I am nearly a third the way through this and I have learned a lot about myself and what I expect to get out of this program.
1) I will clearly look different at the end of 90 Days, without a doubt. P90X is already working for me and I will put in even more work going forward.
2) After reading more in the book provided, I am convinced that working hard for three weeks then taking a recovery week to rest your muscles a bit and allow them to rebuild and grow is a very smart idea.
3) I will supplement with 2-3 heavy weight sets that match whatever body parts are on deck that day. I want explosive growth along with everything that the program will deliver, but that's me. Tony Horton actually encourages modification, although probably not exactly what I am doing. I always have to add something to make it harder. Not that it's not hard enough.
4) Get more sleep. Starting Monday, I am going to start going to bed by 11:30 pm nightly. That is a really big step for me and one I have never ever been able to accomplish in all these years, but I need to get at least 7 hours a night.
May 23, 2009
Day 22 - Week 4 (Recovery Week) - Yoga X
Recovery Week my elbow. Here's the Recovery Week line up:
Yoga X (Day 22)
Core Synergistics (Day 23)
Kenpo X (Day 24)
X Stretch (Day 25)
Core Synergistics (Day 26)
Yoga X (Day 27)
Rest or Stretch X (Day 28)
So, today was the first time I made it all the way through Yoga X. In case you haven't been keeping track, I go a little behind this week, so here's how my day today went working to get back on track:
7:00 am - Kenpo X (Day 20)
12:00 pm - Stretch X (Day 21)
5:30 pm - Ran 4.61 miles in 35 min for 697 calories (ouch!)
10:30 pm - Yoga X (Day 22)
Note to self...do not get behind again. Also, I executed Yoga X while the 61" was in split screen mode. Yes, Tony told me to clear my mind, but I filled it with the Cavs pulling out a tough one against the Magic. So, I got the breathing thing down but I had to watch Cleveland take another step towards the finals, but I digress.
Yoga X was an absolute rough ride. I was sweating up a storm but I completed it. If you also do Yoga you'll get the lingo. Yoga X consists of 1:32 of pure Yoga divided between Moving Asanas, Balance Postures, Floor Work and The Yoga Belly 7.
Here are the ones I had to skip through or in other words forgidaboutit:
Right-Angle Pose to Extended Right-Angle Pose & Grab (Tried and failed)
Warrior Three to Standing Splits (Tried, failed and bailed)
Boat, Half Boat, Torso Twist Hold and Deep Torso Twist Hold from Yoga Belly 7
I did a good job to finish and I was clearly motivated by the Cavs win, because if they had lost that would have been the end of Yoga X for tonight.
I am pumped about Core Synergystics tomorrow. I am not happy that I can't take my regular Total Conditioning group fitness class at my gym tomorrow at 6:45 am. I can't because it's a full body workout with weights and all and it would defeat the purpose of recovery week and possibly delay the growth I want to occur over the next 7 days.
Wow, this was a long one. Thanks for sticking with me and following along, even if intermittently.
Yoga X (Day 22)
Core Synergistics (Day 23)
Kenpo X (Day 24)
X Stretch (Day 25)
Core Synergistics (Day 26)
Yoga X (Day 27)
Rest or Stretch X (Day 28)
So, today was the first time I made it all the way through Yoga X. In case you haven't been keeping track, I go a little behind this week, so here's how my day today went working to get back on track:
7:00 am - Kenpo X (Day 20)
12:00 pm - Stretch X (Day 21)
5:30 pm - Ran 4.61 miles in 35 min for 697 calories (ouch!)
10:30 pm - Yoga X (Day 22)
Note to self...do not get behind again. Also, I executed Yoga X while the 61" was in split screen mode. Yes, Tony told me to clear my mind, but I filled it with the Cavs pulling out a tough one against the Magic. So, I got the breathing thing down but I had to watch Cleveland take another step towards the finals, but I digress.
Yoga X was an absolute rough ride. I was sweating up a storm but I completed it. If you also do Yoga you'll get the lingo. Yoga X consists of 1:32 of pure Yoga divided between Moving Asanas, Balance Postures, Floor Work and The Yoga Belly 7.
Here are the ones I had to skip through or in other words forgidaboutit:
Right-Angle Pose to Extended Right-Angle Pose & Grab (Tried and failed)
Warrior Three to Standing Splits (Tried, failed and bailed)
Boat, Half Boat, Torso Twist Hold and Deep Torso Twist Hold from Yoga Belly 7
I did a good job to finish and I was clearly motivated by the Cavs win, because if they had lost that would have been the end of Yoga X for tonight.
I am pumped about Core Synergystics tomorrow. I am not happy that I can't take my regular Total Conditioning group fitness class at my gym tomorrow at 6:45 am. I can't because it's a full body workout with weights and all and it would defeat the purpose of recovery week and possibly delay the growth I want to occur over the next 7 days.
Wow, this was a long one. Thanks for sticking with me and following along, even if intermittently.
May 22, 2009
Day 21 - X Stretch
I executed this entire program and it was a real relief. I can see how necessary this is and how far I have to go before I'll be flexible enough to put in real work on the Kenpo X kicks. I might start doing this more than once a week.
Oh, boy next stop Yoga X for real.
Oh, boy next stop Yoga X for real.
Day 20 - Kenpo X
OK, here's were I admit that I am a former AAU State of Ohio and National Tae Kwon Do Champion. I've fought in multiple tournaments and have trophies and gold medals as rewards for my efforts. While my upper body Kenpo work was solid, with hand weights and all. My front and back kicks were OK, not great. My side kicks were pitiful. My hip abductors are so tight that I can't execute a good side kick to save my life.
This was a real eye opener and I will not skip Stretch X or Yoga X again. I must increase my flexibility using these two programs starting now.
This was a real eye opener and I will not skip Stretch X or Yoga X again. I must increase my flexibility using these two programs starting now.
Day 19 - Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
I put in work again today on Leg, Back and Ab Ripper X. I gave it all I had today leading into a week of recovery, not to be confused with rest, this will be an active recovery week with workouts daily.
My legs and back are getting stronger and bigger already. I can feel and see the difference, including in the execution of the moves. It is exactly as the program says, by week three your body adapts to the new movements and begins to perfect them. I am using heavier weights and going lower and on legs and harder on back. I also went to the gym and did some extra heavy weight work on legs and back. I did standing calf extensions with 900 lbs weights, hack squats with 180 lbs, silver back shrugs with 225 lbs, low pulley row with 200 lbs and bent over row with 225 lbs. I did only 8-10 reps on each to promote growth going into recovery week.
I am expecting real growth over the next 7 days.
My legs and back are getting stronger and bigger already. I can feel and see the difference, including in the execution of the moves. It is exactly as the program says, by week three your body adapts to the new movements and begins to perfect them. I am using heavier weights and going lower and on legs and harder on back. I also went to the gym and did some extra heavy weight work on legs and back. I did standing calf extensions with 900 lbs weights, hack squats with 180 lbs, silver back shrugs with 225 lbs, low pulley row with 200 lbs and bent over row with 225 lbs. I did only 8-10 reps on each to promote growth going into recovery week.
I am expecting real growth over the next 7 days.
Day 18 - Yoga X
Bottom line, I didn't even do it today. Yoga X is horribly difficult for me and I just didn't do it. I ran a few miles instead and rested a bit. I did not Bring It today.
May 20, 2009
P90X Goals
Here's a good time to talk about my goals with P90X. First, I am not following the Food Program. Honestly, when I first moved to Chicago in 1996, my good friend that put me up for 3 months till my apartment building was finished and I could move it and he had a cook. It was great. She'd show up on Sunday and say, what do you want to eat this week. I'd say Steak, Salmon, Sushi, Shrimp. Bamm! It was all there and off the chain.
If that was now, I could just hand her the P90X menu and say, all of this. Who do they think I am, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck? Plus I travel so it is virtually impossible on the road. So, I'll have to accept the fact that I won't be precisely on target without the food plan. That said, my goals remain the same.
Current: 11.5% body fat; Goal: 7%
Current: 195.6 lbs; Goal: 185 lbs
Current: 32 inch waist; Goal: 30 inches
Current: 50 inch shoulders; Goal: 51 inches
Current: 2 miles in 14:30; Goal: 2 miles in 14:06
Current: 55 sit ups in 2 min; Goal: 72 sit ups in 2 min
Current: 73 push ups in 2 min; Goal: 80 push ups in 2 min
If that was now, I could just hand her the P90X menu and say, all of this. Who do they think I am, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck? Plus I travel so it is virtually impossible on the road. So, I'll have to accept the fact that I won't be precisely on target without the food plan. That said, my goals remain the same.
Current: 11.5% body fat; Goal: 7%
Current: 195.6 lbs; Goal: 185 lbs
Current: 32 inch waist; Goal: 30 inches
Current: 50 inch shoulders; Goal: 51 inches
Current: 2 miles in 14:30; Goal: 2 miles in 14:06
Current: 55 sit ups in 2 min; Goal: 72 sit ups in 2 min
Current: 73 push ups in 2 min; Goal: 80 push ups in 2 min
May 19, 2009
Day 17 - Shoulders, Arms and Ab Ripper X
Finally, I got to use my new adjustable weight dumbbell set. They really helped me up my weight and drop my reps. They are more complicated than I thought. First you have to work for NASA and have been trained to use an abacus to adjust the weights fast enough to keep up with Tony Horton who has a full individual set at his disposal on the Beach Bodies set for P90X. Anyway, I gave it a shot and hit my goal of using enough weight to reduce my reps from 12-15 and more down to 8-11 reps to get to size.
Today was very very difficult. It's hard to compare my progress since in Week One I used 25 and 15 lb dumbbells only. Week Two I experimented with the heavy bands which provided more resistance than my 25 lbs dumbbells, so once again, inconsistent comparison.
This week, today, I pumped very hard. My arms, chest, abs and shoulders are killing me. Jordan came down and did the bonus sets with me, specifically the lying tricep raise. He likes working out as well which is very cool. Triceps are my personal favorite. Tony Horton said if anyone at home did more that 26 he'd come to your home, I cranked out 39 Left Tri, 35 Right Tri, then 35 Left Tri and 31 Right Tri. In previous weeks I came in just under 30 each arm both sets, both weeks.
The tricep is my favorite muscle and I work it hard and for some reason, my left arm is slightly stronger than my right. Although I have a major tendon pain between my wrist and elbow on all bicep curl exercises on the left and it is getting worse. I also have a torn something or other in my right shoulder. My remedy for both is to ignore them, use more weight and work harder because I am not lightening up period end of story.
After helping to put the boys to bed at the end of my workout, I went back and knocked out Ab Ripper X. On the forward bicycle I hand those hands up in the air but the Phifer Scissors are still nearly impossible to complete (i.e. I can do 20 max).
At 10:30 pm, I jumped in the truck and went to the gym. I added heavy weights for forearms, additional obliques and wrist exercises. I feel like I have been in a fight right now. Then at 1:21 left in the Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1, I started a 20 min run at 7.5 mph. When the game ended I had 6:30 left and two of my favorite videos came on, Don't Speak by No Doubt and Cry For You by September. That's it for today.
Tomorrow Yoga X and Legs.
Today was very very difficult. It's hard to compare my progress since in Week One I used 25 and 15 lb dumbbells only. Week Two I experimented with the heavy bands which provided more resistance than my 25 lbs dumbbells, so once again, inconsistent comparison.
This week, today, I pumped very hard. My arms, chest, abs and shoulders are killing me. Jordan came down and did the bonus sets with me, specifically the lying tricep raise. He likes working out as well which is very cool. Triceps are my personal favorite. Tony Horton said if anyone at home did more that 26 he'd come to your home, I cranked out 39 Left Tri, 35 Right Tri, then 35 Left Tri and 31 Right Tri. In previous weeks I came in just under 30 each arm both sets, both weeks.
The tricep is my favorite muscle and I work it hard and for some reason, my left arm is slightly stronger than my right. Although I have a major tendon pain between my wrist and elbow on all bicep curl exercises on the left and it is getting worse. I also have a torn something or other in my right shoulder. My remedy for both is to ignore them, use more weight and work harder because I am not lightening up period end of story.
After helping to put the boys to bed at the end of my workout, I went back and knocked out Ab Ripper X. On the forward bicycle I hand those hands up in the air but the Phifer Scissors are still nearly impossible to complete (i.e. I can do 20 max).
At 10:30 pm, I jumped in the truck and went to the gym. I added heavy weights for forearms, additional obliques and wrist exercises. I feel like I have been in a fight right now. Then at 1:21 left in the Lakers vs Nuggets Game 1, I started a 20 min run at 7.5 mph. When the game ended I had 6:30 left and two of my favorite videos came on, Don't Speak by No Doubt and Cry For You by September. That's it for today.
Tomorrow Yoga X and Legs.
Day 16 - Plyometrics X
It's Sunday morning and I've got a 1:58 pm flight to Grand Rapids, MI via Chicago. At 8:00 am, I head to the gym and crank out 3.75 miles. Then back home to shower, help get the boys ready for church and then down to my P90X studio/gym and get going on Plyometrics X 30 min. after completing the run. Big mistake.
Plyometrics X puts the X in P90X, so says Tony Horton and I can confirm that fact. I skipped the warm up, because what the heck, I already ran and I am warmed up. 5 exercises into Plyo X, I knew that running before this was a bad idea. I sucked it up and worked even harder. Double Heismans, Monster Tires, Running Stance Double Jump Switchbacks, you name it I was sweating up a storm and working out harder than ever.
I barely got showered again and ready for the cab that was early and when I got to Grand Rapids I was not ready to got to the reception and meet clients and colleagues. Oh yeah, after two flights and traveling for 7.5 hours to get there I felt like crap and slept about 3 hours that night.
Plyometrics X puts the X in P90X, so says Tony Horton and I can confirm that fact. I skipped the warm up, because what the heck, I already ran and I am warmed up. 5 exercises into Plyo X, I knew that running before this was a bad idea. I sucked it up and worked even harder. Double Heismans, Monster Tires, Running Stance Double Jump Switchbacks, you name it I was sweating up a storm and working out harder than ever.
I barely got showered again and ready for the cab that was early and when I got to Grand Rapids I was not ready to got to the reception and meet clients and colleagues. Oh yeah, after two flights and traveling for 7.5 hours to get there I felt like crap and slept about 3 hours that night.
Day 15 - Week 3 - Chest, Back and Ab Ripper X
First thing Saturday morning I head back to Sport Authority and the sales manager had my other missing DB ready. Guess what you don't need weights for Chest, Back and Ab Ripper X so I wasted all that time for nothing. It's all body weight exercises. Rookie mistake on my part.
I'm regrouped and I step up to Chest, Back and Ab Ripper X. I'm angry and hyped and I cranked out more reps on the first and second rounds than week one and week two in nearly every single exercise set. I even kept up in Ab Ripper X and was very pleased.
My chest, back and abs were still hurting on Tuesday 3 days later. I'm starting to notice chest, back, shoulders and arms are getting bigger. Ran 3.75 miles today working my way up to 5 miles 5 times a week.
I'm regrouped and I step up to Chest, Back and Ab Ripper X. I'm angry and hyped and I cranked out more reps on the first and second rounds than week one and week two in nearly every single exercise set. I even kept up in Ab Ripper X and was very pleased.
My chest, back and abs were still hurting on Tuesday 3 days later. I'm starting to notice chest, back, shoulders and arms are getting bigger. Ran 3.75 miles today working my way up to 5 miles 5 times a week.
In search of more weight (Day 15 Not Happening)
OK, time for a confession. I started this journey with 25 lbs bumbbells (DB) and after the first two weeks, I decided that executing 12-15 or more reps (the lean program) was not working for me. I want size since I have been working to get lean long enough. Therefore, I struck out into retail America to purchase some adjustable weights. I went to Gym Source in Columbia and they had Bowflew 5-52.5 lb adjustable DBs for $400 USD which was a little high for my liking. The had a different set that cost less and went to 90 lbs but you'd have to be a neural surgeon to adjust them quick enough to keep up with Tony Horton on P90X.
So, I went to Dick's and they had the Bowflex set for $50 less than Gym Source. Unfortuantely, they only had the floor model. I told the young salesman to wrap them up. He told me he could not sell the floor model. I told him that I was ready to spend $350 and that if he didn't sell me that set, I would not spend buy anything more expensive than racquetballs in here ever again. I told him if I were in Chicago, someone would have had these things in my truck by now. He didn't seem to care so I walked out. The bad news is, now it's 8:30 pm and time is running out in my small town to buy anything.
I head up Route 40 to Sports Authority and purchase the Golds Gym yada yada yada DB set that goes 5-50 lbs. Not nearly the weight I need for 75 days from now, but enough to get me through days 15-60. I get home and start setting up the stand and weight set only to discover the floor clerk only brought one of the DBs so Day 15 is shot to heck and I am off schedule. AHHHHHHH!
So, I went to Dick's and they had the Bowflex set for $50 less than Gym Source. Unfortuantely, they only had the floor model. I told the young salesman to wrap them up. He told me he could not sell the floor model. I told him that I was ready to spend $350 and that if he didn't sell me that set, I would not spend buy anything more expensive than racquetballs in here ever again. I told him if I were in Chicago, someone would have had these things in my truck by now. He didn't seem to care so I walked out. The bad news is, now it's 8:30 pm and time is running out in my small town to buy anything.
I head up Route 40 to Sports Authority and purchase the Golds Gym yada yada yada DB set that goes 5-50 lbs. Not nearly the weight I need for 75 days from now, but enough to get me through days 15-60. I get home and start setting up the stand and weight set only to discover the floor clerk only brought one of the DBs so Day 15 is shot to heck and I am off schedule. AHHHHHHH!
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