Session 4 of ASA's May MVP class.

Today's focus in ASA's MVP class was upper body. Suffice it to say, it worked.

Starting with the ladder drills, we did LR-RL-LR-RL; rip L, rip R; scissor L foot first, scissors R foot first; L out, L in; R out, R in; hop in, hop out R, hop in, hop out L; out in out in; out, L in square 2 with R in square 1, out, L in square 3 with R in square 2, out; out, R in square 2 with L in square 1, out, R in square 3 with L in square 2. I think that's all of them.

The upper body started after the ladder drills. From our knees, we threw the medicine balls (I had the 6# one) forward to the other person kneeling about 8 feet away. 3 sets of 8. Repeat standing up, 3 sets of 8. Then 'sledge-hammer' the ball down, by bending at the waist, starting with the ball overhead and using the abs to explode downward, bouncing the ball high-high-high. 3 sets of 8.

Next, using a medicine ball balanced under one hand, we tried explosive pushups, switching the hand under the ball (i.e. balancing on the ball with the left hand, explode up from a push up to the right hand balancing on the ball). 3 sets of 8. I was allowed to traverse the ball instead, when I couldn't do any more pushups. I managed 2.

Next came more pushups. These with two claps. Kris managed maybe 6 of the first set with two claps. I managed all of 2 single claps. I'm not sure how many Ryan managed. Three sets of 8.

Next was the wheelbarrows. I managed 3 wheelbarrows of more than 30 seconds each! Yay! I think I was 35, 35 and 32 seconds. I was quite impressed, though the last one was really hard: I arched my lower back a lot and it hurt afterward.

Killer abs started next. Instead of doing them for 45 seconds, we did them for 90 seconds. Zoiks! Bicycles, crunches, V ups (next to impossible at this point), side to sides (no weights), partner pushdowns, roll over for lower back lifts, and 6" leg lifts. Oh joy.

I had difficulty with the lower back lifts - I was getting it only on my right side. G suggested doing twisting ones: lying flat, lift up at a 45° angle (both in looking, and the horizontal), to isolate each side. It worked well.

On the personal side, G is married, his wife is due with their third child (a girl) on the 18th.