One Hundred Push-ups: Week 4

This really took almost two weeks – I had to do a few days more than once and with some of the classes at the gym my schedule was a little off. Felt pretty good on most of the days, except for my first try at Day 3. I was feeling it by the end of the third set and on the final set I was really struggling. I also did two minutes between each set except for the final set on Day 3 when I rested for 4 minutes to really try and push through.

On the exhaustion test at the end of Week 4 I tried to be sure I was keeping the core engaged, not flaring my elbows out to the side and going low enough. I maxed out at 45 push-ups, so I will be following the right-most column for each of the days for Week 5. I am also going to rest no longer than 60 seconds between each set, even if that means I fail and have to go back through the week multiple times.

Day 1 (First Attempt)
Rest 60 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Pushups	Number I did
Set 1	21	21
Set 2	25	25
Set 3	21	21
Set 4	21	21
Set 5 (max out)	32	25
TOTAL	120	113
Day 1 (Second Attempt)
Rest 60 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Pushups	Number I did
Set 1	21	21
Set 2	25	25
Set 3	21	21
Set 4	21	21
Set 5 (max out)	32	35
TOTAL	120	123
Day 2
Rest 90 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Pushups	Number I did
Set 1	25	25
Set 2	29	29
Set 3	25	25
Set 4	25	25
Set 5 (max out)	36	37
TOTAL	140	141
Day 3 (First Attempt)
Rest 120 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Pushups	Number I did
Set 1	29	29
Set 2	33	33
Set 3	29	29
Set 4	29	29
Set 5 (max out)	40	31
TOTAL	160	151
Day 3 (Second Attempt)
Rest 120 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Pushups	Number I did
Set 1	29	29
Set 2	33	33
Set 3	29	29
Set 4	29	29
Set 5 (max out)	40	43
TOTAL	160	163

Songs We’re Listening To: Daft Punk Edition

Daft Punk’s new album, Randon Access Memories, came out yesterday – at least in some parts of the world. Here it will not release until Tuesday. In their honor we’ve highlighted some of our favorite previous tracks from them and look forward to their new ones as well. Enjoy.

no1ever:

“Superheroes”

From Discovery: One of my first moments as an out and proud fan of EDM after closet liking it for 7 years.  Also one of the first times I heard laser sounds referred to as Pew Pew.  I think the higher bpm on this song gets me juiced.

“Derezzed” 

From Tron Legacy – I would say speaks for itself, but there are no lyrics.

henrymainwaring:

From Homework:

Like this song a lot “Rollin’ and Scratchin’“

Better Video “Da Funk“

Off of Discovery (more obscure):

“Face to Face”  (Too Long)

“Aerodynamic” (Aerodynamic, this song has the best mix on their live album from 2007 or 2009 or whatever that I own. That album by the way is awesome).

Off Human After All:

“Technologic“ (This video is good but freaky. I love the song though)

“Steam Machine“ 

chefboyrt:

“Around the World” 

This was the first real Daft Punk song I can remember – and the video really tripped me out. I mean, what the hell is going on?

“Harder Better Faster Stronger“

Another great video and solid beats.

Hannibal

Sir Anthony Hopkins’ role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of the creepiest characters I’ve seen on film. The fact that he is a cannibal just serves to put him over the top. I’ve read some of the Thomas Harris books and seen the movies. I was actually interning in D.C. when they were filming some of the scenes at Union Station and just missed seeing him in person. I’ve enjoyed the cat and mouse relationship Lecter has had with FBI agents, including Starling and Will Graham (played by Edward Norton in Red Dragon). So I was intrigued by the NBC series Hannibal.

First off, it must be said that the content of the show can be grotesque and disturbing. This would be true even if Lecter was the only killer involved, but as the show follows various FBI investigations into murders it’s even more so. The unit involves is the BAU, so we’re dealing with even more disturbing individuals. If you are squeamish I would definitely not recommend watching.

I think what makes the show so good is that we know who Hannibal really is and what he is capable of. It colors how we watch the interactions and we marvel at Hannibal’s audacity; he is working with the very FBI team that is attempting to track him down. Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Lecter is interesting. It’s before he is caught and imprisoned, so it’s really the first time we’re seeing him out in the real world. In each of the movies he has already been incarcerated, or in the case of Hannibal, has escaped custody. On the television series he has not been caught. He is a brilliant surgeon, psychologist and cook. Or I suppose I should say chef, really. I am constantly waiting for him to trip up or do something to give himself away. There was a moment in the last episode that aired May 9 (“Sorbet”) where I thought Will Graham, one of the FBI agents, had a light bulb go off and start to suspect Lecter, but I’m not so sure.

Speaking of Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), for me he is the most intriguing character on the show. He’s a professor at the FBI academy who has a unique set of mental conditions/issues. This combination allows him to really get into the mind of the killers they are investigating, to be empathetic to an entirely new level. He couples this ability with insights into the evidence to look into the killers’ motivations, actions, etc. as a fantastic FBI profiler. Unfortunately for him, it’s hard for him to turn this off and his work intrudes into his personal life, causing issues. So to help him handle some of these issues and maintain his usefulness to the FBI, as well as his sanity, he begins to have “conversations” with Dr. Lecter. Lecter clearly seems to differentiate between Will being a patient versus them having these conversations, but looking at the sessions there is more certainly are doctor-patient aspects, but they treat each other more like equals or colleagues than a traditional patient. Through these conversations, and his relationship to others working for the FBI, Lecter is able to monitor their progress on murders involving him and so far has managed to stay ahead of the FBI.

I like Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford, the FBI agent in charge of this group within the FBI, but there is nothing spectacular here. There’s a female professor, played by (Caroline Dhavernas), who provides a possible love interest for Will as well as someone who is concerned about his well-being. She is the only character on the show, other than Will himself, who puts him first as a person and does not try to use him for something.

I’m not sure if this show will make it past this season. There is definitely a market for this type of dark show, as evidenced by the success of Showtime’s Dexter, but that’s a little bit of a different animal as it is on a subscription channel and not network television. Hannibal earlier this year actually did not air an episode because of the involvement of children and a fear that in the wake of the Newtown shooting it would be too much and there would be a backlash. I think to overcome some of this backlash possibility there needs to be really good ratings numbers, and from what I have read online, that is not the case. My guess is that the show will finish out its inaugural season and that will be all, but I am hopeful there is more to come.

Final thought: I love how each show title is a reference to food.

Beer and Baseball: A Frugal Guide

Business Insider posts a great article here about the prices for a beer at your favorite ballpark.

$4.00 is the cheapest for Arizona and Cleveland games and $8.25 is the highest for Washington.  A copy of the graph is below:

Hooray Beer!

One of the pieces of information that stuck out to me was the size of the beer below.  It doesn’t really get higher as price gets higher (really Boston?).  So I took this information and parsed it out in the following table giving you the Oz/$ and $/Oz ratio.  Because that’s they type of math you do when you’re a drunkard on a budget:

Oz/$

Team	Price	oz	Oz./$
LAA	$4.50	16	3.6
ARI	$4.00	14	3.5
TEX	$5.00	16	3.2
CLE	$4.00	12	3.0
PIT	$5.50	16	2.9
HOU	$5.00	14	2.8
OAK	$5.00	14	2.8
SDP	$5.00	14	2.8
PHI	$7.75	21	2.7
COL	$6.00	16	2.7
MIL	$6.00	16	2.7
BAL	$6.75	18	2.7
MIN	$7.50	20	2.7
LAD	$6.25	16	2.6
MIA	$8.00	20	2.5
CWS	$6.50	16	2.5
KCR	$6.50	16	2.5
DET	$5.00	12	2.4
TAM	$5.00	12	2.4
SFG	$6.75	16	2.4
ATL	$7.25	16	2.2
CHC	$7.25	16	2.2
CIN	$5.50	12	2.2
SEA	$5.50	12	2.2
NYM	$5.75	12	2.1
NYY	$6.00	12	2.0
WAS	$8.25	16	1.9
TOR	$7.34	14	1.9
STL	$6.75	12	1.8
BOS	$7.25	12	1.7

And here’s your $/oz:

Team	Price	oz	$/oz.
LAA	$4.50	16	$0.28
ARI	$4.00	14	$0.29
TEX	$5.00	16	$0.31
CLE	$4.00	12	$0.33
PIT	$5.50	16	$0.34
HOU	$5.00	14	$0.36
OAK	$5.00	14	$0.36
SDP	$5.00	14	$0.36
PHI	$7.75	21	$0.37
COL	$6.00	16	$0.38
MIL	$6.00	16	$0.38
BAL	$6.75	18	$0.38
MIN	$7.50	20	$0.38
LAD	$6.25	16	$0.39
MIA	$8.00	20	$0.40
CWS	$6.50	16	$0.41
KCR	$6.50	16	$0.41
DET	$5.00	12	$0.42
TAM	$5.00	12	$0.42
SFG	$6.75	16	$0.42
ATL	$7.25	16	$0.45
CHC	$7.25	16	$0.45
CIN	$5.50	12	$0.46
SEA	$5.50	12	$0.46
NYM	$5.75	12	$0.48
NYY	$6.00	12	$0.50
WAS	$8.25	16	$0.52
TOR	$7.34	14	$0.52
STL	$6.75	12	$0.56
BOS	$7.25	12	$0.60

Not a whole lot changes from the graph from business insider. Although, you would think with the season Toronto’s having, they would make it cheaper for people to drink away the pain.

One Hundred Push-ups: Halfway Home

It’s actually been ten days between Day 1 and Day 3 of the Week 3 workout. The first time I tried to do Day 2 was after a 3.5 mile run and I was really struggling. I missed the number of push-ups on the second set and just didn’t feel right. I took a few extra days off before trying it again and then several days before doing Day 3. I have been having a little bit of pain in my right shoulder. I am not sure if it was the push-ups or if it was some of the group fitness classes I have been doing at the gym. The new release of Les Mills BodyAttack has some serious shoulder work incorporated into one of the later tracks and I did an extra class last week.

I tried to keep the rest between sets to no more than 2-3 minutes, even before the final max set. Also, on Day 3 I did normal push-ups with my hands on the ground instead of on the bars. It actually felt a little bit easier, but I’m not sure if that is because I wasn’t going down quite as far or if there is something really different between the two forms. Going to really try and rest the minimum recommended amount between sets in the upcoming week to push myself.

Day 1
Rest 60 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Push-ups	Push-ups Completed
Set 1	14	14
Set 2	18	18
Set 3	14	14
Set 4	14	14
Set 5 (max out)	20	22
TOTAL	80	82
Day 2 (First Attempt)
Rest 90 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Push-ups	Push-ups Completed
Set 1	20	20
Set 2	25	20
Set 3	15	13
Set 4	15	N/A
Set 5 (max out)	25	N/A
TOTAL	100	53
Day 2 (Second Attempt)
Rest 90 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Push-ups	Push-ups Completed
Set 1	20	20
Set 2	25	25
Set 3	15	15
Set 4	15	15
Set 5 (max out)	25	22
TOTAL	100	97
Day 3
Rest 120 Seconds Between Each Set (Longer If Required)
	Push-ups	Push-ups Completed
Set 1	22	22
Set 2	30	30
Set 3	20	20
Set 4	20	20
Set 5 (max out)	28	28
TOTAL	120	120

Songs We’re Listening to Now (4/27/13)

chefboyrt’s listening to:

ATB feat. Ramona Nerra “Never Give Up” (Club Mix)

As with a lot of my favorite songs, this is featured in a Les Mills RPM program. I’ve been pushing myself in the gym recently and I really like the lyrics to this song. I prefer the Club Mix because the build-up is really powerful and I get to enjoy the rise and fall of the intensity of the song. I get goosebumps when all the elements come together at the 1:59 mark. I have this song earmarked for my next running playlist.

C-ROD feat. Jason Walker “Beat Don’t Stop”

I feel like one of the other Barbary Pirates turned me on to this song, but I can’t remember for sure. I really like the beat, but it’s the quality of the Jason Walker’s voice that really intrigues me. It reminds me a little bit of Adam Levine’s voice but there is a lot more emotion and passion in it than anything I’ve heard from Maroon 5. Plus, dude’s hair and beard combination is legit.

no1ever’s listening to:

Armin van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie “This is What It Feels Like”

Another stellar cut from the world’s greatest DJ. Is it trance? Is it house? Who cares, the beat mix in this song makes it a must play while you are doing any sort of work. The video is better than most buddy comedies out of Hollywood lately. Not to mention Ron Jeremy and two smoking hot girls, but we expect nothing less from the legendary AVB.

O’Jay’s “Backstabbers“

Discussion over the soon to drop Random Access Memory from Daft Punk (Daft Funk?) about which all four of us are excited, I was sent on a youtube search for classic funk music. After reminiscing with some Tower of Power, I hit up the O’Jay’s and my all time favorite Backstabbers. Yes a group called O’Jay’s released a song called backstabbers. Still not as ominous as OJ commentating on the 1992 Olympic Men’s 100m final. Yes, that is when the Juice himself said it will be a bloodbath. So put on some funk, and pour out a 40 oz. of Minute Maid for yo boy.

How to Cook a Fifty Dollar Steak

Real Mature, guys.

Grilling season is upon us. As the high and holy day known as Opening Day has come and gone, the weather is warm, and it is time to fire up that grill and put all sorts of manly food on there to honor our dead ancestors. We shall feast on the kill of the hunt.

If you are like me (and really who isn’t) then you also enjoy the finely cooked steaks at the Ruth’s Chris, the Palm, Morton’s, Fleming’s, or Capital Capitol Grille. The problem is I don’t have the dollah dollah bills to blow on this fine delicacy day in and day out. Luckily, I will teach you how to cook a better steak than those fancy restaurants with their dress codes and their “sir you’re making a scene”s and their “you’re drunk, go home.”

Step 1. Meat selection – most people will discuss the cuts of steak and how this cut is more tender or stringy than this cut. Who cares? Grab a steak.

Step 2. Grill or oven – I’ll give both ways, with oven first, if you want to grill, skip to end.

Step 3. Rub the meat – take a plate, pour 1- 2 T of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper (Kosher salt if you have it). Rub both sides of the steak in it.

Step 4. Make it hot – set your oven to 500F. Take a very nice grill pan and let that heat up in the oven as the oven heats. Once it reaches 500, take the grill pan out and put it on your stove on the high heat, for 30 seconds aside.

Step 5. Put the hot meat in. Stick the grill pan in the oven for 2 minutes, flip and do 2 more minutes, depending on thickness and how rare you want it. Remove from oven, tent with foil for 3-4 minutes.

Step 6. Charge your friends. That’s it. Enjoy

This steak’s name is Mulva.

Grill variation – Instead of an oven, heat your grill to 500. Adjust the flames so one side has no flames. Put the steak on the flame side first for 3 minutes a side. Move over to flameless side for 7-8 minutes, with grill cover closed.

That’s it. If you want to be an annoying prick fancy about it, here are some things you can do and talk down to your friends who don’t:

Get the steak to room temperature right before cooking.

Olive oil has a low burn temperature, which may cause some smoke in your oven, so try canola oil or sunflower oil. It will smoke regardless, but at least you can go into Williams-Sonoma and not look like a dumbass.