I'd like to say that I have no idea why I'm not taking off more weight but all I need to do is look at my workout schedule for the last 7 days and I think it says it all. I am weight training, getting stronger building muscle mass, literally doing everything I can to increase mass and I wonder why I don't weigh less? This will be my third week on phase 2 after which I move into a recovery week of cardio and core strength and I think it is absolutely time for a paradigm shift in how I approach this for my last 7 weeks. During the "recovery week" and moving forward I will be shifting to P90X Lean + Doubles. This will greatly increase the amount of cardio work I do in a given week and hopefully also allow me to get past my 4-5 day workout threshold with the addition of a morning cardio routine 2-3 days during the week. I am at my happiest when the number on the scale is going down and while I have do doubt in my mind that I am getting stronger I need to pick a distinct goal for the next 7 weeks and focus on it. Attempting to do both lose body fat and gain muscle mass is not as effective as a focused program that targets my core strength and a reduction in body fat. I'm not a "morning guy" but this is a change I need to make if I want to achieve the best results in the time I have remaining.
Tuesday March 16, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Saturday March 13, 2010 - P90X Plyometrics X
Thursday March 11, 2010 - P90X Back and Biceps + P90X Ab RipperX
Wednesday March 10, 2010 - P90X Kempo X
Tuesday March 9, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
P90X Day 51 - Stronger but not thinner
I guess I haven't been entirely clear on my myriad of motivations for starting this fitness regime and the somewhat broad results I would like to see. I think it is time to not only narrow them but to place them in a ranked order of importance.
March 9, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
- Goal #1: Increased overall health
- Benefit:
- "Pass" my life insurance medical without needing to be rated for having a fatty liver or high BMI.
- Live longer and feel better.
- Goal #2: Reduced body fat
- Benefit:
- Increased health and wellness
- Increased attractiveness
- Increased career opportunities
- Increased self-esteem
- Decreased societal prejudice (will not be asked to purchase two airline seats...)
- Goal #3: Increased Lean Muscle Mass
- Benefit:
- Increased health and wellness
- Increased attractiveness
- Increased capacity to engage in taxing activities (i.e. backwoods hiking, running, sports)
- Increased self-esteem
March 9, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Monday, March 8, 2010
P90X Day 49 - More Effort Required!!
I've been "doing" P90X for just over a month and a half now and still can't surpass that 5 day per week exercise threshold. Typically I do 4 out of 6 the prescribed 6 workout days with the 5th day being a major stretch to get to.
As of Friday March 5 I was down to 226.2 lbs which draws me ever closer to my 90 day goal of 217.2lbs. Less than 9 lbs to go in the next 40 days, this is a completely reasonable goal and entirely achievable given my progress to date! In addition I'm getting stronger and more fit with each passing week but I think I will have a very hard time honestly calling myself a P90X grad until the end of my second cycle through the program :)
Tuesday March 2, 2010 - PlyometricsX
Friday March 5, 2010 - Kempo X
Saturday March 6, 2010 - P90X Back and Bicep
As of Friday March 5 I was down to 226.2 lbs which draws me ever closer to my 90 day goal of 217.2lbs. Less than 9 lbs to go in the next 40 days, this is a completely reasonable goal and entirely achievable given my progress to date! In addition I'm getting stronger and more fit with each passing week but I think I will have a very hard time honestly calling myself a P90X grad until the end of my second cycle through the program :)
Tuesday March 2, 2010 - PlyometricsX
Friday March 5, 2010 - Kempo X
Saturday March 6, 2010 - P90X Back and Bicep
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
P90X Day 43 - Take Two
Spent the last week being quite sick with the flu and even ended up taking a day off of work to get better. I maintained good eating habits on most days although was a little carb heavy on Tuesday when I went to a friend's birthday at a local Ethiopian restaurant.
It appears that once I recovered from my minor dietary slip (which I paid for with horrific stomach pain), the good eating habits and the week of rest and recovery have paid off in another 2lb weight drop. As of today I am down to 227.2 lbs which is officially lighter than I was in all of 2009. Looking back it seems like at my lightest I was 227.6 on April 3rd. So 0.6 lbs lighter one month sooner even with a week off is pretty good and I feel stronger than I have in years. I think the program does what it advertises.
If it was all about just lowering my BMI I would go on a horrific negative calorie diet and do 2 hours per day of cardio and likely peel off the weight a little more quickly but I wouldn't be as "fit" as I am now. This isn't just about lowering my BMI, it is about being healthy, lean, strong and flexible. It struck me that my workouts aren't powered by self-loathing anymore, I'm not grinding it down, I'm building it up and getting a little better each time. It is self-improvement in the most literal sense!
March 1, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps + Ab RipperX
It appears that once I recovered from my minor dietary slip (which I paid for with horrific stomach pain), the good eating habits and the week of rest and recovery have paid off in another 2lb weight drop. As of today I am down to 227.2 lbs which is officially lighter than I was in all of 2009. Looking back it seems like at my lightest I was 227.6 on April 3rd. So 0.6 lbs lighter one month sooner even with a week off is pretty good and I feel stronger than I have in years. I think the program does what it advertises.
If it was all about just lowering my BMI I would go on a horrific negative calorie diet and do 2 hours per day of cardio and likely peel off the weight a little more quickly but I wouldn't be as "fit" as I am now. This isn't just about lowering my BMI, it is about being healthy, lean, strong and flexible. It struck me that my workouts aren't powered by self-loathing anymore, I'm not grinding it down, I'm building it up and getting a little better each time. It is self-improvement in the most literal sense!
March 1, 2010 - P90X Chest, Shoulders and Triceps + Ab RipperX
Monday, February 22, 2010
P90X Day 43 - Phase 2 Starting (Week 5, 6, 7)
Today is the first day of P90X phase 2 and overall I'm pretty pleased with the fitness and weightloss results I have seen to date. That said, I really need to start peeling off some additional body-fat as I am now just 6 weeks away from my 30th birthday and I really want to look as good as I possibly can for it.
I keep on toying with the idea of moving to P90X Doubles from phase 2 onwards but I really don't think I'm going to have the energy or time to work out in the morning 3-4 times per week on top of the 5-6 days I put in now. I'm going to give it another week as I will be very busy at work this week and perhaps in week 6 of phase 2 I can move to doubles as I really want to see some rapid fat loss.
Feb 17, 2010 - KempoX + Ab Ripper X
Feb 18, 2010 - YogaX
Feb 21, 2010 - Core Synergistics
I keep on toying with the idea of moving to P90X Doubles from phase 2 onwards but I really don't think I'm going to have the energy or time to work out in the morning 3-4 times per week on top of the 5-6 days I put in now. I'm going to give it another week as I will be very busy at work this week and perhaps in week 6 of phase 2 I can move to doubles as I really want to see some rapid fat loss.
Feb 17, 2010 - KempoX + Ab Ripper X
Feb 18, 2010 - YogaX
Feb 21, 2010 - Core Synergistics
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
P90X Day 38 - Progress and mass updates
I've been very busy with work for the last few days as I prepare the team to begin testing one project and recording and translating two more. Good times and exactly what I signed up for as a project manager!
After 38 days of P90X I and 41 days overall am down to 230.8 lbs which is a total weightloss of 12.4lbs in just shy of 6 weeks. I also feel stronger than I have in years. That's not to say that I'm not reduced to a sweat covered flopping mess 20 minutes into any of the workouts I do but incremental progress is awesome. I'm seeing some kind of definition in my shoulders and arms. My neck looks like it may even belong to a species related to humans, my belly has gotten much flatter and my hip flexors are two strange protruding bumps of muscle which I imagine are a good thing, The only slightly scary thing is that my legs (damn them) keep getting bigger and stronger. This would not normally be an issue had I started with normal legs but they are looking totally freakish now. For instance pants that were tight in the waist and loose in the legs are now loose in the waist and tighter in the legs. Kind of a strange scenario to be in and I'll be damned if I don't wish that I had the same problem with my arms :)
As of Feb 15 I am done phase 1 of P90X and into my first "rest and recovery" week which would normally be week 4 as opposed to week 5. I will be starting Phase 2 at week 6 which will be Feb 22, 2010. Exciting times as I am under the impression from reading the Beachbody.com message boards that my weightloss will begin to accelerate from Phase 2 onwards.
Feb 13, 2010 - KempoX + Ab RipperX
Feb 14, 2010 - P90X Legs and Back
Feb 15, 2010 - YogaX
Feb 16, 2010 - Core Synergistics
After 38 days of P90X I and 41 days overall am down to 230.8 lbs which is a total weightloss of 12.4lbs in just shy of 6 weeks. I also feel stronger than I have in years. That's not to say that I'm not reduced to a sweat covered flopping mess 20 minutes into any of the workouts I do but incremental progress is awesome. I'm seeing some kind of definition in my shoulders and arms. My neck looks like it may even belong to a species related to humans, my belly has gotten much flatter and my hip flexors are two strange protruding bumps of muscle which I imagine are a good thing, The only slightly scary thing is that my legs (damn them) keep getting bigger and stronger. This would not normally be an issue had I started with normal legs but they are looking totally freakish now. For instance pants that were tight in the waist and loose in the legs are now loose in the waist and tighter in the legs. Kind of a strange scenario to be in and I'll be damned if I don't wish that I had the same problem with my arms :)
As of Feb 15 I am done phase 1 of P90X and into my first "rest and recovery" week which would normally be week 4 as opposed to week 5. I will be starting Phase 2 at week 6 which will be Feb 22, 2010. Exciting times as I am under the impression from reading the Beachbody.com message boards that my weightloss will begin to accelerate from Phase 2 onwards.
Feb 13, 2010 - KempoX + Ab RipperX
Feb 14, 2010 - P90X Legs and Back
Feb 15, 2010 - YogaX
Feb 16, 2010 - Core Synergistics
Friday, February 12, 2010
P90X Day 33 - All is well!
Powered through a late night version of Shoulders and Arms starting at 11:30pm last night and not getting done until near 1am. I'm certainly taking fewer breaks than when I started, however it is really the second 1/2 of the workout that grinds me down to the point where I need to take an extra minute after every tri-set or so.
As per usual practice I will be swapping YogaX (which I'm actually going to do this time) with KempoX. As I thought it would be more beneficial to doing yoga sometime on Sunday AM as part of the weekend relaxation. I'll also be moving my last round of P90X Legs and Back for a while to Saturday this week. The work is getting done, just in an order that seems to suit me a little better. Next week I move into the recovery week of P90X, what would be week 4 had I not added 2 extra weeks onto phase 1 of the plan. At this point (barring injury or illness) I can't see me adding additional weeks onto the program before I bring my first pass of P90X Classic to it's completion.
Given that my goal in all of this is weightloss I am contemplating moving to P90X doubles towards the end of the program. Perhaps from block 3 weeks 9 through 12 as it will be closer to the end of the program and perhaps that will be enough to let me push through it to the end should it prove as challenging as the first 2/3 of the program. http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90x-online/newsletters/p90xnl_012.do
Frankly I am not really seeing the weightloss I would have hoped for with the program. However perhaps 11lbs is the best that can be expected in a month of consistently working out 3-4 times per week and eating 2200-2400 calories daily.
I'm sure that if I had followed the six day workout schedule more closely I would be seeing slightly higher numbers. This is something I intend to do moving forward with the program.
Thursday Feb 11, 2010 - P90X Shoulders and Arms
As per usual practice I will be swapping YogaX (which I'm actually going to do this time) with KempoX. As I thought it would be more beneficial to doing yoga sometime on Sunday AM as part of the weekend relaxation. I'll also be moving my last round of P90X Legs and Back for a while to Saturday this week. The work is getting done, just in an order that seems to suit me a little better. Next week I move into the recovery week of P90X, what would be week 4 had I not added 2 extra weeks onto phase 1 of the plan. At this point (barring injury or illness) I can't see me adding additional weeks onto the program before I bring my first pass of P90X Classic to it's completion.
Given that my goal in all of this is weightloss I am contemplating moving to P90X doubles towards the end of the program. Perhaps from block 3 weeks 9 through 12 as it will be closer to the end of the program and perhaps that will be enough to let me push through it to the end should it prove as challenging as the first 2/3 of the program. http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90x-online/newsletters/p90xnl_012.do
Frankly I am not really seeing the weightloss I would have hoped for with the program. However perhaps 11lbs is the best that can be expected in a month of consistently working out 3-4 times per week and eating 2200-2400 calories daily.
I'm sure that if I had followed the six day workout schedule more closely I would be seeing slightly higher numbers. This is something I intend to do moving forward with the program.
Thursday Feb 11, 2010 - P90X Shoulders and Arms
Thursday, February 11, 2010
P90X Day 32 - Fitter, Happier, More Productive...
While "OK Computer" is one of my favorite Radiohead albums I'm actually I'm not being ironic when I say that vigorous, regular exercise has a beneficial impact on both my home and work life. Frankly speaking I am happier that I am getting fitter and as a result I am more productive and successful in all of my endeavors.
I completed PlyometricX last night and took fewer breaks than I have in the past. I'm trying to get to a point where I will be on the same break schedule as Tony and his crazed plyometric commandos, however that will take some time as at about the halfway point I am taking 1 minute breaks between each four exercise set. Tonight will be P90X Shoulders and Arms, however I have decided to move the Ab RipperX workout to one of my less intense days which I am thinking should be KempoX on Saturday.
Wednesday Feb 10, 2010 - Plyometrics X
I completed PlyometricX last night and took fewer breaks than I have in the past. I'm trying to get to a point where I will be on the same break schedule as Tony and his crazed plyometric commandos, however that will take some time as at about the halfway point I am taking 1 minute breaks between each four exercise set. Tonight will be P90X Shoulders and Arms, however I have decided to move the Ab RipperX workout to one of my less intense days which I am thinking should be KempoX on Saturday.
Wednesday Feb 10, 2010 - Plyometrics X
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
P90X Day 31 - Erosion
For the first time ever I completed P90X Chest and Back with Ab Ripper X last night!
It was hard and I was pretty bonked by the end of it but I managed to not only get through it but match the performance of my first set last week and actually exceed the performance in my second set! My cardiovascular health is getting better and although I am a feeble rubbery thrashing creature when attempting to keep up with Tony and his Ab Ripper X crew I get through it as best I can. Making small improvements each time. I'm rain eroding the mountain.
Tonight is PlyometricsX which I can do with my eyes closed. It is a hard cardio workout and I'm going to really focus on holding the various movements to get the most out of them.
Feb 9, 2010 - P90X Chest and Back + Ab RipperX
It was hard and I was pretty bonked by the end of it but I managed to not only get through it but match the performance of my first set last week and actually exceed the performance in my second set! My cardiovascular health is getting better and although I am a feeble rubbery thrashing creature when attempting to keep up with Tony and his Ab Ripper X crew I get through it as best I can. Making small improvements each time. I'm rain eroding the mountain.
Tonight is PlyometricsX which I can do with my eyes closed. It is a hard cardio workout and I'm going to really focus on holding the various movements to get the most out of them.
Feb 9, 2010 - P90X Chest and Back + Ab RipperX
Monday, February 8, 2010
P90X Day 29 - Ab Ripped!
While I didn't get a chance to do KempoX prior to leaving on Saturday I maintained my good eating habits over the family visit weekend, which was a little hard but not impossible with all of the cake and cream making it's way around the tables.
After a surprisingly relaxing visit with the in-laws we made our way home, ran some errands and I started into my KempoX workout after "completing" Ab RipperX for the first time. It was very hard and my tailbone hurt from all the pressure on it despite having two mats and a towel under it. It was only a 15 minute prelude to the KempoX workout but I really feel it today despite my inability to keep up or do most of the exercises correctly. I'm going to try to start with doing Ab RipperX twice per week for the next two weeks and then move into three times after the week 5 transition (actually week 7 for me).
I need to be honest with myself about the number of workouts I have actually been doing since I started doing P90X. Looking at the data I need to really get in the rhythm of working out every day if I am to see the results I need to.
Feb 7 - KempoX + Ab RipperX
Feb 5 - Shoulders and Arms
Feb 2 - PlyometricsX
Feb 1 - Chest and Back
Jan 26 - Chest and Back
Jan 24 - KempoX
Jan 23 - Legs and Back
Jan 21 - Shoulders and Arms
Jan 19 - PlyometricsX
Jan 18 - Chest and Back
Jan 17 - KempoX
Jan 15 - Legs and Back
Jan 13 - Shoulders and Arms
Jan 11 - Chest and Back (P90X start date)
In related news I am down to 232.2 lbs today and I feel pretty great about it!
After a surprisingly relaxing visit with the in-laws we made our way home, ran some errands and I started into my KempoX workout after "completing" Ab RipperX for the first time. It was very hard and my tailbone hurt from all the pressure on it despite having two mats and a towel under it. It was only a 15 minute prelude to the KempoX workout but I really feel it today despite my inability to keep up or do most of the exercises correctly. I'm going to try to start with doing Ab RipperX twice per week for the next two weeks and then move into three times after the week 5 transition (actually week 7 for me).
I need to be honest with myself about the number of workouts I have actually been doing since I started doing P90X. Looking at the data I need to really get in the rhythm of working out every day if I am to see the results I need to.
Feb 7 - KempoX + Ab RipperX
Feb 5 - Shoulders and Arms
Feb 2 - PlyometricsX
Feb 1 - Chest and Back
Jan 26 - Chest and Back
Jan 24 - KempoX
Jan 23 - Legs and Back
Jan 21 - Shoulders and Arms
Jan 19 - PlyometricsX
Jan 18 - Chest and Back
Jan 17 - KempoX
Jan 15 - Legs and Back
Jan 13 - Shoulders and Arms
Jan 11 - Chest and Back (P90X start date)
In related news I am down to 232.2 lbs today and I feel pretty great about it!
Friday, February 5, 2010
P90X Day 26 - Intense Scrutiny
Long story short...
I have been attempting to secure life insurance for myself as part of being a responsible adult. Unfortunately I was informed on Wednesday (for the second time) that not only were they not able to offer me a non-medically rated premium but that I should see my family doctor immediately due to possible diabetes and critically abnormal liver function. Needless to say I was a little surprised to hear this as my last physical had come back pretty clean from an overall heath standpoint save for the fact that I need to get down to sub 200 lbs with 185 lbs being my ideal body weight.
Clearly I was a bit disturbed by all of this and I spent all of Thursday getting a full battery of tests run and saw my family doctor Friday AM. The ultimate result is that I have a almost entirely clean bill of health. My blood pressure is in the normal range, my cholesterol levels are actually better than average for someone my age, and all other tests are completely unremarkable except for my ALT which is related to liver function. The latest version of this test reported my liver function to be slightly elevated which I’m told is a direct result of being 235lbs and this has caused slight fat deposits to form in my liver. Based on the doctor’s assessment and my previous history, this ALT number and the fat deposits in my liver will drastically reduce as I get down to around 220lbs and be normal around 210lb or so. I am not at a risk for diabetes and overall my liver will be totally fine unless I were to gain a large amount of additional weight and/or take on a career as an alcoholic.
Basically the insurance company's letter and subsequent follow up was nothing more than alarmist bullshit. What's worse, fearing some sort of unknown ailment I actually skipped both my Wednesday and Thursday workouts! Tonight I'm going to do P90X shoulders and arms, and then squeeze in Kempo X tomorrow AM before we leave for the weekend to see Raegan's parents. It would be nice to spend a weekend at home sometime in 2010!
I have been attempting to secure life insurance for myself as part of being a responsible adult. Unfortunately I was informed on Wednesday (for the second time) that not only were they not able to offer me a non-medically rated premium but that I should see my family doctor immediately due to possible diabetes and critically abnormal liver function. Needless to say I was a little surprised to hear this as my last physical had come back pretty clean from an overall heath standpoint save for the fact that I need to get down to sub 200 lbs with 185 lbs being my ideal body weight.
Clearly I was a bit disturbed by all of this and I spent all of Thursday getting a full battery of tests run and saw my family doctor Friday AM. The ultimate result is that I have a almost entirely clean bill of health. My blood pressure is in the normal range, my cholesterol levels are actually better than average for someone my age, and all other tests are completely unremarkable except for my ALT which is related to liver function. The latest version of this test reported my liver function to be slightly elevated which I’m told is a direct result of being 235lbs and this has caused slight fat deposits to form in my liver. Based on the doctor’s assessment and my previous history, this ALT number and the fat deposits in my liver will drastically reduce as I get down to around 220lbs and be normal around 210lb or so. I am not at a risk for diabetes and overall my liver will be totally fine unless I were to gain a large amount of additional weight and/or take on a career as an alcoholic.
Basically the insurance company's letter and subsequent follow up was nothing more than alarmist bullshit. What's worse, fearing some sort of unknown ailment I actually skipped both my Wednesday and Thursday workouts! Tonight I'm going to do P90X shoulders and arms, and then squeeze in Kempo X tomorrow AM before we leave for the weekend to see Raegan's parents. It would be nice to spend a weekend at home sometime in 2010!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
P90X Day 24: Into the waist-land
It occurred to me this morning that I have lost a large number of inches off of my waist since starting this fitness plan. All of my pants are loose and I'm now on the very last notch on my belt. It kind of just crept up on me as my weight on the scale hasn't really gone down in the last week. I really should have taken the measurements and calculated my body fat % before I started P90X. I'll do it after the first 30 days are up but it feels like I've maybe missed out on another important way to track my progress. Clearly I'm getting stronger as my workout numbers are slowly going up, clearly I'm losing body fat as my clothes are looser than they have been in most of a year. That said, I'm still 235.2 lbs and so perhaps I'm maintaining some kind of body weight equilibrium in that I'm gaining an equivalent amount of muscle mass for each amount of body fat I shed.
Did P90X Plyometrics X last night and I'm definitely feeling it today after a very late finish last night. I'm honestly so completely wasted each time I finish a workout that I almost never do Ab Ripper X. I need to find some way to integrate it into my workouts or simply do it at a different point in the day.
Tonight is P90X Shoulders and Arms, which is easily my favorite workout! I just need to keep pushing myself and moving forward. Success isn't that far away and it certainly isn't beyond me.
Did P90X Plyometrics X last night and I'm definitely feeling it today after a very late finish last night. I'm honestly so completely wasted each time I finish a workout that I almost never do Ab Ripper X. I need to find some way to integrate it into my workouts or simply do it at a different point in the day.
Tonight is P90X Shoulders and Arms, which is easily my favorite workout! I just need to keep pushing myself and moving forward. Success isn't that far away and it certainly isn't beyond me.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
P90X Day 23 - Renew!
Last week wasn't great for working out. I maintained the good eating habits that have given me my progress to date however I had to work a few late nights to bring the project I'm running in on time and with planning for Raegan's birthday party and our weekend trip to the mountains I found that there just wasn't time to even put the hour a day in. Needless to say a relaxing trip to the mountains with my wife for time together snowboarding/skiing and a few nice meals out really helps us to reconnect with each other after I have been working so much and was also a great birthday get-away for her.
Even after most of a week off I'm still 235.4 lbs today which is a testament to my good eating habits and the effectiveness of the program in building lean muscle mass.
In light of this week of missed workouts I have extended the first three week phase of P90X by an additional week to make up for it. Simply put I'm going to move out all my day milestones by 7 days so as to not skew the info I need to record more than it already has been.
The week 3 to 4 change up will now happen after day 28.
Having picked right up where I left off last week I did P90X Chest and Back last night and it was very hard. Again this week I saw improvements in my form and the number of reps I did in almost every exercise. I'm using two of the strongest bands I could find for my pull up substitute and I really think that by week 5 I will be in good enough shape to start doing assisted pull-ups either with a chair or perhaps just the negative. Time to investigate the best type of pullup bar to purchase for my workout space.
Tonight is Ab-ripper X and Plyometrics X - 1 hour and 20 minutes of hell.
I think I'm ready for it now.
Even after most of a week off I'm still 235.4 lbs today which is a testament to my good eating habits and the effectiveness of the program in building lean muscle mass.
In light of this week of missed workouts I have extended the first three week phase of P90X by an additional week to make up for it. Simply put I'm going to move out all my day milestones by 7 days so as to not skew the info I need to record more than it already has been.
The week 3 to 4 change up will now happen after day 28.
Having picked right up where I left off last week I did P90X Chest and Back last night and it was very hard. Again this week I saw improvements in my form and the number of reps I did in almost every exercise. I'm using two of the strongest bands I could find for my pull up substitute and I really think that by week 5 I will be in good enough shape to start doing assisted pull-ups either with a chair or perhaps just the negative. Time to investigate the best type of pullup bar to purchase for my workout space.
Tonight is Ab-ripper X and Plyometrics X - 1 hour and 20 minutes of hell.
I think I'm ready for it now.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
P90X Day 17: Fatigue
I'm super tired today, my body feels heavy - I had a hell of a P90X Chest and Back workout last night. My goal was to increase my reps for all exercises from last week, and I did it! I don't think I've actually gotten that much stronger than I was last week, however I have a mental clarity when working out now that allows me to push slightly past the point where I would normally be forced to stop. It feels good to be able to do that again.
One of the other benefits of regular intense exercise that I had forgotten about was the feeling of serenity and accomplishment that I get after completing a good workout. While I'm stretching before I start I clear my mind of everything but the workout itself. All of the stresses from the day, my worries and concerns just get pushed into some quiet recess of my mind. I think about nothing but the exercise I am doing at that moment and pushing myself to do as many reps with proper form as I can. I focus on the moments and just let them come. Then I'm done, I'm covered in sweat, an hour and a half have passed and it is time to start thinking about life again.
I can live like this.
Weight today is 235lbs flat. Not bad. Down 8.2 lbs in 21 days (approx 2.7 lbs per week). I've decided that I'm not going to obsess about the numbers on the scale when my real goal is to lose inches off of my belly and rid myself of a few of my spare chins. I just need to take the workouts and fitness plan one day at a time, doing my best each day, making adjustments to be as successful as possible and then moving forward and not worrying about the things that don't go so well.
I will also note that I am wearing my 36 waist buffalo boot cut jeans today, and other than being a tiny bit tight in the thighs they fit perfectly. I guess I could always measure progress by my ability to successfully raid my closet for clothes that haven't fit me in six months :)
"As I come clean."
One of the other benefits of regular intense exercise that I had forgotten about was the feeling of serenity and accomplishment that I get after completing a good workout. While I'm stretching before I start I clear my mind of everything but the workout itself. All of the stresses from the day, my worries and concerns just get pushed into some quiet recess of my mind. I think about nothing but the exercise I am doing at that moment and pushing myself to do as many reps with proper form as I can. I focus on the moments and just let them come. Then I'm done, I'm covered in sweat, an hour and a half have passed and it is time to start thinking about life again.
I can live like this.
Weight today is 235lbs flat. Not bad. Down 8.2 lbs in 21 days (approx 2.7 lbs per week). I've decided that I'm not going to obsess about the numbers on the scale when my real goal is to lose inches off of my belly and rid myself of a few of my spare chins. I just need to take the workouts and fitness plan one day at a time, doing my best each day, making adjustments to be as successful as possible and then moving forward and not worrying about the things that don't go so well.
I will also note that I am wearing my 36 waist buffalo boot cut jeans today, and other than being a tiny bit tight in the thighs they fit perfectly. I guess I could always measure progress by my ability to successfully raid my closet for clothes that haven't fit me in six months :)
"As I come clean."
Monday, January 25, 2010
P90X Day 15: Momentum
Overall I am on day 19 of the new plan.
I made up for a pair of missed workouts this weekend by doing P90X Legs and Back on Saturday and then Kempo X on Sunday.
I am definitely getting a little leaner as I can feel it in waistline and see it in a little more definition in my shoulders.
Tonight is P90X Chest and Back with the full 16 minute Ab Ripper X workout at the end. I think it is going to be pretty hard to finish Ab Ripper X but I need to start it sometime.
P90X has a mantra: "Do your best and forget the rest."
I'm not a big "slogan guy" but as I progress through the program I am finding that to be more and more true as nothing has demotivated more quickly in the past than focusing on the negative things about my performance or the program. Now I take it one day at a time, doing my very best each workout, clearing my mind and throwing myself into it and not obsessing over the things that don't go as well as I would like.
I made up for a pair of missed workouts this weekend by doing P90X Legs and Back on Saturday and then Kempo X on Sunday.
I am definitely getting a little leaner as I can feel it in waistline and see it in a little more definition in my shoulders.
Tonight is P90X Chest and Back with the full 16 minute Ab Ripper X workout at the end. I think it is going to be pretty hard to finish Ab Ripper X but I need to start it sometime.
P90X has a mantra: "Do your best and forget the rest."
I'm not a big "slogan guy" but as I progress through the program I am finding that to be more and more true as nothing has demotivated more quickly in the past than focusing on the negative things about my performance or the program. Now I take it one day at a time, doing my very best each workout, clearing my mind and throwing myself into it and not obsessing over the things that don't go as well as I would like.
Friday, January 22, 2010
P90X Day:12 (overall day 16) - Master of Space and Time!
I have decided that in order to better track my P90X progress that I will reorder the way I track days on the blog. Overall this is day 16 of my 2010 weightloss and fitness regime and day 12 of P90X.
I did my makeup workout for P90X shoulders and back last evening. It was grueling but excellent. I am already making small strength gains as I tweak the weight to get to the 8-10 rep range with the last three reps being very hard. I still have yet to add the Ab Ripper X workout to the end of each of my 1 hour strength training sessions as I still find them extremely difficult.
The weightloss keeps happening. Today I'm down to 235.2 lbs which is a total of 8 lbs down. Who knew it would be this easy. I just need to keep working out each day and maintain good eating habits. The "Fat Ripper" meal plan on P90X is actually pretty easy to follow and as such I'm going to do it for 6 weeks total before moving on to the next phase as that is the maximum time recommended. This would have me switching to the next phase in the eating plan on February 23, 2010.
I did my makeup workout for P90X shoulders and back last evening. It was grueling but excellent. I am already making small strength gains as I tweak the weight to get to the 8-10 rep range with the last three reps being very hard. I still have yet to add the Ab Ripper X workout to the end of each of my 1 hour strength training sessions as I still find them extremely difficult.
The weightloss keeps happening. Today I'm down to 235.2 lbs which is a total of 8 lbs down. Who knew it would be this easy. I just need to keep working out each day and maintain good eating habits. The "Fat Ripper" meal plan on P90X is actually pretty easy to follow and as such I'm going to do it for 6 weeks total before moving on to the next phase as that is the maximum time recommended. This would have me switching to the next phase in the eating plan on February 23, 2010.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day 15: Bookit.com sucks in every capacity I've discovered!
I didn't end up doing my Shoulder/Arm P90X workout last night as booking the Vegas vacation did not go as planned due to a e-commerce screw up on the bookit.com website that first resulted in my flight being booked twice and not booking my hotel. Then after (I kid you not) a combined total of 3 hours on the phone with the inept customer service staff they discovered that their system had actually misreported the number of available rooms at Caesar's Palace and as a result they couldn't book my package. Another tragilarious facet of to this experience was that their phone system would cut-out every time I was transferred or just randomly during the call and although I asked I wasn't provided with a direct number to get in contact with the agent until the 6th or 7th time I got cut-off. I will be haunted by the hold music loop for the rest of my days.This is by far one of the most horrific online booking/e-commerce experiences I have ever had and if I were you I would think twice about ever booking through bookit.com. Travelocity got my money in the end. Better rate, direct flight back, done in 5 minutes and no pain. They'll get my money next time too!
I'm going to hit Shoulders and Arms tonight with renewed vigor as I need to look good for poolside in may!
...
IT WAS GOOD!
I'm getting better little by little. Each week I'm incrementally stronger and maintaining my motivation.
I'm going to hit Shoulders and Arms tonight with renewed vigor as I need to look good for poolside in may!
...
IT WAS GOOD!
I'm getting better little by little. Each week I'm incrementally stronger and maintaining my motivation.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Day 14: Why would I need horseshoes? I don't have a horse...
My wife told me I woke up once yelling that to her. It seems logical to me.
I completed the intense Plyometrics P90X workout last night and it was excellent! It is a high impact cardio workout consisting of jumping and agility training. With breaks the 55 minute workout took me 80 minutes to do. I was in pretty rough shape by the end of it.
However, I'm down to 236.2 lbs today and I don't care if it is water weight or related to the lunar cycle it is a win and makes all of the last two weeks of pain worthwhile. I'm down 7 glorious pounds. 19 to go for phase one!
Tonight is Shoulders and Arms with P90X, this was a great workout last time and I expect the same. I'm still not doing the Ab Ripper X workout after the weight training sessions but I'm confident that I will be able to work up to it in the next week or so.
I completed the intense Plyometrics P90X workout last night and it was excellent! It is a high impact cardio workout consisting of jumping and agility training. With breaks the 55 minute workout took me 80 minutes to do. I was in pretty rough shape by the end of it.
However, I'm down to 236.2 lbs today and I don't care if it is water weight or related to the lunar cycle it is a win and makes all of the last two weeks of pain worthwhile. I'm down 7 glorious pounds. 19 to go for phase one!
Tonight is Shoulders and Arms with P90X, this was a great workout last time and I expect the same. I'm still not doing the Ab Ripper X workout after the weight training sessions but I'm confident that I will be able to work up to it in the next week or so.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Day 13: Feeling fine!
I did my second round of the always excellent P90X chest and back workout to great effect! The pacing and variety of exercises really makes for a complete workout. I was a rubber legged sweat drenched wheezing mess of a human by the end of the hour. Which makes me wonder when I will be in good enough cardiovascular shape to add the prescribed 15 minute "Ab Ripper X" workout to the end of the workout session as I am supposed to. The second time around with the Chest and Back workout was less confusing than the first and I spent much less time fiddling with weights and making sure all of the required equipment was in place. I think I should have a pretty solid setup and understanding of how to do the exercises by the end of this week. Although
I'm still 238.8lbs which is somewhat disappointing as I have been eating 100% on diet for the last two weeks and I was hoping for more than an initial 5lb loss. I'm not really counting calories this time but I have put myself on the P90X Phase 1 Level 2 eating plan which is more or less 2400 calories per day, with the understanding that I will likely not be running a calorie deficit as building muscles and increasing overall cardiovascular health is the main aim of the program.
Tonight I will likely work late and then do the P90X "Plyometrics" workout which appears to be some kind of "jump training" by the looks of things. Sounds like fun...
I'm still 238.8lbs which is somewhat disappointing as I have been eating 100% on diet for the last two weeks and I was hoping for more than an initial 5lb loss. I'm not really counting calories this time but I have put myself on the P90X Phase 1 Level 2 eating plan which is more or less 2400 calories per day, with the understanding that I will likely not be running a calorie deficit as building muscles and increasing overall cardiovascular health is the main aim of the program.
Tonight I will likely work late and then do the P90X "Plyometrics" workout which appears to be some kind of "jump training" by the looks of things. Sounds like fun...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Day 12: Oh there it is...
I can't be around negative people. Those glass half empty motherfuckers just suck out my will to live. I don't deal with it well, to the point where I completely distance myself from these type of people. Unfortunately my loving wonderful wife will sometimes find herself in this type of mood for days at a time. She's unfortunately the one person I can't remove myself from when they behave this way. I usually just need to roll up my sleeves and drag her back up to normal although I am not always unscathed by the process.
I am getting tremendously excited for our Vegas trip even though it is two months away! It looks like we have a really good crew of people going with us and in the spirit of "more fun is better", the wife and I have booked an extra day to really marinade in that Vegas debauchery. T-minus 76 days to go. Which will consequently put me on day 85 of my first P90X cycle.
I thought about how I would maintain my workout schedule while in Vegas and it really wouldn't be that hard to do so as Planet Hollywood has a great fitness facility I'm told. It will depend of course on what kind of shape I'm in by then. I want to feel good for myself and look good for my wife.
Tonight is Day 1: "Chest and Back". I have everything I need in place downstairs for an awesome workout.
One of the other things I am pondering is ordering some of the P90X "Recovery Drink". I'm not keen on consuming a bunch of carbs and sugar after a workout but if it would help with my next day recovery and overall agony I find myself in from the previous days workout perhaps it is worth considering? I normally have a scoop of protein powder with a little skim milk on the days I weight train and usually nothing but a few liters of water after one of the cardio routines. I've heard Endurex R4 is a good locally available substitute for the P90X Recovery Drink, still on the fence about trying it though.
I am getting tremendously excited for our Vegas trip even though it is two months away! It looks like we have a really good crew of people going with us and in the spirit of "more fun is better", the wife and I have booked an extra day to really marinade in that Vegas debauchery. T-minus 76 days to go. Which will consequently put me on day 85 of my first P90X cycle.
I thought about how I would maintain my workout schedule while in Vegas and it really wouldn't be that hard to do so as Planet Hollywood has a great fitness facility I'm told. It will depend of course on what kind of shape I'm in by then. I want to feel good for myself and look good for my wife.
Tonight is Day 1: "Chest and Back". I have everything I need in place downstairs for an awesome workout.
One of the other things I am pondering is ordering some of the P90X "Recovery Drink". I'm not keen on consuming a bunch of carbs and sugar after a workout but if it would help with my next day recovery and overall agony I find myself in from the previous days workout perhaps it is worth considering? I normally have a scoop of protein powder with a little skim milk on the days I weight train and usually nothing but a few liters of water after one of the cardio routines. I've heard Endurex R4 is a good locally available substitute for the P90X Recovery Drink, still on the fence about trying it though.
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