The One About Fitness Equipment

Burn Circuit 3, week 2 -- probably my favorite of the burn circuits.  For two reasons.  It's mainly lower body exercises, which means I can really jack the weight up and feel like Chuck Norris.  A really fat, black-haired, Chuck Norris.  Secondly...and I may be wrong...but I'm pretty sure she wears a push-up bra for this video.

Seriously.

Half the time I'm thinking about my form, the other half I'm thinking about...other things...

Anyway, let's start right after work.  Today is a basketball practice day, so Amy picked up Seth and Arienne and Conrad stayed with me.  I took some of the frozen chicken strips that I mentioned before and threw them in a pan with just a touch of olive oil.  Then I added some Tastefully Simple Fiesta Party Dip seasoning to the pan and tossed the chicken around in it.  (See this person for ordering info)  While that was cooking, I threw a pouch of Uncle Ben's Natural Brown Rice in the microwave.  Once the rise was done, I threw it in the pan too with about 3 tablespoons of taco sauce, and a liberal amount of hot sauce (Cholula would have kicked ass here).  While that was cooking up some in the pan, I threw two of the Green Giant veggie bowl things in the microwave for Conrad and I.  Once the taco/rice/chicken/fiesta concoction thing was done, I divvied it up between two plates, sprinkled on some shredded cheese and split the veggies.  Conrad and I destroyed it.  It was really damn good, and it all came from my head.  I will call the recipe Jason's Super Awesome Taco Rice Chicken Extravaganza.  Seriously, though, using the brown rice in this way really didn't add many calories, and seriously cut the 'woodsy' flavor and texture of the rice itself.  Good  job, Jason.  Thanks, Jason.  After a good practice and talking with Amy for a bit when she picked up Conrad (things are evened out there quite a bit, we had a good talk today after I vented...I'm still angry...just not 'ready to kick a puppy' angry), it was time to workout.

Today, my good friend Mike let me borrow a spare set of dumbbells that he wasn't using.  They're the bowflex selecttech ones that are exactly the same that Boobarella uses in the videos.

Now, don't get me wrong, the resistance bands are really a great workout.  In a few exercises they probably even provide a truly unique and possibly better experience.

But....

For everything else, holy crapstain.  They just amp up the workout.  Immensely.  Even with the highest resistance band, I would never reach muscle failure.  I just wouldn't.  In one instance that I covered here before, the band actually failed before I did.

That will not be a problem with these.  Muscle failure is the entire goal of each exercise, and failure is definitely an option now.  I always felt good after workouts, but after this one, my first with these, I feel F'N AMAZING.  Like, rip a phone book in half while on a unicycle and spinning plates on a dowel held in my teeth amazing.  I can NOT endorse these things enough.  Thanks Mike.

That's all I've got tonight.  I'm wrecked.  Good night.