Magic in the Mundane V1.0

[shadow]

Goals:
- To increase capacity for handling stress.
- To increase lung capacity.
- To increase ability to sustain high intensity exercise over an increasingly longer period (compressed rest periods).
- To complete full 28 days of 4x7 protocol.
- To increase leg strength.
- To prepare for the full "Magic in the Mundane" program

Exercise selection:
A lighter version of the outlined DVD program “Magic in the Mundane”

Circuit A:
- Jumping propelled mountain climber pull ups x 5 each grip.
- Forward and back position one legged squats to sitting on a chair, with initial use of arms x 2 each position.
- Clean to Shoulder Park Squat with 15lb Clubbell® x 5 each side.
- Plyometric box jumps at a low height x 10.

Circuit B:
- Static jump and release mountain climber pull ups x 5 each grip.
- Two side position one legged squats to sitting x 2 each side.
- Two handed side press from Shoulder Park with 15lb Clubbell® x 5 each side.

Circuit C will be determinant on the RPE through the 4 cycles using circuit A & B.

I will be doing only 4 rounds through the exercise selections.

I will be trotting in the morning on Moderate and High intensity days for 10 minutes starting and increasing to a maximum of 20 minutes (time scheduling for work). Focus is more on vibration training as a source of dynamic relaxation and building of strength in knee and hips.
I will be walking in the morning on Low intensity days, and having a little bit more of a lie in on No intensity days.

[shadow]

Day 1: Tuesday October 16th 2007 – Moderate intensity

AM:
- Short running warm up (as per RMAX powered running DVD)
- 10 minutes trotting
- Blade edge walking
- Static stretching cool down.

PM:

Warm up – Advanced level intu-flow.

Start time – 5:17pm

Circuit A.

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 3 minutes
Round 2: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 3 minutes
Round 3: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 3 minutes
Round 4: ETD = 6, 8, 1

Cool down – Various static stretching.

Thoughts:
A lot easier than when I first attempted this about a year ago, however I am looking at the whole 28 days rather than just this one day. I think a RPE of 6 for all rounds is a good start to the cycle.
I kept the rest period at the shorter end of the given amount as I really want to be prepared for when it is compressed to 15-30 seconds between rounds.
Also I found I was breathing heavier and had blood throbbing in my head when finishing the round but within about 1.5-2 minutes was back to normal breathing.

Afterwards legs felt flush with blood and good.

Later in the evening shoulders feel flush and good.

[shadow]

Day 2: Wednesday October 17 – High Intensity

AM:
- Short Intu-Flow® style warmup
- 10 minutes trotting
- Blade edge walking
- Static stretching cool down

PM:

Warm up: Intu-Flow® Advanced

Circuit B
Start: 5:12pm

Round 1 – ETD: 5, 8, 1 Rest: 3 minutes
Round 2 – ETD: 6.5, 8, 1 Rest: 3 minutes
Round 3 – ETD: 7, 8, 1 Rest 3 minutes
Round 4 – ETD: 8, 8, 2

Finish: 5:33pm

Cool down: Static stretching

Thoughts:
The first two rounds were easier than I expected, largely I think because cardio-vascular wise I didn’t find the work taxing. The last two rounds, however, I started to fatigue. I was considering going for 5 rounds but my arms were fatiguing on the pull-ups and on round 4 I struggled to finish them.

[shadow]

Day 3: Wednesday October 18th - No intensity

A bit of soreness in my triceps today.

PM:

Spinal Wake-Up series.

RPE: 1
RPT: 7
RPD: 2

Felt juiced afterwards, quite squeezed out.

[shadow]

Day 4: Friday October 19th - Low intensity

Woke up early this morning feeling intensley sore all over my body... went back to sleep and when I awoke later it had faded a lot. By late morning it was mostly gone apart from a little DOMS in the triceps.

I have the feeling this soreness was the processing of lactic acid out of my muscles?


PM:
Seal walk flow x 2
Side sunset flow

[shadow]

Day 5: Saturday October 20th – Moderate intensity

AM:
- Intu-flow style warm up
- 12 minute trotting
- Static stretching cool down

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Start time: 5:42pm

Circuit A

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 1:30
Round 2: ETD = 6.5, 8, 1 Rest = 1:40
Round 3: ETD = 7, 8, 1 Rest = 1:35
Round 4: ETD = 7.5, 8, 1

Finish: 6:03pm
= 15 minutes

- 4 corner static stretching cool down (foot up high supported on step, reaching towards foot – working towards Advanced 4CBD)
- 3 x Be Breathed pike, very slow and holding in both the pike and forward bend position, as these two poses are ones I really wish to see improvement in.

Thoughts: Started to feel quite fatigued in the later two rounds, the shorter rest period is pushing my recovery time, for sure.

[shadow]

Day 6: Sunday October 21st – High intensity

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up
- Dog panting breathing

Start: 5:48pm

Circuit B

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 1:25
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 1 Rest = 1:30
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 1 Rest = 1:35
Round 4: ETD = 8.5, 8, 1

Finish: 6:03pm
= 15 minutes.

- 4 corner static stretching cool down
- 3 x pike slow and smooth
- Knee switches (being nice and warm I found I could do the knee switches with a RPD of only 2-3, which is a good improvement over previous attempts).

Thoughts: The second round, besides being slightly higher in effort, was very interesting in that something kicked in and I was doing all the exercises at the smoothest I have ever done.
I was doing the second level dogs panting between rounds which really helped the recovery.
In the four corner squats I didn’t need to use my hands to help in lowering or raising myself off the chair! Although the descent is still a little bit of a plop, it’s getting a lot smoother.
The last round, again, was a challenge… but this time I managed to finish all the pull-ups in the last round (just, the last one was a struggle). I tricked my body by switching the grip and doing it the other way around to all previous rounds, which I think worked.

[shadow]

Day 7: Monday October 22nd – No intensity

PM:
Spinal Wake-up series


Day 8: Tuesday October 23rd – Low intensity

PM:
- Seal walk flow x 2
- Side sunset flow x 1

Felt really good after doing these two flows, really released around my legs and hips.

[shadow]

Day 9: Wednesday October 24th - Moderate Intensity

AM:
- Spinal rocks + short intu-flow style warm up
- 14 minutes trotting
- Static stretching cool down

Really beginning to enjoy this running

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit A
Start: 5:47pm

Round 1: ETD = 5, 8, 1 Rest = 40 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 40 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 6.5, 8, 1 Rest = 40 seconds
Round 4: ETD = 7, 8, 3

Finish: 5:59pm
= 12 minutes.

- 4 corner stretching
- Meridian stretch flow (a work in progress).

I am surprised at myself when noticing recovery time. Previously at the minute and a half rest mark my breathing was just recovered… now, however, I am finding that at 40 seconds my breathing is almost back to normal and I am ready to go again. Quite surprising!

[shadow]

Day 10: Thursday October 25th – High Intensity

AM:

- Spinal rocks + short intu-flow style warmup
- 14 minutes trotting
- Blade edge walking
- Static stretching cool down

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit B

Round 1: ETD = 5, 8, 1 Rest = 40 sec
Round 2: ETD = 6.5, 8, 1 Rest = 45 sec
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 1 Rest = 40 sec
Round 4: ETD = 8.5, 7, 2

- 4 Corner stretching
- Meridian flow

[shadow]

Day 11: Friday October 26th – No Intensity

PM:
- Spinal Wake-up Series


Day 12: Saturday October 27th – Low Intensity

PM:
- Seal walk flow x 2
- Side sunset flow x 1

[shadow]

Day 13: Sunday October 28th – Moderate Intensity

PM:
- Advanced Intu-flow warm up

Circuit A
Start: 4:23pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 20 sec
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 1 Rest = 20 sec
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 1 Rest = 30 sec
Round 4: ETD = 8, 8, 3

Finish: 4:33pm
= 10 minutes

- 4 Corner stretching
- Meridian flow

Thoughts:
The short rest period really pushed me hard and recovering between sets was definitely a challenge. My RPE rose a little higher than it is supposed to for this day.

Two factors that could have hindered my performance is that I performed an hour earlier than normal.

The second is with lunch I ate some potato chips, I could still feel them in my gut when I went to work out and I feel they slowed me down.

[shadow]

Day 14: Monday 29th October - High Intensity

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit B

Start: 6:03pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 25 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 25 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 3 Rest = 25 seconds
Round 4: ETD = 9, 8, 3

Finish: 6:14pm
= 11 minutes

Thoughts:
This really kicked my ass. I struggled to complete the last set and actually had to downshift a level and use jump propelled mountain climbers to complete the fourth round.
When finished I was out of breath and really exhausted… staggered while walking and couldn’t talk.
However I recovered back to normal breathing and could talk within about 40 seconds – 1 minute which is really interesting.

Something else interesting was that on the fourth round, when moving between stations I was a mess… stumbling and puffing hard… however when performing the exercises themselves I was using performance (? – the exhale on effort breathing) level breathing and my technique itself did not drop despite the fact I was cursing Coach Sonnon for inventing the program and myself for actually doing it!!!

Halfway there!!!

To all those who have completed this program at its fully intended level I have immense respect for you.

This is kicking my ass!

[shadow]

Day 15: Tuesday 30th October – No Intensity

AM: woke up with a headache and some body pains – lactic acid production, I believe.
Did a few Intu-flow exercises in the morning.

Drank lots of water today.

PM: Spinal wake-up series.

[shadow]

Day 16: Wednesday 31st October – Low Intensity

PM:
- Seal walk flow x2
- Side sunset flow x1

Lately I have been waking up really drowsy and hard to wake up in the morning. I have been feeling unmotivated and kind of lethargic and sluggish during the day.

My diet is ok but not as high a quality as I would like.
Also I am doing a 6 week parasite cleanse so that could be a factor too.

But I also wonder if I am subject to some of the energy gear shift that Coach Sonnon talks about in his UFC training blog?
Perhaps.

[shadow]

Day 17: Thursday 1st November – Moderate Intensity

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit C
- Continuous Mountain Climbers (not letting go of bar) 5 L/R.
- Assisted thigh parallel 4 corner squats (using a stretchy rope, working to get thigh parallel to the ground, all four corners)
- 15lb Club squat press 5 L/R.
- Box jump – front ground engagements (2 pavers high – about 8-10 inches high I think) x 10.

Start: 6:02pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 1:20
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 1 Rest = 1:25
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 2 Rest = 1:25
Round 4: ETD = 8, 7, 3

Finish: 6:20pm
= 18 minutes

- Wind removing poses (single and double leg)
- 4 corner stretching cool down.

Thoughts:
This really kicked my ass as is evident from the high RPE. I’m afraid I went a little too high and I am really dreading tomorrows exercise and failing.
I failed on the pull-ups in round 4 and had to drop down two levels and use jumping propelled pull-ups for the last 3 reps.


Day 18: Friday 2nd November – High Intensity

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit C

Start: 6:15pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 2 Rest = 1:25
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 1:30
Round 3: ETD = 8, 8, 3 Rest = 1:30
Round 4: ETD = 8, 8, 3

Finish: 6:33pm
= 18 minutes

- Wind removing poses
- 4 corner stretching

Thoughts:
I was dreading doing this all day, I was actually scared of it and so convinced I was going to fail and walk away from it. I am proud to say I pushed through and completed the full four rounds. It kicked my ass though, that’s for sure… but surprisingly not as much as I expected it to.
I started to fail pull-ups in round 3, and just dropped down to jump assisted level… round 4 I went again to failure and dropped down.
This time the increase in effort did not affect my technique.


Day 19: Saturday 3rd November – No Intensity

Quite a lot of DOMS today, the first time I have really suffered from it in this cycle… particularly in chest and triceps – from doing the front ground engagement two days in a row, no doubt.

Went for a 90 minute Thai massage which definitely eased the soreness quite a bit.

Pm:
- Spinal Wake-up Series


Day 20: Sunday 4th November – Low Intensity

Hardly any soreness left.
Had a really unplanned busy day today…. Ended up doing my practice really late before shower and bed, about 9:30pm.

- Seal walk flow x 2
- Side sunset flow x 1
Monday 5th November
Woke up feeling really shitty today, partly from letting my diet slip over the weekend and just generally not feeling happy.
I decided to miss one day today, I just really didn’t feel up to it… also felt like might be coming down with something so upped the vitamin C and went to bed early.


Day 21: Tuesday 6th November – Moderate Intensity

Still feeling shitty today and a little bit run down but decided I couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer… and I really want to finish this cycle, as a moral boost to myself as a “See you can do it! You can finish something you start” kind of thing.

PM:
- Intu-flow Advanced warm up

Circuit C
Start: 5:37pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 40 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 6, 8, 2 Rest = 45 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 45 seconds
Round 4: ETD = 8, 8, 3

Finish: 5:53pm
= 16 minutes

- Wind removing pose
- 4 corner stretching cool down

Thoughts:
Again I was dreading this, but ended up performing better than I thought I would be able to. Failed on pull-ups round 2 though, but kept switching which grip first each round, and the first grip could complete all 5, but on the second grip after 2 or 3 reps would fail and have to use jump assisted to finish.

[shadow]

Day 22: Wednesday 7th November – High intensity

PM:
- Intu-flow warm up

Circuit C

Start: 6:04pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 1 Rest = 45 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 1 Rest = 45 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 45 seconds
Round 1: ETD = 8, 8, 8

Finish: 6:21pm
= 17 minutes.

- wind removing poses (single and double legs)
- four corner stretching





Day 23: Thursday 8th November – No intensity

Pm:
- Spinal wake-up series




Day 24: Friday 9th November – Low intensity

PM:
- Seal walk flow x 2
- Side sunset flow x1



Day 25: Saturday 10th November – Moderate intensity

Pm:
- Intu-flow warm up.

Circuit C

Start: 6:32pm

Round 1: ETD = 6, 8, 2 Rest = 20 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 20 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 7, 8, 3 Rest = 30 seconds
Round 4: ETD = 7.5, 8, 3

- wind removing poses
- four corner stretching

Thoughts:
I had some therapy done today for my left hip region, which went really well, and then my right leg started hurting (they said something might happen as the body adjusts to changes) and felt a little bit weaker.
Anyways I was dreading doing this and thought it would be really difficult but it wasn’t.
It was like my body knew this already, it was like “oh I know how to do this, I know this rest timing” and I got into a zone. This was probably the most pleasurable and fastest training session I have done, I wasn’t even aware of time passing.

One note is I ate a little close to the time of exercise and about 5-10 minutes I felt nauseous and wanted to vomit… from the food I am sure.




Day 26: Sunday 11th November – High Intensity

Pm:
- intu-flow warm up

Circuit C

Start: 5:58pm

Round 1: ETD = 7, 8, 2 Rest = 30 seconds
Round 2: ETD = 8, 8, 2 Rest = 30 seconds
Round 3: ETD = 9, 8, 3 Rest = 30 seconds
Round 4: ETD = 9, 8, 3

Finish: 6:13pm
= 15 minutes.

- wind removing poses
- four corner stretching

Thoughts:

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I completed the whole thing, oh yeah!!!

This is the first time I have ever completed a full cycle and been happy with it, felt that I truly finished properly.

This session was a little challenging, but I pushed through to the end regardless, despite wanting to stop.

I will post my wrap up thoughts after the final two days of the cycle.

[Coach Gostnell]

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great work, Damien. Things got tough for you at times, but you kept at it. :thumbup1: