The P90X Extreme Home Fitness program is designed in three training blocks of 28 days. Each block is broken down into two phases: Adaptive & Mastery Phase; Recovery Phase. Adaptive & Mastery is pretty self-explanatory. You do these exercises. Your body isn't used to them, so it must adapt to the movements, build new strength to do them more easily, and eventually master the movements. And that's when you change what you;re doing. It's called "muscle confusion." Never let the muscles settle into a routine. That's when your body hits a plateau. After three weeks of Adaptive & Mastery, just when the muscles are solid and you feel confident and secure about the exercises, the program changes.
The Recovery Phase eliminates all the weight training and focuses on stretching, cardio, and core training, and allows the muscles that have been worked so hard in the lifting and pulling workouts to fully recover. And grow. It also introduces a few new workouts, such as "Core Synergistics" and "Stretch X," while working in a few familiar workouts such as "Yoga X" and "Kenpo X."
Today is day 22, the first day of the Recovery Phase of Training Block 1. I was looking forward to a brand new workout, but was disappointed to look at the schedule and see that today is "Yoga X." But the mantra of P90X is "Just press play. So I did.
I've been having trouble with "Yoga X" because of my aforementioned lower back/left hamstring. The hamstring is extremely tight, and is either the result of or the cause of my lower back pain. Today I vowed to take it a little easier through the stretches and poses of "Yoga X," and to my surprise, thgouh I still couldn't do all the poses or hold the ones I could do for as long as they do in the video, I was able to do more than I could last time. I even tried and found some success with the balance postures, which had me perched precariously on one leg while extending various other limbs out and up! Where the last three times I skipped the middle half-hour of "Yoga X," today I stuck it through and at least tried all the poses and movements. I felt damn proud of myself. Not to mention soaking sweaty wet.
So it's this kind of stuff for the rest of the week. Next week begins Training Block 2, with a workout of the Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, and, of course, the dread Ab Ripper X!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Still with it!
Just because I haven't posted here in a week doesn't mean I quit...even though that's what I wrote in the description up top. BE PATIENT, PEOPLE! Give it a couple of weeks before you assume I quit. (Though do keep an eye on the obituary pages, as those go up within a day or two, and they don't repeat....)
It's Friday, so today was Legs and Back again. I'm too lazy to actually write, here, so below is my copied and pasted entry from the Team Beachbody message boards:
Did Yoga X Thursday mid-day, before heading out for a long shift. I've been dealing with a finicky lower back off and on since I was a teenager. My left side above the glute, and then on down the hamstring, and sometimes into my groin...they get tweaked, and they let me know how unhappy they are. My left hamstring is ridiculously tight. When I stand for too long (and lately 5 minutes is too long :( ) my back goes into painful spasm and I have to sit and/or stretch it out.
In Yoga X, the standing stretch of the RIGHT side, with the left side compressed, was too painful to do. So, needless to say, though I Brought It to Yoga X Thursday, I was about half-intensity (though FULL sweat!). I did a few more of the poses that I avoided last week, though none of the balance poses.
Today, however, though my back was talking to me before the Legs & Back workout, it gave me no problems during! On the other hand, I did the workout not long after waking up and having a small snack (one hard-boiled egg whites (I botched the boil and the yolks were semi-solid... YECCHHH!)) I had to hit pause a few times after some of the leg exercises before hitting the chin-up bar. And I only made it half-way through the one-leg wall squats (I killed all the wall squats last week!!)
Today, with the chin-ups, I did only negatives* and counted the time that my arms stayed at 90° or less. And, yes, the numbers were pathetic! But at least those are more real than the "leg-ups," and I can gauge true progress that way.
But the workout, combined with , I'm sure, poor nutrition/first thing after waking up, left me totally wiped. I skipped Ab Ripper X completely. I think I will try it tomorrow after Kenpo X. We'll see. It's a shame, too, because I think I'm actually beginning to see a little definition pushing through the fat on my belly!
Nutrition accountability: Thursday night I ate a Met-Rx Power Bar as a meal replacement (before I saw the suggestion [in this message board thread] for Clif Bars). I love the disclaimer on the wrapper, something to the effect of, "Contains sugar alcohols. May cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Frequent consumption may have a laxative effect." I ate it anyway.
Later on I tried a "Muscle Shake" chocolate flavored drink. I don't know if that was too much, too many calories or carbs or protein after the Power Bar, but I do know it was BLECHHH! It tasted like I was sucking on metal. And the taste stuck with me for hours after I finished the drink!
I'll stick with the fart bars, thank you!
*"negatives" are achieved with assistance to the top of the chin-up, and then dangling and holding the "up" position as long as you can, and slowly lowering yourself (as though you had a choice!) to the bottom.
°
It's Friday, so today was Legs and Back again. I'm too lazy to actually write, here, so below is my copied and pasted entry from the Team Beachbody message boards:
Did Yoga X Thursday mid-day, before heading out for a long shift. I've been dealing with a finicky lower back off and on since I was a teenager. My left side above the glute, and then on down the hamstring, and sometimes into my groin...they get tweaked, and they let me know how unhappy they are. My left hamstring is ridiculously tight. When I stand for too long (and lately 5 minutes is too long :( ) my back goes into painful spasm and I have to sit and/or stretch it out.
In Yoga X, the standing stretch of the RIGHT side, with the left side compressed, was too painful to do. So, needless to say, though I Brought It to Yoga X Thursday, I was about half-intensity (though FULL sweat!). I did a few more of the poses that I avoided last week, though none of the balance poses.
Today, however, though my back was talking to me before the Legs & Back workout, it gave me no problems during! On the other hand, I did the workout not long after waking up and having a small snack (one hard-boiled egg whites (I botched the boil and the yolks were semi-solid... YECCHHH!)) I had to hit pause a few times after some of the leg exercises before hitting the chin-up bar. And I only made it half-way through the one-leg wall squats (I killed all the wall squats last week!!)
Today, with the chin-ups, I did only negatives* and counted the time that my arms stayed at 90° or less. And, yes, the numbers were pathetic! But at least those are more real than the "leg-ups," and I can gauge true progress that way.
But the workout, combined with , I'm sure, poor nutrition/first thing after waking up, left me totally wiped. I skipped Ab Ripper X completely. I think I will try it tomorrow after Kenpo X. We'll see. It's a shame, too, because I think I'm actually beginning to see a little definition pushing through the fat on my belly!
Nutrition accountability: Thursday night I ate a Met-Rx Power Bar as a meal replacement (before I saw the suggestion [in this message board thread] for Clif Bars). I love the disclaimer on the wrapper, something to the effect of, "Contains sugar alcohols. May cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Frequent consumption may have a laxative effect." I ate it anyway.
Later on I tried a "Muscle Shake" chocolate flavored drink. I don't know if that was too much, too many calories or carbs or protein after the Power Bar, but I do know it was BLECHHH! It tasted like I was sucking on metal. And the taste stuck with me for hours after I finished the drink!
I'll stick with the fart bars, thank you!
*"negatives" are achieved with assistance to the top of the chin-up, and then dangling and holding the "up" position as long as you can, and slowly lowering yourself (as though you had a choice!) to the bottom.
°
Friday, July 16, 2010
Changes
I'm nearing the end of week 2 of P90X, now, and, despite missing the second workout of Chest and Back on Monday, I have begun to notice some changes.
My legs are feeling stronger. I get in and out of the taxi probably a half-dozen times a day; more if I'm really busy. Before starting with P90X (and dealing with lower back pain that I know from the past is due to weak back muscles - hence I'm working out) I noticed that I had started using my left arm as a lever to raise myself out of the seat to get out of the car. And getting into the car, I was stepping in with my right foot and then dropping into the seat. Now I'm using mainly my legs to get in and out of the car!
My energy level has increased slightly. My sleep schedule is still on the deprivation side and, though the P90X literature stresses adequate sleep, I'm noticing less sleepiness while I'm working, and fewer or shorter naps when business gets slow. And I'm still caffeine free!
I'm already seeing less of me. While my weight has plateaued at around 180 lbs., I've noticed that my belly fat has decreased. Pants that had been loose around my waist after working with George, the personal trainer last year, and had begun to fit more snugly recently are once again feeling loose. With/After P90X, I may finally feel the confidence and self-assurance to go out and buy replacement pants for a new, smaller waist size!
Day 12: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X
Today's workout was Legs and Back, and Ab Ripper X. I did great in the Legs and Back workout, keeping up with most of the routines. I'm still using a step-stool for the chin-ups. Next go-round I'm going to push the stool further away from me so that my arms work harder, and the leg has less say in the deal. I still can't do ONE without aid. Grrr.
Ab Ripper X, on the other hand, kicked my ass today. As I'm officially on the night shift for the weekend, I worked out in the early evening shortly after waking up. I think I over-hydrated, or I began working out too soon after drinking a full glass of water. About 1/3 of the way through Ab Ripper X I started feeling like I was going to hurl if I pushed much harder. So I lay there panting and sweating on my mat, watching the exercises and studying form. I sat through most of the middle ones, and then joined in on the last move, a seated on the floor, balanced on your tailbone, feet off the floor and legs bent position, matching about one for every two of their reps of touching joined fists on the floor on one side of the body and then the other, back and forth. They do it fifty times, but I managed to do maybe 30.
I was wiped for sure, and I spent a good deal of time walking around with my hands on my hips, my head hanging from my shoulders, trying to just feel better. After a shower and the P90X recovery drink, I do feel better.
Kenpo X again tomorrow, and then it's on to week three!
My legs are feeling stronger. I get in and out of the taxi probably a half-dozen times a day; more if I'm really busy. Before starting with P90X (and dealing with lower back pain that I know from the past is due to weak back muscles - hence I'm working out) I noticed that I had started using my left arm as a lever to raise myself out of the seat to get out of the car. And getting into the car, I was stepping in with my right foot and then dropping into the seat. Now I'm using mainly my legs to get in and out of the car!
My energy level has increased slightly. My sleep schedule is still on the deprivation side and, though the P90X literature stresses adequate sleep, I'm noticing less sleepiness while I'm working, and fewer or shorter naps when business gets slow. And I'm still caffeine free!
I'm already seeing less of me. While my weight has plateaued at around 180 lbs., I've noticed that my belly fat has decreased. Pants that had been loose around my waist after working with George, the personal trainer last year, and had begun to fit more snugly recently are once again feeling loose. With/After P90X, I may finally feel the confidence and self-assurance to go out and buy replacement pants for a new, smaller waist size!
Day 12: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X
Today's workout was Legs and Back, and Ab Ripper X. I did great in the Legs and Back workout, keeping up with most of the routines. I'm still using a step-stool for the chin-ups. Next go-round I'm going to push the stool further away from me so that my arms work harder, and the leg has less say in the deal. I still can't do ONE without aid. Grrr.
Ab Ripper X, on the other hand, kicked my ass today. As I'm officially on the night shift for the weekend, I worked out in the early evening shortly after waking up. I think I over-hydrated, or I began working out too soon after drinking a full glass of water. About 1/3 of the way through Ab Ripper X I started feeling like I was going to hurl if I pushed much harder. So I lay there panting and sweating on my mat, watching the exercises and studying form. I sat through most of the middle ones, and then joined in on the last move, a seated on the floor, balanced on your tailbone, feet off the floor and legs bent position, matching about one for every two of their reps of touching joined fists on the floor on one side of the body and then the other, back and forth. They do it fifty times, but I managed to do maybe 30.
I was wiped for sure, and I spent a good deal of time walking around with my hands on my hips, my head hanging from my shoulders, trying to just feel better. After a shower and the P90X recovery drink, I do feel better.
Kenpo X again tomorrow, and then it's on to week three!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Where the heck am I?
I haven't posted here for a while. No I haven't quit. And I hope it's obvious that I didn't die....
Life has been busy the last few days after getting back from the shoot in Omaha, and getting on track again with the taxi schedule. I skipped Monday's return to Chest and Back all together, but I have stayed with the rest of P90X. Perhaps I'll double up on it somewhere down the road so that I'll have the same number of workouts with Chest and Back as I do with all the others.
Life is still busy, so this is a short post.
Was that a collective sigh of relief I heard?
Life has been busy the last few days after getting back from the shoot in Omaha, and getting on track again with the taxi schedule. I skipped Monday's return to Chest and Back all together, but I have stayed with the rest of P90X. Perhaps I'll double up on it somewhere down the road so that I'll have the same number of workouts with Chest and Back as I do with all the others.
Life is still busy, so this is a short post.
Was that a collective sigh of relief I heard?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Nutrition Plan on the road: Epic Fail
I knew going into the road trip that I would face challenges to keep with the workouts and the nutrition. I did well on the way to Omaha, but once there, it was a different story.
The person who was the subject of the video I shot is a very gracious man who has a wonderful, huge home, and who put the producer and me up for both nights in his home. While that was great, it meant we were captive to his (or his wife's) meal choices. Sunday evening that choice was grilled hamburgers, baked beans, and potato chips among others. I "made up" for it with a Michelob Ultra light beer. FAIL.
When I thought I had eaten my fill, the Mrs. pulled from the freezer homemade ice cream sandwiches (two chocolate ship cookies with ice cream between them). FAIL. *sigh*
Monday's lunch was Jimmy Johns sub sandwiches. I had the "Vito." Could've done better, but I could've done worse. And potato chips. FAIL.
Monday evening our host brought us to a monastery themed steak house. Twelve(?) ounce ribeye (salmon was on the menu, but I am a total sucker for steak!)...FAIL. Steamed broccoli with melted cheddar cheese... win. Once slice of bread, no butter...win. Two glasses of wine... FAIL, FAIL! One-third of a shared chocolate ice cream pie thingy. F A I L!!
Breakfast both days was a spread laid out by the Mrs.: Blueberry and raspberry muffins, one each day...FAIL, FAIL. Orange juice...win. Fruit bowl (strawberry, banana, grape, others?)...fail.
It's not like I had a great deal of choice. A guy's gotta eat.
And, though I skipped the Chest and Back, and Ab Ripper X, I worked a twelve-hour day with a good deal of moving around, wielding a 20-plus pound betacam video camcorder, and ape-handling heavy shipping cases back and forth, so I got some workout into the day...fail.
Upon my return, I experienced — am experiencing — some difficulty getting my nutrition schedule back on track, though I have been good about eating the right things in the right portions...WIN!
But, as far as the P90X schedule, and my own body, the trip was a mild disaster.
The person who was the subject of the video I shot is a very gracious man who has a wonderful, huge home, and who put the producer and me up for both nights in his home. While that was great, it meant we were captive to his (or his wife's) meal choices. Sunday evening that choice was grilled hamburgers, baked beans, and potato chips among others. I "made up" for it with a Michelob Ultra light beer. FAIL.
When I thought I had eaten my fill, the Mrs. pulled from the freezer homemade ice cream sandwiches (two chocolate ship cookies with ice cream between them). FAIL. *sigh*
Monday's lunch was Jimmy Johns sub sandwiches. I had the "Vito." Could've done better, but I could've done worse. And potato chips. FAIL.
Monday evening our host brought us to a monastery themed steak house. Twelve(?) ounce ribeye (salmon was on the menu, but I am a total sucker for steak!)...FAIL. Steamed broccoli with melted cheddar cheese... win. Once slice of bread, no butter...win. Two glasses of wine... FAIL, FAIL! One-third of a shared chocolate ice cream pie thingy. F A I L!!
Breakfast both days was a spread laid out by the Mrs.: Blueberry and raspberry muffins, one each day...FAIL, FAIL. Orange juice...win. Fruit bowl (strawberry, banana, grape, others?)...fail.
It's not like I had a great deal of choice. A guy's gotta eat.
And, though I skipped the Chest and Back, and Ab Ripper X, I worked a twelve-hour day with a good deal of moving around, wielding a 20-plus pound betacam video camcorder, and ape-handling heavy shipping cases back and forth, so I got some workout into the day...fail.
Upon my return, I experienced — am experiencing — some difficulty getting my nutrition schedule back on track, though I have been good about eating the right things in the right portions...WIN!
But, as far as the P90X schedule, and my own body, the trip was a mild disaster.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day 7: Road Behavior...?
Traveling to Omaha for a video shoot has proven a bit of a challenge. One of the tenets of the P90X nutrition plan is that, in order to keep within my 2,400 calorie daily limit, I eat three small-portioned meals, and then I snack in between on sensible foods, like nuts, fat-free yogurt, or my toenails. (Shut UP! It's protein!)
But seriously, I awoke Sunday morning at 4:00 on the notion that I might do the Chest and Back workout. However, knowing (and not forgetting, this time!) that it would also mean doing Ab Ripper X, I opted to skip it and observe my scheduled rest day, mainly for fear that I would run out of time with all that pausing! I decided to bring the Chest and Back DVD with me, as well as a couple of the resistance bands should the time and opportunity come up for a workout.
I made a breakfast of 2 eggs over-medium, 2.5 strips of bacon (there was an orphan in the package), and a slice of dry Italian toast, with a small glass (6 oz.) of orange juice. I had a rather funny snafu involving — believe it or don't — taxi cabs, and wound up driving my own personal car to the airport. (I thought about driving my taxi to the airport, charging my credit card for the trip to get paid by the taxi company, and then expensing the parking fee to my client, but I'm certain I would have screwed that up and got caught, and wound up not getting reimbursed anything!)
By 9:30, a few minutes before the flight started boarding, I was hungry. I had spoken with my client on the phone who told me to go ahead and get something to eat, either on the ground in Omaha while waiting for him, or before my flight, because he was going to get something to eat on one of his layovers.
Dilemma: most of the stuff on offer at airports is crap. And while that's a great excuse to cheat on the nutrition plan, it's still cheating on the nutrition plan.
Right across the aisle from my gate area was a food kiosk called Hot Dog Express. Oh, brother, did that ever sound like a bad idea! But I went over there anyway, and I saw that they offered fruit bowls and vegetable bowls, cheese and crackers, and sandwiches. I'm allowed one serving of fruit per day, so that carb blast was out of the question. I'm allowed 4 servings (I think) of veggies, but I knew the veggie bowl would leave me hungry only an hour or so after eating it. I looked at the sandwiches: every last one was "shaved" turkey and gouda (good to know that bird left this world looking sharp!). It had at least half of my lunch portion of meat, my one daily serving of dairy, a reasonable portion of fruit/vegetable in the heart of romaine lettuce and the slice of tomato, and the second serving of carbs I'm allowed to expand to if I feel a little sluggish in the workouts...as long as I ate only one slice of the whole grain bread on the sandwich.
So, I think I did all right in choosing the sandwich...and I did eat only one slice of the bread! Upon landing in Omaha, I bought a 9 oz. bag of "Energizer Trail Mix," which contains a farrago (!) of AA batteries, peanuts, raisins, almonds, and chocolate "buttons" (think plain M&Ms), and I snacked on it and a cup of decaf coffee while composing this post. I probably should have left well enough alone to leave room for the "Omaha Cowboy Buster" steak dinner I'm certain we'll be having tonight. I love working with a client...he always pays for the meals! It's not cheating if the food's free, right? ;)
(And am I dyslexic, or what? Every time I see the word "Omaha" I read it "Obama.")
But seriously, I awoke Sunday morning at 4:00 on the notion that I might do the Chest and Back workout. However, knowing (and not forgetting, this time!) that it would also mean doing Ab Ripper X, I opted to skip it and observe my scheduled rest day, mainly for fear that I would run out of time with all that pausing! I decided to bring the Chest and Back DVD with me, as well as a couple of the resistance bands should the time and opportunity come up for a workout.
I made a breakfast of 2 eggs over-medium, 2.5 strips of bacon (there was an orphan in the package), and a slice of dry Italian toast, with a small glass (6 oz.) of orange juice. I had a rather funny snafu involving — believe it or don't — taxi cabs, and wound up driving my own personal car to the airport. (I thought about driving my taxi to the airport, charging my credit card for the trip to get paid by the taxi company, and then expensing the parking fee to my client, but I'm certain I would have screwed that up and got caught, and wound up not getting reimbursed anything!)
By 9:30, a few minutes before the flight started boarding, I was hungry. I had spoken with my client on the phone who told me to go ahead and get something to eat, either on the ground in Omaha while waiting for him, or before my flight, because he was going to get something to eat on one of his layovers.
Dilemma: most of the stuff on offer at airports is crap. And while that's a great excuse to cheat on the nutrition plan, it's still cheating on the nutrition plan.
Right across the aisle from my gate area was a food kiosk called Hot Dog Express. Oh, brother, did that ever sound like a bad idea! But I went over there anyway, and I saw that they offered fruit bowls and vegetable bowls, cheese and crackers, and sandwiches. I'm allowed one serving of fruit per day, so that carb blast was out of the question. I'm allowed 4 servings (I think) of veggies, but I knew the veggie bowl would leave me hungry only an hour or so after eating it. I looked at the sandwiches: every last one was "shaved" turkey and gouda (good to know that bird left this world looking sharp!). It had at least half of my lunch portion of meat, my one daily serving of dairy, a reasonable portion of fruit/vegetable in the heart of romaine lettuce and the slice of tomato, and the second serving of carbs I'm allowed to expand to if I feel a little sluggish in the workouts...as long as I ate only one slice of the whole grain bread on the sandwich.
So, I think I did all right in choosing the sandwich...and I did eat only one slice of the bread! Upon landing in Omaha, I bought a 9 oz. bag of "Energizer Trail Mix," which contains a farrago (!) of AA batteries, peanuts, raisins, almonds, and chocolate "buttons" (think plain M&Ms), and I snacked on it and a cup of decaf coffee while composing this post. I probably should have left well enough alone to leave room for the "Omaha Cowboy Buster" steak dinner I'm certain we'll be having tonight. I love working with a client...he always pays for the meals! It's not cheating if the food's free, right? ;)
(And am I dyslexic, or what? Every time I see the word "Omaha" I read it "Obama.")
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Day 6: Kenpo X
Kenpo X is a cardio workout based on martial arts moves, so this was an hour of about 11,000 kicks, punches and blocks, and about a thousand jumping jacks. I exaggerate, of course, but there were a lot of kicks, punches, blocks, and jumping jacks. What attacks jumping jacks defend against, I don't know. But I digress.
Little to say here, other than that it was a pretty intense workout, with lots of sweating, my heart rate running above 155, and a pressing reminder of just how physically uncoordinated I am. Tony Horton demonstrated punches I was to do. He did them one at a time at first, but then, as things moved along, he added other punches, putting them into combos, and then he picked up the pace with everything. If I were in a fight, the only way I would win would be because my opponent died laughing at my form.
But I made it through. I didn't quite match the number of repetitions as the screen gods, but I did do every exercise.
I have a dilemma for the first part of the week: I fly out Sunday morning for Omaha. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but on Monday I'm supposed to start up again with the Chest and Back workout. However, since I'll be a guest in someone's house (as I understand it), I don't want to bring that along and be overheard grunting, panting, and moaning through the workout. So I could work out EARLY Sunday morning, but I don't know if it's safe to do so soon after the Kenpo workout (I finished that at 8:00pm Saturday evening. If I skip two days, then I'll be out of synch with my message board friends for the week, and would have to blast through my rest day next weekend.
So idunnowhatiwannado.
Little to say here, other than that it was a pretty intense workout, with lots of sweating, my heart rate running above 155, and a pressing reminder of just how physically uncoordinated I am. Tony Horton demonstrated punches I was to do. He did them one at a time at first, but then, as things moved along, he added other punches, putting them into combos, and then he picked up the pace with everything. If I were in a fight, the only way I would win would be because my opponent died laughing at my form.
But I made it through. I didn't quite match the number of repetitions as the screen gods, but I did do every exercise.
I have a dilemma for the first part of the week: I fly out Sunday morning for Omaha. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but on Monday I'm supposed to start up again with the Chest and Back workout. However, since I'll be a guest in someone's house (as I understand it), I don't want to bring that along and be overheard grunting, panting, and moaning through the workout. So I could work out EARLY Sunday morning, but I don't know if it's safe to do so soon after the Kenpo workout (I finished that at 8:00pm Saturday evening. If I skip two days, then I'll be out of synch with my message board friends for the week, and would have to blast through my rest day next weekend.
So idunnowhatiwannado.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Day 5: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X
(This post lifted from my entry today in the Beachbody message boards, because I just ran out of time...)
Day 5: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X
My day was kind of screwy. I lost my real job (videographer, corporate) last year in April, and since September I've been driving a taxi to tread water while my industry (I hope!) recovers from the recession. My current schedule, of my own making, is Mon-Wed. split days (4:00am to 9:00am; 3:00pm to 10pm), and Thu night-Sat night, overnights (usually around 7:00pm-10:00am.) I nap in the car whenever possible, usually not while driving!
I have a shoot gig next week (Sun-Tue) with my former employer, and today I had to go to their office and pack video gear to take with me to Omaha. I worked overnight last night, got home around 9:30, ate breakfast, and then goofed around too long on Facebook and Beachbody.com. I lay down around 11:00am for a nap, was up at 1:00am and was off to the office to pack. Since I left there, the shoot gear has been strewn to the four corners of the globe. One of my former coworkers did his best to corral it all into one room, but there was still a fair amount of hunting to do, so the visit took longer than I had hoped. By the time I got home it was 5:30. I was hungry, but I hadn't worked out yet. I was poorly hydrated, so I drank a glass of water,then killed some time online again. I started the Legs and Back workout a little after 6:00.
Sleep deprived, undernourished, and underhydrated make for a difficult workout, let me tell you! I didn't quit, but I did push 'pause' a lot. A LOT!! But at the end I felt totally wiped.
Oh, did I mention? I totally forgot about Ab Ripper X ... again! When that segment started I really wanted to cry! In the previous two visits to Ab Ripper X, I made it through about 1/3 to 1/2 of each routine. Today I fought really hard to make it to half the reps of each routine they do in the video. And I thought I was wiped before? JEESH!
Day 5: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X
My day was kind of screwy. I lost my real job (videographer, corporate) last year in April, and since September I've been driving a taxi to tread water while my industry (I hope!) recovers from the recession. My current schedule, of my own making, is Mon-Wed. split days (4:00am to 9:00am; 3:00pm to 10pm), and Thu night-Sat night, overnights (usually around 7:00pm-10:00am.) I nap in the car whenever possible, usually not while driving!
I have a shoot gig next week (Sun-Tue) with my former employer, and today I had to go to their office and pack video gear to take with me to Omaha. I worked overnight last night, got home around 9:30, ate breakfast, and then goofed around too long on Facebook and Beachbody.com. I lay down around 11:00am for a nap, was up at 1:00am and was off to the office to pack. Since I left there, the shoot gear has been strewn to the four corners of the globe. One of my former coworkers did his best to corral it all into one room, but there was still a fair amount of hunting to do, so the visit took longer than I had hoped. By the time I got home it was 5:30. I was hungry, but I hadn't worked out yet. I was poorly hydrated, so I drank a glass of water,then killed some time online again. I started the Legs and Back workout a little after 6:00.
Sleep deprived, undernourished, and underhydrated make for a difficult workout, let me tell you! I didn't quit, but I did push 'pause' a lot. A LOT!! But at the end I felt totally wiped.
Oh, did I mention? I totally forgot about Ab Ripper X ... again! When that segment started I really wanted to cry! In the previous two visits to Ab Ripper X, I made it through about 1/3 to 1/2 of each routine. Today I fought really hard to make it to half the reps of each routine they do in the video. And I thought I was wiped before? JEESH!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 4: Yoga X
I've never been a big fan of yoga, so I've eyed this workout from afar with some disrespect. It's not that I think it's easy; I know how difficult it can be. I just have never cared for it. But I'm not letting that stop me from trying it. Nay, from doing it!
Yoga X is a 90-minute workout. Ninety minutes! That exceeds my attention span by about 87 minutes! And when I ... OOH! Hey! I found a nickel under my chair!
Oops... Where was I? Oh, yeah. Yoga X.
As with everything in this program, I knew the yoga would be extreme. I had little hope I would complete the 90 minutes. Fortunately, Tony Horton structures it (though he doesn't mention this) from easiest to hardest, or, for lack of better — or actual — terms, from beginnerest to advancedest. I think he works it that way so that beginners like me can get to a certain point and they can say, "Nope! Not gonna do that!" ...like I did! I kept up at about 3/4 the pace, maybe not doing the same number of stretches they were doing on screen, but keeping up by doing the same positions and holding them for as long as I could. I paused the DVD for a couple of Tony breaks, but I got to a certain point in the workout where I realized my breathing — such an important part of yoga, which must be kept calm and even at all times — had turned to panting! Sweat literally ran from my head to the yoga mat! I knew I was toast, so I called it quits. I was about 5 minutes shy of the halfway point. It was a good, wise thing for me to do it then, because the next position Horton did was a leaned-over, balanced-on-one-foot pose. I never would have accomplished that one! I was indeed wiped!
I jumped to the last ten minutes of the workout and rejoined Horton and gang as they left the advanced moves and went into cool-down stretches. I figured it best to work out the kinks in my muscles before I went on with my day.
So, I'm a little disappointed with myself, but I know I did the right thing by calling it quits on the yoga workout. I didn't want to snap a femur or something worse, like get a bruise.
Early this morning I joined a support group — at Team Beach Body — consisting of a few other people who started their P90X journeys on Monday, July 5th. We haven't agreed on a team name yet, so I call them the July Fifthers. (Hey you Fifthers, if you happened to pop in! Welcome to my blog!) Everybody's sore. Nobody has dropped out. I don't want to use the word "yet." I hope no one drops out...especially me!
Onward. Just Press Play!
Yoga X is a 90-minute workout. Ninety minutes! That exceeds my attention span by about 87 minutes! And when I ... OOH! Hey! I found a nickel under my chair!
Oops... Where was I? Oh, yeah. Yoga X.
As with everything in this program, I knew the yoga would be extreme. I had little hope I would complete the 90 minutes. Fortunately, Tony Horton structures it (though he doesn't mention this) from easiest to hardest, or, for lack of better — or actual — terms, from beginnerest to advancedest. I think he works it that way so that beginners like me can get to a certain point and they can say, "Nope! Not gonna do that!" ...like I did! I kept up at about 3/4 the pace, maybe not doing the same number of stretches they were doing on screen, but keeping up by doing the same positions and holding them for as long as I could. I paused the DVD for a couple of Tony breaks, but I got to a certain point in the workout where I realized my breathing — such an important part of yoga, which must be kept calm and even at all times — had turned to panting! Sweat literally ran from my head to the yoga mat! I knew I was toast, so I called it quits. I was about 5 minutes shy of the halfway point. It was a good, wise thing for me to do it then, because the next position Horton did was a leaned-over, balanced-on-one-foot pose. I never would have accomplished that one! I was indeed wiped!
I jumped to the last ten minutes of the workout and rejoined Horton and gang as they left the advanced moves and went into cool-down stretches. I figured it best to work out the kinks in my muscles before I went on with my day.
So, I'm a little disappointed with myself, but I know I did the right thing by calling it quits on the yoga workout. I didn't want to snap a femur or something worse, like get a bruise.
Early this morning I joined a support group — at Team Beach Body — consisting of a few other people who started their P90X journeys on Monday, July 5th. We haven't agreed on a team name yet, so I call them the July Fifthers. (Hey you Fifthers, if you happened to pop in! Welcome to my blog!) Everybody's sore. Nobody has dropped out. I don't want to use the word "yet." I hope no one drops out...especially me!
Onward. Just Press Play!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Day 3: Arms and Shoulders
My legs are incredibly sore form the Plyometrics workout on Tuesday, so moving is slow, and getting up from or down into a chair is actually somewhat comical!
Today was Arms and Shoulders, plus another dose of Ab Ripper X.
The Arms and Shoulders workout was pretty good, but I'm really having trouble with getting the moves right with the resistance bands. There's always one person on the screen using bands to show how those exercises are done, but sometimes the lowest resistance band is still too much resistance for my noodle arms. I was able to create my own modification for one of the triceps exercises, but it took a while to figure out.
So, while I sweated pretty good, I don't feel I got the maximum out of what I was willing to put in.
The Ab Ripper X, on the other hand was a little bit easier for me today, mainly because this time I knew what I was in for, and I paced myself a little better. I still fell out of most of the exercises, but I made it, I do believe, a little farther into them this time. My form sucks, especially on keeping my legs straight up in the air for the crunch-type moves, but I got a little farther into them all.
Best of all, when I got up from the Ab Ripper X workout, I felt GREAT! Of course, my legs had gotten good and loose, but once out of the shower I was hobbling like an old man again.
Oh, well! Only 87 more days to go!
Today was Arms and Shoulders, plus another dose of Ab Ripper X.
The Arms and Shoulders workout was pretty good, but I'm really having trouble with getting the moves right with the resistance bands. There's always one person on the screen using bands to show how those exercises are done, but sometimes the lowest resistance band is still too much resistance for my noodle arms. I was able to create my own modification for one of the triceps exercises, but it took a while to figure out.
So, while I sweated pretty good, I don't feel I got the maximum out of what I was willing to put in.
The Ab Ripper X, on the other hand was a little bit easier for me today, mainly because this time I knew what I was in for, and I paced myself a little better. I still fell out of most of the exercises, but I made it, I do believe, a little farther into them this time. My form sucks, especially on keeping my legs straight up in the air for the crunch-type moves, but I got a little farther into them all.
Best of all, when I got up from the Ab Ripper X workout, I felt GREAT! Of course, my legs had gotten good and loose, but once out of the shower I was hobbling like an old man again.
Oh, well! Only 87 more days to go!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day 2: Plyometrics... Oh My Effing God!
Plyometrics is a cardio workout. A one-hour, practically non-stop, heart-driving sweat-fest. Tony Horton, the P90X guru, also calls it jump-training. Yes, there's a lot of jumping. I can only imagine what my downstairs neighbors were thinking!
I won't go into all the routines, as there are many, which Tony Horton breaks down into fours or fives, runs through them twice in approximate 10-minute blocks, with 30-second water breaks in between each block, and then he does a 5-minute cool-down.
As I expected, I was unable to keep pace with them what was on the tee vee, but I fell out already in the very first block! I kept at it, though, doing as much as I could and then breaking off to catch my breath, or pausing the DVD, as Horton recommends, so I could at least keep up with the same exercises they were doing.
I think it's safe to say that I have never... NEVER sweated so much in one hour as I did today. My t-shirt was completely soaked, from the neck hole, across the shoulders to the arm holes, and all the way down to the body hole, front and back. And I won't mention my underwear.
Oops. I guess I just did. JEESH!
In the shower afterward, I could barely lift my legs to wash my feet!
With my order of the P90X materials came a huge jar of Recovery Formula, an orange-flavored powder drink mix that they recommend I drink after every workout. It's mixed with cold water and... well, it's growing on me already. Yesterday I drank it immediately after I finished the workout, and I thought I was going to throw up. But I realized that it wasn't the drink mix, but that I drank too much of it too soon. They recommend I drink it within one hour of completing the workout, so I put it off until I was out of the shower. Mmm-sorta-mmm.
I said it yesterday... somewhere ...but I'm going to be sore tomorrow!
I won't go into all the routines, as there are many, which Tony Horton breaks down into fours or fives, runs through them twice in approximate 10-minute blocks, with 30-second water breaks in between each block, and then he does a 5-minute cool-down.
As I expected, I was unable to keep pace with them what was on the tee vee, but I fell out already in the very first block! I kept at it, though, doing as much as I could and then breaking off to catch my breath, or pausing the DVD, as Horton recommends, so I could at least keep up with the same exercises they were doing.
I think it's safe to say that I have never... NEVER sweated so much in one hour as I did today. My t-shirt was completely soaked, from the neck hole, across the shoulders to the arm holes, and all the way down to the body hole, front and back. And I won't mention my underwear.
Oops. I guess I just did. JEESH!
In the shower afterward, I could barely lift my legs to wash my feet!
With my order of the P90X materials came a huge jar of Recovery Formula, an orange-flavored powder drink mix that they recommend I drink after every workout. It's mixed with cold water and... well, it's growing on me already. Yesterday I drank it immediately after I finished the workout, and I thought I was going to throw up. But I realized that it wasn't the drink mix, but that I drank too much of it too soon. They recommend I drink it within one hour of completing the workout, so I put it off until I was out of the shower. Mmm-sorta-mmm.
I said it yesterday... somewhere ...but I'm going to be sore tomorrow!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day 1...UGH!
I finally started P90X Extreme Home Fitness today. I can't explain the trepidation I felt, the intimidation, going into this thing. I heard so many people tell me how intense it is. One of my longest-term friends commented upon my Facebook mention, "Get your old ass some ibuprofen and Ben-Gay!" And he is an extremely fit body-builder, two-time cancer survivor, muscle-head dude! If it was tough for him, then I'm really in for it! So I planned to start Saturday. Then I planned to start Sunday. Finally I sat myself down and gave myself a talking-to, got my head out of my ass and made myself promise myself that Monday I would, as the P90X workout trainer and all the literature stress, just push play.
It was a weird sensation as the DVD started. During the warm-up I felt this unexpected emotional surge, and I was almost in tears as I started to move! I don't know if it was just a dose of personal pride, or a sense of accomplishment (I finally pushed play!), or maybe the same sensation as on the first day of Air Force basic training: "What the hell have I gotten myself into?!" But I felt blubbery. ...Emotionally.
The first workout is chest and back. Naturally. The first day, and I would be running back and forth between the TV and the bathroom to do the chin-up bar exercises!
Along with the workout DVDs, I ordered resistance bands. They're used in place of dumbbells, since a full set of dumbbells costs as much as you would think a full set of dumbbells would cost. A couple of the chest and back exercises use the resistance bands where you stand on the band and adjust the stretch length between your foot/feet and hand(s) to maximize the workout. Thus far, with only one workout under my belt, the resistance bands are proving cumbersome, and they slow everything down...not like my fat carcass wasn't already slowing things down. I pressed pause so many times I think my remote felt like it was getting a workout!
And yes, the workout is intense. Tony Horton, the trainer on camera, instructs and directs, and he gives tips and breaks to those who, he realizes, aren't as fit as the people on the set with him. "If you need a break, take one!" "Proper form over number of reps!" Meaning, he'd rather you keep your body in the right, safe position or range of motion for the exercise and achieve a low number of repetitions than for you to try to reach the number of reps you set as your goal and risk injuring yourself. Of course, it's a little discouraging when the people on the set bark out their goal reps at "20!" or "30!" and I manage to grunt out seven.
Horton gives an out on the pull-ups by suggesting the use of a chair. With the chair a foot or two in front of you, and with one foot on the seat or the back of the chair, you can assist yourself in the pull-ups. It's a "legal" cheat, and it allowed me to complete several sets of the various pull-ups (wide set palms forward, close set palms forward, and close set palms rearward). But today, push-ups were my bane. He does six different types of those: standard, military-style, wide set, "diamond heart" (index fingertips and thumbs of either hand touching, to form a diamond- or heart-shape), decline (with feet on a chair), and "dive-bomber." The last is a wide hand and feet stance push-up, but, from the up position, you angle your body downward, nose-first, lower your chest to the floor, and rock forward, raising your head and chest while your pelvis lowers to the floor. It seems very sexual. He called out "under the fence!" as he did them the first time.
Yes. The first time.
There were about 12 different exercises (maybe more!) that he rocked through in 30 minutes. The workout is one hour long. So he goes through them again, in a different order! Important here is that he frequently tells the video viewer not to beat him- or herself up if unable to match the video exercisers' achievements, or even if unable to reach their own goals. He says that it comes with time and persistence. He added that the first month is brutal, and encourages the viewer to stick with it, and the improvements will come.
I got all choky again.
Finally the chest and back workout was over. He ends it with a brief cool-down and then a yoga-like breathing exercise on all fours. I crawled slowly over to the workout guide and looked at Day 1 and read, "Chest and Back; Ab Ripper X."
WTF?!
Sure enough, Ab Ripper X started a few seconds after the Chest and Back video ended. Sure enough, the Day 1 workout is both Chest and Back, AND Ab Ripper X.
I am so glad there was no camera on me today as I flopped and flailed trying to duplicate the exercises these people were doing on my TV. Already zapped from the Chest and Back workout, I could barely lift my legs or do a sit-up to even half the pace of the chiseled chunks on the video set! But I did feel the burn...or rather the muscle failure. In some cases it felt like I don't even have muscles in the places where I need them for the exercises! But I'm sure I'll feel them tomorrow!
By the end, the extent of my abdominal exercise was lying on my back and breathing heavily in a pool of sweat on my yoga mat. Getting up was optional after the workout ended.
But get up I did, and as I rolled up the mat, and Tony Horton was encouraging me to stick with it, I felt that lump in my throat again, and this time I almost lost it! WTF?!
I think it's just that I feel purchasing P90X was the right decision. The exercises are close to what George, my personal trainer last year, had me doing. There are no gimmicks beyond the occasional entreaty to use their dietary supplements, there are no fancy gadgets or machinery required to purchase in order to make the workouts work. It's just your own determination to "bring it" to your own home workout space, and your own dedication to see yourself through to the body and/or the level of fitness you want to achieve.
It was a weird sensation as the DVD started. During the warm-up I felt this unexpected emotional surge, and I was almost in tears as I started to move! I don't know if it was just a dose of personal pride, or a sense of accomplishment (I finally pushed play!), or maybe the same sensation as on the first day of Air Force basic training: "What the hell have I gotten myself into?!" But I felt blubbery. ...Emotionally.
The first workout is chest and back. Naturally. The first day, and I would be running back and forth between the TV and the bathroom to do the chin-up bar exercises!
Along with the workout DVDs, I ordered resistance bands. They're used in place of dumbbells, since a full set of dumbbells costs as much as you would think a full set of dumbbells would cost. A couple of the chest and back exercises use the resistance bands where you stand on the band and adjust the stretch length between your foot/feet and hand(s) to maximize the workout. Thus far, with only one workout under my belt, the resistance bands are proving cumbersome, and they slow everything down...not like my fat carcass wasn't already slowing things down. I pressed pause so many times I think my remote felt like it was getting a workout!
And yes, the workout is intense. Tony Horton, the trainer on camera, instructs and directs, and he gives tips and breaks to those who, he realizes, aren't as fit as the people on the set with him. "If you need a break, take one!" "Proper form over number of reps!" Meaning, he'd rather you keep your body in the right, safe position or range of motion for the exercise and achieve a low number of repetitions than for you to try to reach the number of reps you set as your goal and risk injuring yourself. Of course, it's a little discouraging when the people on the set bark out their goal reps at "20!" or "30!" and I manage to grunt out seven.
Horton gives an out on the pull-ups by suggesting the use of a chair. With the chair a foot or two in front of you, and with one foot on the seat or the back of the chair, you can assist yourself in the pull-ups. It's a "legal" cheat, and it allowed me to complete several sets of the various pull-ups (wide set palms forward, close set palms forward, and close set palms rearward). But today, push-ups were my bane. He does six different types of those: standard, military-style, wide set, "diamond heart" (index fingertips and thumbs of either hand touching, to form a diamond- or heart-shape), decline (with feet on a chair), and "dive-bomber." The last is a wide hand and feet stance push-up, but, from the up position, you angle your body downward, nose-first, lower your chest to the floor, and rock forward, raising your head and chest while your pelvis lowers to the floor. It seems very sexual. He called out "under the fence!" as he did them the first time.
Yes. The first time.
There were about 12 different exercises (maybe more!) that he rocked through in 30 minutes. The workout is one hour long. So he goes through them again, in a different order! Important here is that he frequently tells the video viewer not to beat him- or herself up if unable to match the video exercisers' achievements, or even if unable to reach their own goals. He says that it comes with time and persistence. He added that the first month is brutal, and encourages the viewer to stick with it, and the improvements will come.
I got all choky again.
Finally the chest and back workout was over. He ends it with a brief cool-down and then a yoga-like breathing exercise on all fours. I crawled slowly over to the workout guide and looked at Day 1 and read, "Chest and Back; Ab Ripper X."
WTF?!
Sure enough, Ab Ripper X started a few seconds after the Chest and Back video ended. Sure enough, the Day 1 workout is both Chest and Back, AND Ab Ripper X.
I am so glad there was no camera on me today as I flopped and flailed trying to duplicate the exercises these people were doing on my TV. Already zapped from the Chest and Back workout, I could barely lift my legs or do a sit-up to even half the pace of the chiseled chunks on the video set! But I did feel the burn...or rather the muscle failure. In some cases it felt like I don't even have muscles in the places where I need them for the exercises! But I'm sure I'll feel them tomorrow!
By the end, the extent of my abdominal exercise was lying on my back and breathing heavily in a pool of sweat on my yoga mat. Getting up was optional after the workout ended.
But get up I did, and as I rolled up the mat, and Tony Horton was encouraging me to stick with it, I felt that lump in my throat again, and this time I almost lost it! WTF?!
I think it's just that I feel purchasing P90X was the right decision. The exercises are close to what George, my personal trainer last year, had me doing. There are no gimmicks beyond the occasional entreaty to use their dietary supplements, there are no fancy gadgets or machinery required to purchase in order to make the workouts work. It's just your own determination to "bring it" to your own home workout space, and your own dedication to see yourself through to the body and/or the level of fitness you want to achieve.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Eating Plan
I have always been one to dismiss calorie counting as a waste of time, believing — when I focused on my eating habits — that portion size and balancing the food groups were the issue.
P90X places huge importance on proper diet (if it didn't, I guess I wouldn't have bought it), but it also structures food plans based on your level of fitness; as your fitness increases, your diet must change. Based on calculations using my body fat percentage and my current weight, the P90X plan helped me determine my resting metabolic rate, and from there determines which nutrition level I'm at according to their guidelines.
I am at level II, which calls for a an intake of 2,400 to 2,999 calories per day, factoring in the daily workouts for a 600 calorie burn.
And now I am counting calories.
Next was the food approach based on lifestyle and cooking ability. As I am not a confident cook, and my available time is so restricted, I chose the "portion" approach, which outlines basic foods and the food groups they belong to, and how many calories per portion. P90X also plots out how many servings of each portion I can have in a day to add up to 2,400 calories, my daily minimum which they recommend I shoot for, and can adjust if my energy levels cannot compete with the rigors of the P90X Extreme Fitness workouts.
Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, so it's lower in carbs and higher in proteins. I can extend or shorten this diet phase depending on how my body responds to the exercise.
Phase 2 is the Energy Booster. It cuts back a little on the proteins and ups the carbs in order to provide the body with the energy it demands as fitness improves.
Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer. Carb intake outweighs the protein intake, as the body is now metabolizing everything much more quickly, and needs the energy.
So I spent a good portion of my Independence Day Sunday holiday reading the P90X Nutrition Plan, roughing together a generic daily eating plan, and trying to decide whether to start today or tomorrow...
And so I begin the Fat Shredder phase at Nutrition Level II in P90X Extreme Fitness!
P90X places huge importance on proper diet (if it didn't, I guess I wouldn't have bought it), but it also structures food plans based on your level of fitness; as your fitness increases, your diet must change. Based on calculations using my body fat percentage and my current weight, the P90X plan helped me determine my resting metabolic rate, and from there determines which nutrition level I'm at according to their guidelines.
I am at level II, which calls for a an intake of 2,400 to 2,999 calories per day, factoring in the daily workouts for a 600 calorie burn.
And now I am counting calories.
Next was the food approach based on lifestyle and cooking ability. As I am not a confident cook, and my available time is so restricted, I chose the "portion" approach, which outlines basic foods and the food groups they belong to, and how many calories per portion. P90X also plots out how many servings of each portion I can have in a day to add up to 2,400 calories, my daily minimum which they recommend I shoot for, and can adjust if my energy levels cannot compete with the rigors of the P90X Extreme Fitness workouts.
Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, so it's lower in carbs and higher in proteins. I can extend or shorten this diet phase depending on how my body responds to the exercise.
Phase 2 is the Energy Booster. It cuts back a little on the proteins and ups the carbs in order to provide the body with the energy it demands as fitness improves.
Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer. Carb intake outweighs the protein intake, as the body is now metabolizing everything much more quickly, and needs the energy.
So I spent a good portion of my Independence Day Sunday holiday reading the P90X Nutrition Plan, roughing together a generic daily eating plan, and trying to decide whether to start today or tomorrow...
And so I begin the Fat Shredder phase at Nutrition Level II in P90X Extreme Fitness!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Fit Test ... UGH!
I just completed the Fit Test. It's a series of strength and/or endurance moves, first to determine against recommended minimums if the user is fit enough to even begin P90X, and, second to establish the user's baseline for future growth and improvement. It's just a measuring tool, but CRAPPO! It felt like a workout all the same! I'll be sore tomorrow. That must be why they recommend to do the Fit Test a couple of days prior to beginning P90X.
According to my home scale, this afternoon I weighed 178 pounds, with a body fat percentage of 26%.
Measurements:
Chest: 42"
Waist (at navel): 39"
Hips: 38
Thighs, r.: 21.5"; l.: 21"
Biceps, r.: 13"; l.: 13"
Resting Heart Rate: 59
Pull-ups to failure (minimum 3): 0 (though they count 1/4 to 3/4 of a pull-up as one!) so, 3!
Vertical leap (minimum 5"): 8"
Push-ups to failure (minimum 15): 19
Toe touch (seated on floor, no bend in knees) (minimum 6" from touching, or a -6): 0 (I touched!)
Wall squat (back against wall, legs at 90° angle, thighs horizontal) (minimum 1 minute): 1:05 (this one is harder than you might imagine. At least it was for me!)
Bicep curls (minimum 10 curls with 20lbs): 23 curls with the red (I think) band. I'm not sure what this means...
In & Outs (seated on floor, hands at sides, feet off floor and bring knees to chest without touching floor with feet) (minimum 25): 30
Heart rate maximizer (jumping jacks at quick and steady pace for 2 minutes, with final 30 seconds at "sprint") (minimum: be able to complete the 2 minutes of jjacks): completed 2 minutes of jjacks with a maximum heart rate of 168, down to 95 within 4 minutes.
I was able to beat all the minimums (minima?) with the exception of the pull-ups. I think I psyched myself out of that because, without thinking about it the day I assembled the chin-up bar, I knocked out a pull-up with seemingly no effort. Today? Bupkis. So, I figure 7 outa 8 ain't bad.
I will press onward with P90X.
According to my home scale, this afternoon I weighed 178 pounds, with a body fat percentage of 26%.
Measurements:
Chest: 42"
Waist (at navel): 39"
Hips: 38
Thighs, r.: 21.5"; l.: 21"
Biceps, r.: 13"; l.: 13"
Resting Heart Rate: 59
Pull-ups to failure (minimum 3): 0 (though they count 1/4 to 3/4 of a pull-up as one!) so, 3!
Vertical leap (minimum 5"): 8"
Push-ups to failure (minimum 15): 19
Toe touch (seated on floor, no bend in knees) (minimum 6" from touching, or a -6): 0 (I touched!)
Wall squat (back against wall, legs at 90° angle, thighs horizontal) (minimum 1 minute): 1:05 (this one is harder than you might imagine. At least it was for me!)
Bicep curls (minimum 10 curls with 20lbs): 23 curls with the red (I think) band. I'm not sure what this means...
In & Outs (seated on floor, hands at sides, feet off floor and bring knees to chest without touching floor with feet) (minimum 25): 30
Heart rate maximizer (jumping jacks at quick and steady pace for 2 minutes, with final 30 seconds at "sprint") (minimum: be able to complete the 2 minutes of jjacks): completed 2 minutes of jjacks with a maximum heart rate of 168, down to 95 within 4 minutes.
I was able to beat all the minimums (minima?) with the exception of the pull-ups. I think I psyched myself out of that because, without thinking about it the day I assembled the chin-up bar, I knocked out a pull-up with seemingly no effort. Today? Bupkis. So, I figure 7 outa 8 ain't bad.
I will press onward with P90X.
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