per usual, headed to Whole Foods for a drink and some fruit strawberries on pancakes. Yummy!

Casa Vega

2011-09-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...Fridays....LOVE THEM right? Well a couple colleagues decided we had a hard week and we deserve some time to kickback and enjoy some good food right? We picked CASA VEGA in Sherman Oaks. Now I have never been here but I am a fan of Bravo's FLIPPIN OUT soooo....I do know this restaurant. I wanted to come here and eat and look at that front room that Jeff Lewis re-did. Pretty exciting!here is the front waiting area made famous on Flippin Out!Inside...Here is the first app...chips and cheese...pretty good.oh yeah it was SUPER DARK in the restaurant. Like very very dark...here is my burrito...the carne asada made "oven style."all in all I have to admit it is above average. Good enough food but it was not floor stopping but it was

Nike - BTTF Air Mags

2011-09-08T23:20:00.001-07:00

This video right here is an awesome example of marketing genius. Nike along with the original film producers and directors...perfect mix of retro cool and new. Christoper Lloyd back as Doc? Best cameo is TINKER HATFIELD!! That alone makes this the shizzzzz....Def watch the end credits and see that everyone is on board for a very good cause. Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's research foundation. Just perfect.

Labor Day Tattoo

2011-09-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day!Started the day with a too early workout at the gym. 8am to be exact. Had xfit class and it was harder than usual because I think everyone was more tired than usual. After class a few of us headed to Whole Foods for the usual mud juice and some breakfast. I had to take off early as I was meeting my friend Barry for lunch and his first tattoo. Yes, he was getting his tattoo cherry popped and I was going to take some pics for this very blog you are reading. So this is kind of an exclusive....We headed into Thai Town for some lunch at this place called:had to get some fried wontons right?then we ordered this....noodles and a curry.food was pretty good but I was not floored. It was good..that's it. Not the best not the worst....it was good.After lunch we headed over to Dark Horse Tattoo in Los Feliz. It was time for Barry's first tattoo!Inside...getting prepped....Barry selected some text he wanted on his forearm with birds....and here we go...adding the birds...hand drawing one of them...all done!!!Barry is already planning others, he said he wants a sleeve on his left arm...let's see if he does it or not.Busy Labor Day!

HBD Abby!

2011-09-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

At The Beauty Bar last night for Abby's bday....good times...good times.

Fit Challenge WOD - 9/4/2011

2011-09-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Phil posted this and wanted a few of us to try this challenge.

100 x Jumping Jacks
75 x squats
50 x push ups
25 x burpees

You can see the video here:

Phil got a time of 11:07 from a few weeks being out of the gym. So I tried it today.

I had to sub the jumping jacks for jump rope single unders. I did 120 jumps on the rope. Everything else I did as prescribed. My score?

12:20

WOD - 9/3/2011

2011-09-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Another great morning at the gym....here is what we did.

WARM UP
run/walk around room
10 walking lunges x 2
high knees back and forth
10x burpees

WORKING SET
*as Rx
150 Jump rope (single unders)
10 x SDHP = 25lb plate
20 x push ups
30 x box jumps
4 mins to complete and 5 rounds.

Here is what I did:
I used a 45lb plate for the whole workout.

1. 100 jump ropes, 20 step ups (no jumps), did everything else
2 & 3. 60 jump ropes, 15 step ups, did everything else
4. 50 jump ropes, no box jumps, everything else
5. 50 jump ropes, no box jumps, everything else

Burpee Jumps across the room minimum 5
completed 5 b&f 2xs = 20 burpee jumps

Stretching/cool down

DONE.

Off to whole foods for a 16oz = Pear, Carrot, Spinach, Kale, Chard, Lime
Home = 8oz protein shake and 1 think thin protein bar 20gr w/o sugar or gluten

Help a FATTY!

2011-09-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

https://fgb6.rapidgiving.com/frp/fundraise.aspx?pk=GU85SJA

I have signed up for FIGHT GONE BAD 6. It is a workout that will benefit a couple of worthy causes. Who will send a little dough my way to help? I promise to do my best and complete the workout with a "decent" score!

More info one of the causes...

EPIC DONUT NIGHT

2011-08-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

The following story is based on actual events.

The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Proceed with caution.

EPIC DONUT NIGHT

It started as a pretty typical laid back Saturday night. I went to the xfit class in the morning, had a great workout, went with my friend to the pool, had a great lunch and got home to chill. I was texting with my friend Alice about possibly getting together along with Chester for a fun donut run to Krispy Kreme in Burbank. It was an on going joke and we were going to try and do it. In between all of this I was chatting with Kathy and she mentioned her and her friends were going to be partying in DTLA and may be hanging out at a local bar called The York. The York was a spot that was thrown in our planning too, as a place to possibly go. Well...this may be a good night!

I met up with Alice and we headed out to grab a bite to eat. After dinner Chester called and we met up with him. We had to drop off Alice's car and then the 3 of us headed to The York. We walk up to the door...around 11or so. I am actually not really sure what time is. This was a sign we were going to have a fun time. One of the roided out doormen that checked our IDs was swiggin on a Muscle Milk. HAHAHA...I mean let's be more cliche right? This dude is standing outside a bar on a Sat night drinking a Muscle Milk. Get out of here...idiot. FUNNY!

The night started out a little slow...just hanging at the bar, drinking a little...people watching. I received a text from Kathy that her and her friend were coming down. Sweet. The odds are getting better...2 guys and 1 girl is no bueno. As we were were hanging...BOOM. Mary comes walking up with her friend Maggie! Oh wow...what are you doing here? TOTALLY RANDOM! So now we are having some fun. Mary lets us know she is waiting for a text from her friend that she needs to pick up...Laura. So now we are doing quite well. Then who walks in? Cathy and her friend Denise! Ok...so..let's recap thus far.

me
Chester
Alice
Mary
Maggie
Kathy
Denise
*Kathy had like one guy with her but I forgot his name....so we have a pretty good little crew growing.

Mary and I chatted about if we heard from ANOTHER mutual friend, Eric..and IceMan. So I texted Eric and IceMan...they were leaving a spot in Hollywood and would meet us. BOOM...the crew grows yet again.

Mary and Maggie leave to go pick up Laura and bring her back. OK....another roll call....

me
Chester
Alice
Mary
Maggie
Kathy
Denise
Laura
Eric
IceMan

Let's just say...the evening was getting good. With EVERYONE there...we just chatted, some dancing, drinking and other activities. Here are some bullets:

Chester grinding his pelvic region on various girls
Lots of drinking/ordering water
Gaining access to an off limits area behind the bathrooms and leaving because of the stench
Various lap dances and rib tickling
Boob flicking
Everyone getting parking tickets
Shit talking by all
Fun by all

OK...it is now almost 2AM. Bar is closed...where shall we go? DONUTS!!!! Chester SWEARS the Burbank Krispy Kreme is 24 hours. He KNOWS this...I seem to recall they close at 10. I get outvoted and we gather the troops. LETS GO!!!! Krispy Kreme donuts are on the brain. We walk out to the lot and yes everyone has parking tickets. FAIL.

We pile in two cars and off to Burbank we go. I of course drive Chester's car and inside I have Chester and Alice in the backseat. I am pretty much Driving Miss Daisy/Taxi/Bang Bus. Cathy and Denise are in their own car but we lost them on the way through Eagle Rock.We cruise through HLP and over the hill to Eagle Rock on the way to the 5 north. We are passing the Plaza and I get a call from the Eric in the second car that maybe we should go somewhere else? We were passing Yum Yum donuts..so we stop in that lot. We have a quick convo.

Are we going? Not going? A little drama ensues...back and forth...bare in mind it is around 2 or 215AM. We are discuss our options. Some people suggest heading home and calling it a night. More back and forth...and we agree let's just go to Krispy Kreme. Back in the cars...but we now have Eric in our car. So off we go.

Hit the 5 north...and we see it. FOUR LANES closed. FOUR. It is backing up and fast...we are trying to exit Burbank Blvd...and it is nothing but red brake lights. Chester and Alice both have to PEE SO BAD they are going to hurt their urethras...per Chester's medical analysis. The exit is blocked...all four lanes. BLOCKED!

Chester is SCREAMING for me to put the car in park and he will drive the car INTO the exit and get us off this freeway. I am screaming back NO...we are screaming screaming and screaming. I fall under the peer pressure...and PULL INTO THE BLOCKED OFF FOUR LANES and attempt to exit. We drive and of course the exit is BLOCKED..ROAD CLOSED. I have to swerve back into the ONE lane of traffic...now we are stuck...it is moving like 10 ft every 10 mins. This is a bad situation for the PEE PEOPLE in the back seat. We move along..inching away..inching away...not moving.

FINALLY CHESTER and ERIC HAD ENOUGH....they got out of the car...and jumped the freeway. Let me repeat...2 guys...jumped out of the car...on a northbound freeway, jumped the divider crossed the south bound lanes into the shrubs and over the fence to Krispy Kreme...which we could clearly see from the car. Yes...that is what happened. Of course both sides of the freeway are pretty much shut down. So the south bound lanes are empty. Again..it is around 2:30AM. Now it is me and poor Alice in the car...she is going to die if she does not pee. We are slowly inching our way. We get close and close and see it. The southbound lanes are all closed because of a pretty bad accident. They are letting one or two cars through one at a time. Alice is screaming at this point. She needs to PEE bad....

Cell phone is blowing up...guess what. KK is CLOSED. YUP. NO DONUTS. KK IS CLOSED. Sooooo...we tell them to wait. Kathy is trying to get to KK and meet back with us. Mary and her car is god knows where....we lost them since before the guys jumped out of the car. Alice and I are inching along and we see it. The lanes open up and we SCOOOOOT over and get off the freeway. We pull into a 24 hr Jack in the Box and Alice gets to pee...FINALLY. We get back in the car...and head back to KK to regroup.

We pull up on Victory Pl and Empire and there standing on the street is Chester, Eric, Iceman and I see Mary's car and her crew all parked and looking for a place to pee. It was comedy. So we chat...it is now around 300AM. Mary's car wants to go home. Iceman had to get home and well...it was a tad frustrating with the whole KK run being a bust. Everyone's buzz has worn off at this point...so Chester screams...WE ARE GETTING DONUTS! So we pile back in...and the 4 of us. Me, Chester, Alice and Eric go to get donuts.

We got our donuts.

We ended up in La Crescenta at a place called Foster's Family Donuts. 24 hours.

We got back into the car and headed home.....it was around 330AM. We dropped off Alice...I got to my car..and Chester took Eric home. What a night.....

We have some plans that were discussed like a Bday celebration..and a Karaoke outing. I hope we get to do it....it was a great night with some great people. FUN as all get out!

THE END