It is May 25th and I have just completed my 68th Convict Conditioning workout. I told you I would keep you posted. I sure am glad I am better at keeping up with my workouts than I am at blogging or I would be the most unfit fitness coach on the planet!

I am very pleased with the results achieved to date, but there are a few modifications I suggest for folks approaching or firmly established in the senior category---as I am.

First of all, I have found that the incorporation of a TRX apparatus (see my earlier posting) has been invaluable in allowing me to progress many of the exercises more gradually and gently than is recommended in the book. For instance, even though I completed Step 7 of the Pushup Series with relative ease and with good form, I found that Step 8 (1/2 one-arm pushups) was very challenging and created undue soreness in my already damaged shoulders. But I found that when I used the TRX to position me at a steep angle but less that horizontal, I was able to complete the series with no damage to the shoulders and then make a further(nearly horizontal) progression without further injury. I am still moving toward the completely horizontal position but I am in absolutely no hurry---"safety first" goes the old Boy Scout motto.

I also found that the TRX was very helpful in allowing me to progress the Squat Series and the Pullup series more incrementally than is suggested for the younger crowd, for which the book is clearly intended.

My goal is still to complete all the progressions in each of the six exercise series, but I plan to take a few more steps to get there to make sure that these old joints are very gradually introduced to the greater stresses involved in each of the progressive exercises.

Before starting Convict Conditioning I was working out 6 days a week and my fitness level, as rated by my Polar FT60 heartrate monitor, was at the elite level. When I began the current program, I have been only working out 3 days per week although they were intense bouts. Last night, I took the Polar Fitness Test again and I had fallen into the "Very Good" category. Clearly, if I want to regain the elite rating I need to add something. So, I am now supplementing Convict Conditioning with interval workouts on my bike on the days I am not doing resistance work. I am also throwing in a few sessions each week of resistance stretching---I will explain that in another posting, but let me say for now and for me, I find it superior to yoga (which I practiced for years).

I now have several more older clients enjoying Convict Conditioning with the modifications I have mentioned and they are enthusiastic, one and all. Why shouldn't they be? They are getting great results in a short time and most importantly, they have been injury free.

Yours in health,

Walt