Johns Observations

Alright…I have always been into fitness and working out. For the most part, my working out has always consisted of predominantly weight training and sport related exercises. I have never really spent much time working on breathing, flexibility, YOGA, or balance.

After Andrea and I got married, I slacked off and quit working out. I used every excuse I could to keep from working out, and my waistline started to grow, making me look like a complete slob. I have a problem with that. I am a Minister and I lead worship on a weekly basis. There is nothing worse in my opinion than a worship leader/choir director/singer who cant take care of himself physically. That being said I decided to get to work.

Our local gym condones the playing of profanity laden RAP MUSIC, so I decided we needed to purchase some sort of excercise equipment. I researched the BOWFLEX system throuroghly and we bought there top of the line machine…The Ultimate 2. I started using it and was happy with it. However, I wanted something to really get me on fire…and get me to the point in which the bowflex could really work for me.

A friend mentioned a video based workout called P 90x. Initially, I laughed at him. There has always been a hang up with me about video based workouts…called it the Richard Simmons apprehension if you want…or John Basedow…I just wasn’t sold on it.

I bought it…and it sat on the shelf for like 3 weeks. One day, I decided to give it an honest try.

I have college football behind me….years of sports….and a lengthy period in which I was in the Marine Corps Infantry and Force Reconnaissance. I can honestly say this workout blew me away from day one. It is very Boot Camp related, in that you do alot of body weight stuff…push ups, pull ups, lunges, etc. After only doing this program for 2 weeks, I can already see my body beginning to change.

Here is a brief summary of the different workouts

Day1–Chest and Back/Ab Ripper X
Day2–Plyometrics
Day3–Shoulders and Back/Ab Ripper X
Day4–YOGA X
Day5–Legs/Ab Ripper X
Day6–Kenpo X
Day7–Stretch X

Each workout is intense. Chest and Back messed me up for like 2 weeks. After completing this video, I could not perform daily tasks such as eating, writing, typing, or conducting the choir!! Ab Ripper X will hurt your midsection. You must have a certain degree of abdominal stregth already to begin this program. Shoulders and Back are the least demanding of the entire series. Yoga X is the toughest video to me. Alot of weird contorted positions, and alot of lunging, pushups, and posing that forces your entire body to flex up…TOUGH stuff. When I finish this, I feel wobbly from head to toe. Kenpo X is basically a Karate Cardio workout. it is pretty cool…and pretty tough to finish. Plyo is jump training. Alot of moving, jumping, and fast twitch muscle usage from the waist down. This is a great cardio workout…but leaves your legs wobbly!

I truly feel to be a better singer, you must be a better athlete. Your better singers now days…tend to be fit. The days of the overweight soprano wearing the helmet with horns are over. Singing is as much a sport as anything else is. If you can breathe better, you will sing better. If you are sloppy, out of breath, weak, and out of shape, your voice WILL suffer. In the last 2 weeks, I have felt my voice begin to regain some of its prominence that I have lost in the last year. Its good to be back.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 11:29 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.