a friend made reservation and had a spot left.  asked if i wanna join them for some afternoon tea/snack @ 4pm.



gotta make reservations 2 weeks ahead. but I don't think it is all that. limited availability creates the illusion that it is coveted.  their claim to fame are varoius flavors of honey toasts. honestly I think any IHOP or WaffleHouse taste WAY better. this is just trendy and something new in Taipei...  traditional night market stuff taste better and isn't pricey like this.



taste pretty good at first but too much for just one person. it is also probably over 700 calories... a bit sweet giving me a sugar high right now. gonna go to gym and work it off tonight!!



honey apple tea with a hint of mint. yummy.  i was on a suger high for a little bit, then body kinda crashed.  took a nap from ~7pm - 8:10pm.



Sat, Oct. 15th 2011

700 meter walk to the gym.  no dynamic warm up because short on time (leaving on 8:15pm from home, gym closes at 10pm).  didn't bother with the usual hyper x warm up neither.

super set two exercises in order to keep the heart rate up and shorten gym time:

alt. db row 25lbs 1x10 (warm up), 50lbs 1x8, 55lbs 2x8, 60lbs 2x8 (hard!  2 = PR sets!)
standing pull downs 60lbs 1x10 (warm up), 90lbs 1x8, 100lbs 2x8, 110lbs 2x8 (hard!  2 sets = PR!)

lat. raises 15lbs 1x10 (warm up,) 25lbs 3x8, 30lbs 1x8
face pulls high 50lbs 1x10 (warm up), 80lbs 1x8, 90lbs 1x8, 100lbs 1x8, 110lbs 1x8 (PR!)

lat. pull downs 60lbs 1x10 (warm up), 110lbs 2x8, 120lbs 1x8 (hard)
face pulls mid 45lbs 1x10 (warm up), 80lbs 1x8, 90lbs 1x8, 100lbs 1x8 (PR!)

machine row 80lbs 1x10 (warm up), 140lbs 2x8, 150lbs 1x8, 150lbs 1x10 (PR!)
face pulls low 45lbs 1x10 (warm up), 80lbs 1x8, 90lbs 1x8, 100lbs 2x8 (PR!)

db forearm curl 25lbs 1x6 - left hand only.  the above exercises actually worked the forearm quite a bit (the face pulls i think), i was going to do 3x8 but gym was closing, and just a single 1x6 got my arm so pumped and over the edge i just call it a night.  :-)

lots of PR!  i'm happy.  really pushed my self today.  also this is the first time i've EVER gone to the gym every other day 5 times in a row.  i can feel and see the changes.  i think i need to eat better pre work out though, don't feel all that energetic mid way through and always have to fight hard.  work outs are 1.5 hours - 2 hours long depending on my work out.  or maybe i should shorten the sets and go heavier on the sets?  i'm doing a lot of 4 or 5x8's (not counting warm up set) with the first 2 sets usually not that challenging.  comments?

Sunday, Oct. 23th, 2011

dynamic warm up during 700 meter walk to the gym

smith machine squats 50kg 1x10 (warm up), 80kg 1x8 atg, 90kg 1x8 atg, 95kg 2x8 atg (matched previous PR in June), 100kg 1x1 (only 1 rep but, still a )

super set 2 exercises to get it done faster.

incline db press 25lbs 1x10 (warm up), 40lbs 2x8, 45lbs 2x8
incline db curl 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 25lbs 4x8

db bench press 30lbs 1x10 (warm up), 45lbs 1x8, 50lbs 1x8, 55lbs 2x8
forearm db curl 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 25lbs 2x8, 30lbs 1x8 ()

forearm db hammer curl 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 25lbs 2x8, 30lbs 1x8
db shoulder press 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 25lbs 2x8, 30lbs 1x8

pinwheel curl 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 25lbs 1x8, 30lbs 2x8
iso. db curl 15lbs 1x10 (warm up), 20lbs 1x8, 10kg 2x8

machine pec flies 80lbs 1x10 (warm up), 130lbs 2x8
machine bench press 80lbs 1x10 (warm up), 130lbs 1x8, 140lbs 1x8

700 meter walk home.

I'm back in the San Francisco Bay Area now...  been eating too well since the xmas holidays and I get treated to meals all the times because I haven't been back for so long.  (just see my facebook mobile upload ablums...  lots of food pictures).  I went from 154 lbs at the end of Chicago trip to now, 167 lbs post holidays.  ARRG.  I've been going to Yoga everyday for 1.5 hours since I return to SF Bay too.  I found a new studio in Hayward that I really like.  It's not Bikram, but it is heated room (more comfortable, ~70-75F. but some classes are hot ~100F similar to Bikram).

Anyway, my tight butt pain (pififormis muscle) is still bothersome.  But when I stretch frequently it's not too bad.  I have decided to move back to SF Bay (from Taiwan).  I'll be looking for gym membership soon so I can start lift weights again.  Can't wait!!

Here is my most recent squat video from Nov. 2011:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx6wPPzDGjA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx6wPPzDGjA</a>

I do tons of stretching including 1.5-2 hours of Yoga a day.  I've had my problem for some 1.5 year now.  On a good Hot Yoga (Bikram) 90 minute session I can get ride of the muscle tightness completely, but it comes back half a day later for no obvious reason (even if I do NOTHING).  I'm really baffled at why it continues to re-occur.

I really don't think it has anything to do with my squatting forms.  There was a period of some 8 month + with out squatting at all for me in 2011 and my piriformis was still tight every day.

I've moved back to California.  I've yet to look for a gym yet (been doing Yoga to heal the body for the last 2 months).  I don't have  any serious injuries, just the lingering tight piriformis as well as there's tiny tiny bit of pain in the knees when I really try to stretch them (flexibility).  I'm starting to look for indoor gym for basketball again as well as weight room.  Typically the places with indoor basketball gym have relatively basic weight setup though.  I took a quick peek and I don't think they even have a Smith Machine...

bought into an automotive business and finalized that deal in first week of March.  been working almost every day ever since.  stopped going to Yoga around end of Feb. due to work.  *finally* got off my ass and join the local Union City Sports Center.  the gym is pretty nice and has a great selection of machines and free weights.  this time one has proper squat rack!!  as well as smith machine.

today i got the the gym ~9:30 am (sat).  i haven't play bball at all since visiting Chicago in early Dec. 2012.  so it's been 4 solid months off.  i ran until noon time.  first i warmed up by myself just shooting around for about an hour and actual full court time was about 30 minutes.  i think i should be able to find my touch back in about a week.  i plan to go every day and shoot around for an hour each day and then hit the weights.

did some weights for an hour.  didn't really jot down.  basically squatted on the smith Olympic x 10, the 95 lbs 1x10, 115 lbs 1x8, 125 lbs 2x8 legs felt rubbery from balling already lol.  some bench press with dumbbells.  i'll start logging again.  it's good to get back on the horse.

my weight grew over time up to 170 lbs.  :-|  must get back on track.