10/29/2008
Day 16
So, today my friend had a family matter that kept him from coming and "Bringing It" this morning. No problem, though, because I brought It with me and I'm hoping to drop It off.
Cardio X - a fun 50 minutes. I almost mean that. I think I pushed a little harder since my friend wasn't here to push, just to be sure I was pushing.
I felt good afterward - felt like I was starting to get in the swing of things.
My back did bother me somewhat. Seems to have worsened a little yesterday and it's a little better today, but certain things I definitely hurt trying to do.
I have to say, I'm definitely looking very forward to not bringing it next week. At the same time, I have this desire to hurt myself and the thought of Phase II is enticing. Won't be too long now.
I went ahead and braved the scale today - I'm down two more pounds! 189. Feels pretty good, but I wish I could see a difference. They guys at work are always encouraging, which definitely helps. I'm sure having a hard time with this diet, though. I called my friend tonight to tell him I was quitting the diet. It's just so hard to really eat when you have to avoid carbs so much. I need some fricking energy!
He talked me into more or less sticking with it. I thought he was my friend. Oh well, it's only another 74 days.
Oi...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
P90X - Day 15 - Moving Forward
10/27/2008
Day 15
I feel a little bit sluggish today, but still a HUGE improvement over Saturday. I feel a bit rejuvenated. It's amazing how great eating right for a change can make you feel.
To make up for eating right, I made sure to keep much more to my diet today. Actually, it's fallen into place a little more now that I kind of have a gauge of what I can eat VS what I wish I was eating.
Also today my friend gave me some great hope - one more week until the rest week and the end of Phase I. Oh, except that the rest week has my new least favorite exercise routine - Yoga X - at least 3 times. Not so much looking forward to that part. After the "rest" week, we'll be stepping it up a couple notches with Phase II. Oh, you can bet I'm really looking forward to that.
Today was Core Synergistics again and, while it's still hard, I'm keeping up better with it. The hour goes by pretty quickly and I replace my obvious hatred of it with beautiful sarcasm. My friend and I joke about how much we love that particular exercise and how much we're looking forward to the next one. We're so lucky! They loaded that whole routine with all of our favorites. There's not much I can think of that we would have added to make it even better. However, the DVD seems to have figured out a way. No kidding, somehow there were 3 NEW exercises. This is our third time doing this and neither of us have EVER seen these on this DVD. We kept waiting for Tony to explain to us that we've magically unlocked these "bonus" parts since it's our third time through, just so we can "Bring It" a little longer. No such luck. The "bonus" chapters remain a mystery. Oh yeah, they're terribly difficult as well.
After pounding out this wonderful workout and finishing with the pleasant surprise I'm really feeling pretty good. Of course, the day is still young...
Day 15
I feel a little bit sluggish today, but still a HUGE improvement over Saturday. I feel a bit rejuvenated. It's amazing how great eating right for a change can make you feel.
To make up for eating right, I made sure to keep much more to my diet today. Actually, it's fallen into place a little more now that I kind of have a gauge of what I can eat VS what I wish I was eating.
Also today my friend gave me some great hope - one more week until the rest week and the end of Phase I. Oh, except that the rest week has my new least favorite exercise routine - Yoga X - at least 3 times. Not so much looking forward to that part. After the "rest" week, we'll be stepping it up a couple notches with Phase II. Oh, you can bet I'm really looking forward to that.
Today was Core Synergistics again and, while it's still hard, I'm keeping up better with it. The hour goes by pretty quickly and I replace my obvious hatred of it with beautiful sarcasm. My friend and I joke about how much we love that particular exercise and how much we're looking forward to the next one. We're so lucky! They loaded that whole routine with all of our favorites. There's not much I can think of that we would have added to make it even better. However, the DVD seems to have figured out a way. No kidding, somehow there were 3 NEW exercises. This is our third time doing this and neither of us have EVER seen these on this DVD. We kept waiting for Tony to explain to us that we've magically unlocked these "bonus" parts since it's our third time through, just so we can "Bring It" a little longer. No such luck. The "bonus" chapters remain a mystery. Oh yeah, they're terribly difficult as well.
After pounding out this wonderful workout and finishing with the pleasant surprise I'm really feeling pretty good. Of course, the day is still young...
P90X - Day 14 - Nice
10/26/2008
Day 14
My wife and I spent the night at a place that was hands down the best place we've ever stayed. Excellent 7 course dinner (yep, diet be damned - I'm eating!) and an unbelievable 5 course brunch the next day. Amazing food. I enjoyed every little bit of it. I also enjoyed a proper super chocolate mousse desert.
Since Sunday is my choice (haha, like this is hard) of a rest day or Stretch X for the program. Since I'd eaten so well I, of course, decided to work off the wonderful food by exercising my eyes watching TV and enjoying a proper day off.
After yesterday's fiasco, I definitely needed a nice catch-up day and a couple of diet breaker meals to really focus on this workout program. Now I'm rested and ready for tomorrow...
Day 14
My wife and I spent the night at a place that was hands down the best place we've ever stayed. Excellent 7 course dinner (yep, diet be damned - I'm eating!) and an unbelievable 5 course brunch the next day. Amazing food. I enjoyed every little bit of it. I also enjoyed a proper super chocolate mousse desert.
Since Sunday is my choice (haha, like this is hard) of a rest day or Stretch X for the program. Since I'd eaten so well I, of course, decided to work off the wonderful food by exercising my eyes watching TV and enjoying a proper day off.
After yesterday's fiasco, I definitely needed a nice catch-up day and a couple of diet breaker meals to really focus on this workout program. Now I'm rested and ready for tomorrow...
P90X - Day 13 - This sucks
10/25/2008
Day 13
So, today was my absolute worst day ever. I felt like I was in slow motion. I even got out of sync on the jumping jacks because my legs weren't obeying my instructions - one of them just kind of drug on the ground instead of getting off the floor and out where it should have been.
It was Kenpo and, although it's usually hard work, I usually like it. Not so today. I averaged about 1/3 of the reps and keeping up. Simply no power. I felt like this was my third workout of the day.
I didn't have to go to work today for a change, so I was almost looking forward to the workout. That is, until I started. 7AM and I start the warm up like normal, only I simply don't seem to be able to do anything. I felt like I was punching and kicking in water up to my neck. It was incredibly deflating.
My mind started looking for things to blame and I came up with a few possible factors: I didn't eat as much as I should have the last two days, I ate later than I should have last night, I went to bed much earlier than I hoped (earlier this morning, that is), and I "Brought It" so hard yesterday that my left leg literally tried to collapse when I was kicking with my right today (I was actually having to put my hand on my thigh hard to help support my leg).
This is absolutely the worst day I've had doing this and the worst I've felt in months. I guess I need to be more careful.
Fortunately I'm heading out of town with my wife for a quick getaway this afternoon. I wonder what I'll eat...
Day 13
So, today was my absolute worst day ever. I felt like I was in slow motion. I even got out of sync on the jumping jacks because my legs weren't obeying my instructions - one of them just kind of drug on the ground instead of getting off the floor and out where it should have been.
It was Kenpo and, although it's usually hard work, I usually like it. Not so today. I averaged about 1/3 of the reps and keeping up. Simply no power. I felt like this was my third workout of the day.
I didn't have to go to work today for a change, so I was almost looking forward to the workout. That is, until I started. 7AM and I start the warm up like normal, only I simply don't seem to be able to do anything. I felt like I was punching and kicking in water up to my neck. It was incredibly deflating.
My mind started looking for things to blame and I came up with a few possible factors: I didn't eat as much as I should have the last two days, I ate later than I should have last night, I went to bed much earlier than I hoped (earlier this morning, that is), and I "Brought It" so hard yesterday that my left leg literally tried to collapse when I was kicking with my right today (I was actually having to put my hand on my thigh hard to help support my leg).
This is absolutely the worst day I've had doing this and the worst I've felt in months. I guess I need to be more careful.
Fortunately I'm heading out of town with my wife for a quick getaway this afternoon. I wonder what I'll eat...
Friday, October 24, 2008
P90X - Day 12
Day 12
Today I started out afraid.
These back pains I've mentioned before are really interfering with certain exercises, but I must push it and work this back so that eventually these ab targeted workouts work my abs. Hopefully that's all it is. I've had this kind of thing for years, but I'm bummed that it's hitting me now that I've got "It" with me.
Legs and back is the name of the game today and we got to do those killer against the wall 90 degree one leg holds and such. There were also some great other things there that are a real treat, let me tell you. I'm not going to spoil it for you. I hope you get to try it out for yourself, then you can cry on my shoulder. I'm feeling man enough now to let somebody cry on my shoulder, I think. Thanks P90X!
Anywho, I think I was rolling maybe a 60/40 set today. About 60 percent of the brutal exercises I beat out last week's reps. Many I even beat out by quite a ways. That 40 percent - well, that's the exercises that beat me worse this time than last time.
For the pull-ups/chin-ups I was 50/50. I tried using some double up workout bands and stepped back and knelt down just to get enough reps, since I certainly wasn't really bringing anything to the pull-up bar today.
Nice thing today though - Ab Ripper X!!! Yes, I forgot how much I hated that!
The back was really bothering me today, but I really pushed myself. Did about 70/30. versus day 10. The absolute hardest thing here is not the crazy sit-up inside a sit-up thing that I can only do 5 out of 25 of, but rather this legs up back up making a floating situp position and then swinging over your left then right with your hands clasped together in front of you and bringing your hands down to touch left, then right to equal one rep. This is done rapidly and the goal is no less than 40. I did 16 today with short breaks of 5 seconds or so in between a spurt. The best part about it is that it's the very last routine. By that point, I have no idea where I put "It", but I swear I brought it with me...
Today I started out afraid.
These back pains I've mentioned before are really interfering with certain exercises, but I must push it and work this back so that eventually these ab targeted workouts work my abs. Hopefully that's all it is. I've had this kind of thing for years, but I'm bummed that it's hitting me now that I've got "It" with me.
Legs and back is the name of the game today and we got to do those killer against the wall 90 degree one leg holds and such. There were also some great other things there that are a real treat, let me tell you. I'm not going to spoil it for you. I hope you get to try it out for yourself, then you can cry on my shoulder. I'm feeling man enough now to let somebody cry on my shoulder, I think. Thanks P90X!
Anywho, I think I was rolling maybe a 60/40 set today. About 60 percent of the brutal exercises I beat out last week's reps. Many I even beat out by quite a ways. That 40 percent - well, that's the exercises that beat me worse this time than last time.
For the pull-ups/chin-ups I was 50/50. I tried using some double up workout bands and stepped back and knelt down just to get enough reps, since I certainly wasn't really bringing anything to the pull-up bar today.
Nice thing today though - Ab Ripper X!!! Yes, I forgot how much I hated that!
The back was really bothering me today, but I really pushed myself. Did about 70/30. versus day 10. The absolute hardest thing here is not the crazy sit-up inside a sit-up thing that I can only do 5 out of 25 of, but rather this legs up back up making a floating situp position and then swinging over your left then right with your hands clasped together in front of you and bringing your hands down to touch left, then right to equal one rep. This is done rapidly and the goal is no less than 40. I did 16 today with short breaks of 5 seconds or so in between a spurt. The best part about it is that it's the very last routine. By that point, I have no idea where I put "It", but I swear I brought it with me...
P90X - Day 11 - Or Until I Hurt Myself...
10/23/2008
Day 11
Denied. Just when I was feeling like I was already seeing improvement, my two distant relatives Yoga and Pain arrive and ruin the day.
Now, I've already mentioned how the word 'Yoga' doesn't really belong in the name of what this crazy stretching and agony is. Well, did you ever know anyone that hurt themselves doing Yoga?!?! How about hurting themselves twice in completely different areas in the same Yoga session? Yeah, I thought not.
So there it was. Yoga X. And it is one bad dude. It's actually the thing I'm most afraid of now.
You've heard of people standing on their hands before, I'm sure. Now, imaging squatting on your hands, and then kneeling on your elbows at the same time. Yes, that is an accurate description of a real Yoga X treat called "Crane". I think it's not Crane the bird, but rather a crane and wrecking ball. If you're not careful, you'll be able to compare your head hitting the floor as you lose your balance to a wrecking ball smashing down your favorite ancient landmark or wonder of the world.
Yeah, well, that's not how I got hurt. When I gave my shoulder a nice hurting I was tring just to bring my hands together and lock my fingers. Of course, I was standing in some incredibly awkward lunge with a held in place 90 degree left leg leading, while I was leaning forward and twisting to the right and trying to reach under my left thigh to grab my right hand that's behind my back. Yes, I'm serious. I'm sure you can imagine that that may be uh, ... uncomfortable. You're right. There was a pop and a stretch followed by some significant pain. Somehow, trying to work it out, things seemed to slip back into place or something and I was not disabled longer than a few minutes. Now there's only minimal soreness and a clicking sound as I rotate it that I didn't remember having before. Turns out my other arm clicks too. Hmmm....
Then I hurt my lower back on the left side. What was I doing? I think I was stretching my leg. Maybe a little too much gusto. Ouch. Curiously, it, like my shoulder, seemed to heal itself after the significant pain subsided after a few minutes. I never completely stopped the routines - my friend would have though I was a wuss.
All said and done - both my friend and I had the same overall summary of Yoga X today. Worse than last time. And we're doing this for 79 more days...
Day 11
Denied. Just when I was feeling like I was already seeing improvement, my two distant relatives Yoga and Pain arrive and ruin the day.
Now, I've already mentioned how the word 'Yoga' doesn't really belong in the name of what this crazy stretching and agony is. Well, did you ever know anyone that hurt themselves doing Yoga?!?! How about hurting themselves twice in completely different areas in the same Yoga session? Yeah, I thought not.
So there it was. Yoga X. And it is one bad dude. It's actually the thing I'm most afraid of now.
You've heard of people standing on their hands before, I'm sure. Now, imaging squatting on your hands, and then kneeling on your elbows at the same time. Yes, that is an accurate description of a real Yoga X treat called "Crane". I think it's not Crane the bird, but rather a crane and wrecking ball. If you're not careful, you'll be able to compare your head hitting the floor as you lose your balance to a wrecking ball smashing down your favorite ancient landmark or wonder of the world.
Yeah, well, that's not how I got hurt. When I gave my shoulder a nice hurting I was tring just to bring my hands together and lock my fingers. Of course, I was standing in some incredibly awkward lunge with a held in place 90 degree left leg leading, while I was leaning forward and twisting to the right and trying to reach under my left thigh to grab my right hand that's behind my back. Yes, I'm serious. I'm sure you can imagine that that may be uh, ... uncomfortable. You're right. There was a pop and a stretch followed by some significant pain. Somehow, trying to work it out, things seemed to slip back into place or something and I was not disabled longer than a few minutes. Now there's only minimal soreness and a clicking sound as I rotate it that I didn't remember having before. Turns out my other arm clicks too. Hmmm....
Then I hurt my lower back on the left side. What was I doing? I think I was stretching my leg. Maybe a little too much gusto. Ouch. Curiously, it, like my shoulder, seemed to heal itself after the significant pain subsided after a few minutes. I never completely stopped the routines - my friend would have though I was a wuss.
All said and done - both my friend and I had the same overall summary of Yoga X today. Worse than last time. And we're doing this for 79 more days...
P90X - Day 10
10/22/2008
Day 10
Today was Arms and Chest, followed by my favorite enemy - Ab Ripper X.
It's Wednesday. I've been more tired this week, that's for sure, but I'm dead set on continuing to "Bring It".
I've also been pretty good on the diet, but I have snuck a couple 'allowed' foods at unallowed times. I blame the whole Sunday thing for these issues I've developed.
So I'm hitting all the crazy stuff that this DVD's throwing at me, but I feel like I'm dragging. On paper, though, I'm hitting better nubmers than I was last week on Day 3. Good reps. I do have a growing fear, though, that I'm getting to where I'm able to really hurt myself now. I can do more reps of everything and I'm definitely noticing a difference there. But that's the bad news, too. It's much easier to destroy your body when you do 20 of a thing that you were never supposed to do, instead of only 10. It's a vicious, vicious cycle.
Also, my keen pain receptors are noticing something. Something's weird here. I do these exercises that are supposed to really work my abs and I don't even feel it in the abs. I feel it in the lower back to the right and left of the spine. My back seems to tighten, then I can't really breathe, then it starts to really hurt and I feel like my spine's trying to become a 90 degree hinge from the pressure. Besides the typical ab workouts (like Ab Ripper X), anything where I have to raise a leg is causing some discomfort and increases difficulty. Particularly anything where I have to hold both legs off the ground (those are probably considered ab exercises, but I don't know because mine don't seem to be affected) causes a quick breakdown in the back and affects me in the other routines from that point on. I talked to another friend that's a certified personal trainer and he suggested that I simply have a weak back. I'm not too surprised, because I've had minor back issues since I hurt it when I was a kid. I think there's a warning before P90X that say something about avoiding this program if you have back problems.
Anyway, after making my whole body feel like it's a sandbag and it belongs on the floor, I get to do battle with the Ab Ripper. I actually keep up with the first couple routines - doing full reps and feeling like I'm "Bringing It". I'm not actually sure what "It" is, but I'll keep making sure I have "It" with me so when I get where "It's" going I'll be able to put "It" down and finally forget about "It". Short story long, after hitting the first few I start to lose momentum. My back is really slowing me down here. I find that even resting 5-6 seconds is enough, so I kind of plow through the rest in spurts. At the end, there's only my friend and I both lying on the ground - both motionless for a solid minute laughing maniacally.
Can't wait for tomorrow...
Day 10
Today was Arms and Chest, followed by my favorite enemy - Ab Ripper X.
It's Wednesday. I've been more tired this week, that's for sure, but I'm dead set on continuing to "Bring It".
I've also been pretty good on the diet, but I have snuck a couple 'allowed' foods at unallowed times. I blame the whole Sunday thing for these issues I've developed.
So I'm hitting all the crazy stuff that this DVD's throwing at me, but I feel like I'm dragging. On paper, though, I'm hitting better nubmers than I was last week on Day 3. Good reps. I do have a growing fear, though, that I'm getting to where I'm able to really hurt myself now. I can do more reps of everything and I'm definitely noticing a difference there. But that's the bad news, too. It's much easier to destroy your body when you do 20 of a thing that you were never supposed to do, instead of only 10. It's a vicious, vicious cycle.
Also, my keen pain receptors are noticing something. Something's weird here. I do these exercises that are supposed to really work my abs and I don't even feel it in the abs. I feel it in the lower back to the right and left of the spine. My back seems to tighten, then I can't really breathe, then it starts to really hurt and I feel like my spine's trying to become a 90 degree hinge from the pressure. Besides the typical ab workouts (like Ab Ripper X), anything where I have to raise a leg is causing some discomfort and increases difficulty. Particularly anything where I have to hold both legs off the ground (those are probably considered ab exercises, but I don't know because mine don't seem to be affected) causes a quick breakdown in the back and affects me in the other routines from that point on. I talked to another friend that's a certified personal trainer and he suggested that I simply have a weak back. I'm not too surprised, because I've had minor back issues since I hurt it when I was a kid. I think there's a warning before P90X that say something about avoiding this program if you have back problems.
Anyway, after making my whole body feel like it's a sandbag and it belongs on the floor, I get to do battle with the Ab Ripper. I actually keep up with the first couple routines - doing full reps and feeling like I'm "Bringing It". I'm not actually sure what "It" is, but I'll keep making sure I have "It" with me so when I get where "It's" going I'll be able to put "It" down and finally forget about "It". Short story long, after hitting the first few I start to lose momentum. My back is really slowing me down here. I find that even resting 5-6 seconds is enough, so I kind of plow through the rest in spurts. At the end, there's only my friend and I both lying on the ground - both motionless for a solid minute laughing maniacally.
Can't wait for tomorrow...
P90X - Day 9
10/21/2008
Day 9
I don't even remember my workout today. I only remember being tired by the time we first started the jumping jacks - less than a minute in - and hoping that I wouldn't repeat last week (Day 2) and purge the system afterward.
I suppose cardio is cardio, but this, of course, is Cardio X. Tired is simply not enough. You must be dead tired by the time you're done. Dead is actually a thought that crossed my mind. At one point I actually wondered if a person can die from over exertion. I'm sure they can't. I'll just let that be my happy thought - even though it's an absolute fallacy.
On the good side I was able to do the double leg over the chair swing thing pretty well - kept a couple inches above without too much trouble. Then I realized I'm supposed to be using the BACK of the chair. That's unfortunate.
All jest aside, even making it over the height of the back of the chair is more difficult than one might think. Keep in mind you're already tired and like jello at this point. Oh, then after a few more minutes and routines you get another try to prove how tired you are as you go after the chair again!
After a good workout like that and eating right, I treated myself to some Wasabi almonds and then some fat free Sorbet. Don't worry, they're both on the approved list if taken at the approved quantity. Oh, there is one little hitch, though. I'm eating these before going to bed. That's a no-no.
I'll let that catch up with me tomorrow. Should be an easy day ahead of me...
Day 9
I don't even remember my workout today. I only remember being tired by the time we first started the jumping jacks - less than a minute in - and hoping that I wouldn't repeat last week (Day 2) and purge the system afterward.
I suppose cardio is cardio, but this, of course, is Cardio X. Tired is simply not enough. You must be dead tired by the time you're done. Dead is actually a thought that crossed my mind. At one point I actually wondered if a person can die from over exertion. I'm sure they can't. I'll just let that be my happy thought - even though it's an absolute fallacy.
On the good side I was able to do the double leg over the chair swing thing pretty well - kept a couple inches above without too much trouble. Then I realized I'm supposed to be using the BACK of the chair. That's unfortunate.
All jest aside, even making it over the height of the back of the chair is more difficult than one might think. Keep in mind you're already tired and like jello at this point. Oh, then after a few more minutes and routines you get another try to prove how tired you are as you go after the chair again!
After a good workout like that and eating right, I treated myself to some Wasabi almonds and then some fat free Sorbet. Don't worry, they're both on the approved list if taken at the approved quantity. Oh, there is one little hitch, though. I'm eating these before going to bed. That's a no-no.
I'll let that catch up with me tomorrow. Should be an easy day ahead of me...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
P90X - Day 8 - Here We Go Again...
10/20/2008
I haven't been so good at blogging daily the last few days due to computer access (me and my motivation have been on the couch at night, while the computer's been at least 8 feet away from me), so this is a catch up blogging session.
Day 8
I've made it through a full week. Feeling pretty good about myself, even. I'm both anxious and excited to test my self. And by anxious, I mean nervous. This was what so easily beat me to the point of vomiting the week before. This is a test of manhood. A test of my ability to "Bring It". I've got a lot to lose here.
So there we were at 8:30AM hitting the same exercises that destroyed me last time. This time, things made a bit more sense. I could follow it. I could even breathe. Don't get me wrong, it was still a positively miserable experience again, but somehow I had more tolerance for it (and stamina). I made it all the way through these crazy exercises that have been so carefully crafted to hurt me. I tried to keep a mental notebook of my resistance (I'd say performance, but if something is this set on beating you, the best you can do is to resist it at every turn) and I have a recognizable increase in my ability to fight this massive, exhausting wave of P90X. Or was I just so incredibly feeble in my attempt last week that it's my mind trying to make me pat myself on the back for a job still done inadequately?
On the good side, since I've been feeling better I had a positive outlook going into today. But I now I'm scared, because I don't hurt afterward like I did all of last week. So, does that mean I'm not "Bringing It" like I should be? It is a concern. It's a concern that gets widened after instead of feeling energized I feel tired most of the day afterward. Strange. I'm sure it has nothing to do with sleeping less than a cat naps.
Now, this diet thing. I find it amazingly difficult to stay within its guidelines and still have a reasonably filling and diverse menu to work with. I'm sure that it wouldn't be any issue if that "rich" thing I mentioned before panned out. Strangely, drinking water bothered me so much at first, but now I find myself enjoying it. I'm drinking about 80 ounces a day. It just took me a while to figure out that I used to do the dew because I wanted to drink. Trying to drink water that way definitely didn't work, but I've got the when and how down pat now.
Rumour has it that protein takes about 48 hours to hit your system and complex carbs take about 36. Based on that, we'll see how Sunday's bad eating schedule affects me tomorrow when I'm trying to "Bring It"...
I haven't been so good at blogging daily the last few days due to computer access (me and my motivation have been on the couch at night, while the computer's been at least 8 feet away from me), so this is a catch up blogging session.
Day 8
I've made it through a full week. Feeling pretty good about myself, even. I'm both anxious and excited to test my self. And by anxious, I mean nervous. This was what so easily beat me to the point of vomiting the week before. This is a test of manhood. A test of my ability to "Bring It". I've got a lot to lose here.
So there we were at 8:30AM hitting the same exercises that destroyed me last time. This time, things made a bit more sense. I could follow it. I could even breathe. Don't get me wrong, it was still a positively miserable experience again, but somehow I had more tolerance for it (and stamina). I made it all the way through these crazy exercises that have been so carefully crafted to hurt me. I tried to keep a mental notebook of my resistance (I'd say performance, but if something is this set on beating you, the best you can do is to resist it at every turn) and I have a recognizable increase in my ability to fight this massive, exhausting wave of P90X. Or was I just so incredibly feeble in my attempt last week that it's my mind trying to make me pat myself on the back for a job still done inadequately?
On the good side, since I've been feeling better I had a positive outlook going into today. But I now I'm scared, because I don't hurt afterward like I did all of last week. So, does that mean I'm not "Bringing It" like I should be? It is a concern. It's a concern that gets widened after instead of feeling energized I feel tired most of the day afterward. Strange. I'm sure it has nothing to do with sleeping less than a cat naps.
Now, this diet thing. I find it amazingly difficult to stay within its guidelines and still have a reasonably filling and diverse menu to work with. I'm sure that it wouldn't be any issue if that "rich" thing I mentioned before panned out. Strangely, drinking water bothered me so much at first, but now I find myself enjoying it. I'm drinking about 80 ounces a day. It just took me a while to figure out that I used to do the dew because I wanted to drink. Trying to drink water that way definitely didn't work, but I've got the when and how down pat now.
Rumour has it that protein takes about 48 hours to hit your system and complex carbs take about 36. Based on that, we'll see how Sunday's bad eating schedule affects me tomorrow when I'm trying to "Bring It"...
Monday, October 20, 2008
P90X - Day 7 - Rest Day
10/19/2008
Day 7
Well, I woke up today quite sore everywhere. I let myself sleep in today. I was definitely looking forward to taking on the relaxing Stretch X after waking up to loosen up and reduce this pain.
Stretch X is what Yoga is supposed to be - relaxing and beneficial. The hour of stretching really opened up the sore muscles again. I let my 6 year old daughter do it with me. She had fun for a few minutes, but then got bored.
I quit a few minutes early because I should have got up earlier and there was stuff I needed to get going on. The pain was gone for a couple hours, but came back, although much reduced.
I can't let myself get up so late next Sunday. It threw off my whole eating schedule. I had my "morning" protien shake breakfast, but it was actually a quarter to 11 in the morning. And realizing lunch would be coming up soon, I made the decision to do the usual snack instead of lunch (I normally eat every 2 hours on this diet, but not any more after dinner). So I had my Cliff bar for lunch and then another snack a couple hours after that, then a really good dinner (my wife makes the best roast!).
I then polished off my carb intake for the day with some too-late-at-night chips and salsa. I was able to have a whopping 9 chips. Had I had more carbs at dinner I would have only been able to have chip and salsa. Can't wait until phase two when I can double my carb intake. I went to bed still a little sore (actually I fell asleep on the couch watching History Channel).
Let's see what the new week brings...
Day 7
Well, I woke up today quite sore everywhere. I let myself sleep in today. I was definitely looking forward to taking on the relaxing Stretch X after waking up to loosen up and reduce this pain.
Stretch X is what Yoga is supposed to be - relaxing and beneficial. The hour of stretching really opened up the sore muscles again. I let my 6 year old daughter do it with me. She had fun for a few minutes, but then got bored.
I quit a few minutes early because I should have got up earlier and there was stuff I needed to get going on. The pain was gone for a couple hours, but came back, although much reduced.
I can't let myself get up so late next Sunday. It threw off my whole eating schedule. I had my "morning" protien shake breakfast, but it was actually a quarter to 11 in the morning. And realizing lunch would be coming up soon, I made the decision to do the usual snack instead of lunch (I normally eat every 2 hours on this diet, but not any more after dinner). So I had my Cliff bar for lunch and then another snack a couple hours after that, then a really good dinner (my wife makes the best roast!).
I then polished off my carb intake for the day with some too-late-at-night chips and salsa. I was able to have a whopping 9 chips. Had I had more carbs at dinner I would have only been able to have chip and salsa. Can't wait until phase two when I can double my carb intake. I went to bed still a little sore (actually I fell asleep on the couch watching History Channel).
Let's see what the new week brings...
P90X - Day 6 - "Bring It"
10/18/2008
Day 6
I'm feeling pretty good about myself here. Today is Kenpo X and I'm ready to hit it hard. I'm feeling more confident already. After being able to handle yesterday, my only concern is whether my quads will keep up.
I hit this pretty hard, but decided early on that I needed to be a little careful. Truthfully, I'm starting to really like this Tony Horton guy. The guy that does everything, but never even has to breathe hard. He's good. Stupid humor that I can relate to, goes into enough detail that you're always sure you're doing it right, and let's you know when to and when not to "Bring It".
At about the halfway point I was ready for this to end. I felt totally beat, but I kept going. Some of the exercises I backed off the reps once I started not being able to keep up with doing them right (as you should do). I used those little pauses to shake, stay loose, and get a bit of water.
This was a hard workout, but I felt pretty good afterward. Until that night. This is the sorest I've been so far.
I treated myself to a Subway 6" sandwich as a reward for the week (it's allowable in the nutrition plan, occasionally). Instead of chips I had celery sticks and instead of a Coke I had V8 and water. That was the most satisfying meal I've had since starting.
Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow...
Day 6
I'm feeling pretty good about myself here. Today is Kenpo X and I'm ready to hit it hard. I'm feeling more confident already. After being able to handle yesterday, my only concern is whether my quads will keep up.
I hit this pretty hard, but decided early on that I needed to be a little careful. Truthfully, I'm starting to really like this Tony Horton guy. The guy that does everything, but never even has to breathe hard. He's good. Stupid humor that I can relate to, goes into enough detail that you're always sure you're doing it right, and let's you know when to and when not to "Bring It".
At about the halfway point I was ready for this to end. I felt totally beat, but I kept going. Some of the exercises I backed off the reps once I started not being able to keep up with doing them right (as you should do). I used those little pauses to shake, stay loose, and get a bit of water.
This was a hard workout, but I felt pretty good afterward. Until that night. This is the sorest I've been so far.
I treated myself to a Subway 6" sandwich as a reward for the week (it's allowable in the nutrition plan, occasionally). Instead of chips I had celery sticks and instead of a Coke I had V8 and water. That was the most satisfying meal I've had since starting.
Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow...
P90X - Day 5
10/17/2008
Day 5
So, I've been "Bringing It" as I should and wouldn't you know, I'm actually feeling better already - more energized. I have even lost one pound. Not that that really matters much, although I'm shooting for 165ish by the end. The biggest difference so far is the energy, better posture (probably because I can't slouch since it hurts my abs), and the exercises are getting a bit more manageable. I think that means I'm seeing improvement. Man, all these things are just making my quadriceps feeling like they're not even supported by thigh bone. Totally elastic and they barely hold me up when I go down the stairs.
Guess what today is? Legs and back. This translates to taking my poor wobbly quads and beating them with a baseball bat, so to speak. Literally with our backs against the wall (try this - back against the wall, feet together and out from the wall 18-20" to the heal and lower yourself until your leg and thigh form a right angle, then raise one leg and hold it for 10 seconds straight out, then switch, then repeat) my friend and I attacked this with gusto. And I thought I my legs were destroyed before. By the end I though I was actually getting better at it, but it turned out I just couldn't feel my legs anymore.
Let me summarize the activities. Destroy your legs in incredible feats of agony, then take a two minute "break" by doing chin-ups and pull-ups until you can't, then back to legs. I started out nice and strong on the chin-ups, but by the end when "one" rep is basically a combo of two chin-ups and two pull-ups with a grip switch while you're hovering, I was often at 1 rep. Even less a couple times. After this demoralizing workout, it was time for....
Ab Ripper X. Yes, again, we punished ourselves with a terrifying workout, only to then have to try to "Bring It" on the Ab Ripper X. I definitely did better than the time before, but still only averaged half or less of the reps.
Beat and dehydrated, we called it a day.
The diet is going well so far, although I definitely seem to be under my target in calories. I feel pretty good, though. We'll see if that comes back to haunt me...
Day 5
So, I've been "Bringing It" as I should and wouldn't you know, I'm actually feeling better already - more energized. I have even lost one pound. Not that that really matters much, although I'm shooting for 165ish by the end. The biggest difference so far is the energy, better posture (probably because I can't slouch since it hurts my abs), and the exercises are getting a bit more manageable. I think that means I'm seeing improvement. Man, all these things are just making my quadriceps feeling like they're not even supported by thigh bone. Totally elastic and they barely hold me up when I go down the stairs.
Guess what today is? Legs and back. This translates to taking my poor wobbly quads and beating them with a baseball bat, so to speak. Literally with our backs against the wall (try this - back against the wall, feet together and out from the wall 18-20" to the heal and lower yourself until your leg and thigh form a right angle, then raise one leg and hold it for 10 seconds straight out, then switch, then repeat) my friend and I attacked this with gusto. And I thought I my legs were destroyed before. By the end I though I was actually getting better at it, but it turned out I just couldn't feel my legs anymore.
Let me summarize the activities. Destroy your legs in incredible feats of agony, then take a two minute "break" by doing chin-ups and pull-ups until you can't, then back to legs. I started out nice and strong on the chin-ups, but by the end when "one" rep is basically a combo of two chin-ups and two pull-ups with a grip switch while you're hovering, I was often at 1 rep. Even less a couple times. After this demoralizing workout, it was time for....
Ab Ripper X. Yes, again, we punished ourselves with a terrifying workout, only to then have to try to "Bring It" on the Ab Ripper X. I definitely did better than the time before, but still only averaged half or less of the reps.
Beat and dehydrated, we called it a day.
The diet is going well so far, although I definitely seem to be under my target in calories. I feel pretty good, though. We'll see if that comes back to haunt me...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
P90X - Day 4 - Hmmm....
Day 4
Who knew Yoga (yeah, that relaxing, stretching thing that seems so popular the last few years) can be so hard, painful, and physically exhausting? Oh, oops, this isn't yoga, this is Yoga X. Seems like everything in this bag of fun has an X after it.
So, the yoga starts out pretty straight forward - stretches, upward dog, downward dog, all sorts of other things, etc. Seems easy enough until you've gone about 15 minutes and things are starting to seem monotonous, although that's actually deceptive, it's actually getting a little tougher each time you do it - you're pushing just a little more, and dipping a little lower. After about 30 minutes, when you're already about dead tired in the legs and arms, then you finally change.
Now you're doing way harder extreme stretches and incredible balancing acts that test what little strength you have left. After a half hour of that, you finally get to step up into some nice relaxing stretches for about 15 minutes. But that's just because you're about to get an ab beating second only to the Ab Ripper X.
Today, overall, was more physically draining than the previous days, but I'm finding myself recovering faster than I had been. I also feel a little different. Can't quite put my finger on it. I don't dare check the scale yet, but I do feel a little better.
I have a target diet of around 2400 controlled calories so I can keep my energy up for all this crazy stuff. I added up today and I'm falling about 700 calories short. Probably not good, but I feel okay. We'll see if I pass out tomorrow...
Who knew Yoga (yeah, that relaxing, stretching thing that seems so popular the last few years) can be so hard, painful, and physically exhausting? Oh, oops, this isn't yoga, this is Yoga X. Seems like everything in this bag of fun has an X after it.
So, the yoga starts out pretty straight forward - stretches, upward dog, downward dog, all sorts of other things, etc. Seems easy enough until you've gone about 15 minutes and things are starting to seem monotonous, although that's actually deceptive, it's actually getting a little tougher each time you do it - you're pushing just a little more, and dipping a little lower. After about 30 minutes, when you're already about dead tired in the legs and arms, then you finally change.
Now you're doing way harder extreme stretches and incredible balancing acts that test what little strength you have left. After a half hour of that, you finally get to step up into some nice relaxing stretches for about 15 minutes. But that's just because you're about to get an ab beating second only to the Ab Ripper X.
Today, overall, was more physically draining than the previous days, but I'm finding myself recovering faster than I had been. I also feel a little different. Can't quite put my finger on it. I don't dare check the scale yet, but I do feel a little better.
I have a target diet of around 2400 controlled calories so I can keep my energy up for all this crazy stuff. I added up today and I'm falling about 700 calories short. Probably not good, but I feel okay. We'll see if I pass out tomorrow...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
P90X - Day 3 - I Have 87 More Days of This?!?!
Day 3
Let's see, what were my weeknesses again? Oh, that's right, cardio and abs. Fortunately, I dodged the double feature, but I'm still going to go though some serious ab workouts today. Not just any abs, the Ab Ripper X. Unbelievable. But we'll come back to that.
Day three the first thing on my mind is to not have the cardio make me refund my carefully planned diet. Lucky for me we're dealing with upper body - shoulders, arms and chest. Not much cardio, which is fine by me - even good.
Today it seems like I was right all along in my suspicions - these exercises are scientifically formulated to DESTROY you! You get going at something until you've nearly killed your arms or [substitute body part here] doing it and then you do something else even harder right afterward! Oh wait, there's more! After you've done that, then you get to go right back to the thing that beat you in the first place, but this time Tony's yelling at you to "Bring It!" and you got to do what Tony says. This is why P90X works. What an amazing program. It makes you afraid to quit and willing to shamelessly sacrifice your body to accomplish your goals. Brilliant!
So, after my lats, triceps and shoulders are worn out we get to start the infamous Ab Ripper X. I don't think the name inspires enough fear - it's deceptively polite. The Ab Ripper makes you do things you've NEVER tried before and would never want to. It actually makes you do sit-ups within sit-ups, while cruching and toe touching, all while keeping your back and your legs off the ground. It is simply brutal. Even my fit friend could only keep up about 1/2 to 2/3 of the reps. I was probably somewhere around a quarter. It absolutely broke me. And I get to look forward to doing it again and "Bringing It!" on Friday...
Let's see, what were my weeknesses again? Oh, that's right, cardio and abs. Fortunately, I dodged the double feature, but I'm still going to go though some serious ab workouts today. Not just any abs, the Ab Ripper X. Unbelievable. But we'll come back to that.
Day three the first thing on my mind is to not have the cardio make me refund my carefully planned diet. Lucky for me we're dealing with upper body - shoulders, arms and chest. Not much cardio, which is fine by me - even good.
Today it seems like I was right all along in my suspicions - these exercises are scientifically formulated to DESTROY you! You get going at something until you've nearly killed your arms or [substitute body part here] doing it and then you do something else even harder right afterward! Oh wait, there's more! After you've done that, then you get to go right back to the thing that beat you in the first place, but this time Tony's yelling at you to "Bring It!" and you got to do what Tony says. This is why P90X works. What an amazing program. It makes you afraid to quit and willing to shamelessly sacrifice your body to accomplish your goals. Brilliant!
So, after my lats, triceps and shoulders are worn out we get to start the infamous Ab Ripper X. I don't think the name inspires enough fear - it's deceptively polite. The Ab Ripper makes you do things you've NEVER tried before and would never want to. It actually makes you do sit-ups within sit-ups, while cruching and toe touching, all while keeping your back and your legs off the ground. It is simply brutal. Even my fit friend could only keep up about 1/2 to 2/3 of the reps. I was probably somewhere around a quarter. It absolutely broke me. And I get to look forward to doing it again and "Bringing It!" on Friday...
P90X - Day 2 - Are We There Yet?
10/14/2008
Day 2
Well, I'm feeling better today. What are my two worst things? Ab strength and cardio. What's on today's P90X agenda? Well, you can bet it's going to be one of those. Have I mentioned how committed to the program I am and how much I hate it already?
So, I mostly ate well yesterday and had a little Gatorade and such to make up for all the nutrients I refunded yesterday. I've stuck fairly well to my diet so far - being careful of all these crazy portions and such that I'm supposed to adhere to and "enjoy".
I wisely ate nothing prior to the workout. Here it is, 6:30 and go time.
Kicking it in today is a wide variety of cardio exercises and stretching squatting and punching and kicking that make me feel like by body is made up of Jell-o and can't support my weight. Flexibility-wise I'm okay. I remember some of the martial art type things I messed around with in high school and I can still kick as high as my head. Of course, only once though, because it seems to have this uncanny way of making my hip feel like it's coming out of its socket when I do it. Hurts.
Fortunately, we're only having to kick over the back of a chair, but it's with both legs, one following the other and then back. I never hit the chair, but I was just barely above it the whole time. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but whatever exercises you hate the most are the ones that seem to come back around about 5 minutes later. Only this time you're supposed to "Bring It!" even harder. And, of course, you're already waaaay more tired at this point and feeling as though instead of a leg connecting your foot to your body you have a piece of cloth with a lead weight on the end that won't respond to your commands.
After this nice 46 minute brush with fainting, we're finished and I get to start doing a little yoga to cool off. I did a little of the yoga, then called it a morning.
I go up to shower and wouldn't you know it - time to throw up. Holy crap. This absolutely sucks! My body finds this 'exercise' thing so foreign that it reacts by making me ill. That's got to be it. Yeah.
Or, actually, that just helped me determine what I'd already suspected from yesterday - "Bringing It" when you haven't brought anything in 10 years makes you throw up. This is a tough program.
Cool down is a MUST.
Should have finished the yoga...
Day 2
Well, I'm feeling better today. What are my two worst things? Ab strength and cardio. What's on today's P90X agenda? Well, you can bet it's going to be one of those. Have I mentioned how committed to the program I am and how much I hate it already?
So, I mostly ate well yesterday and had a little Gatorade and such to make up for all the nutrients I refunded yesterday. I've stuck fairly well to my diet so far - being careful of all these crazy portions and such that I'm supposed to adhere to and "enjoy".
I wisely ate nothing prior to the workout. Here it is, 6:30 and go time.
Kicking it in today is a wide variety of cardio exercises and stretching squatting and punching and kicking that make me feel like by body is made up of Jell-o and can't support my weight. Flexibility-wise I'm okay. I remember some of the martial art type things I messed around with in high school and I can still kick as high as my head. Of course, only once though, because it seems to have this uncanny way of making my hip feel like it's coming out of its socket when I do it. Hurts.
Fortunately, we're only having to kick over the back of a chair, but it's with both legs, one following the other and then back. I never hit the chair, but I was just barely above it the whole time. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but whatever exercises you hate the most are the ones that seem to come back around about 5 minutes later. Only this time you're supposed to "Bring It!" even harder. And, of course, you're already waaaay more tired at this point and feeling as though instead of a leg connecting your foot to your body you have a piece of cloth with a lead weight on the end that won't respond to your commands.
After this nice 46 minute brush with fainting, we're finished and I get to start doing a little yoga to cool off. I did a little of the yoga, then called it a morning.
I go up to shower and wouldn't you know it - time to throw up. Holy crap. This absolutely sucks! My body finds this 'exercise' thing so foreign that it reacts by making me ill. That's got to be it. Yeah.
Or, actually, that just helped me determine what I'd already suspected from yesterday - "Bringing It" when you haven't brought anything in 10 years makes you throw up. This is a tough program.
Cool down is a MUST.
Should have finished the yoga...
P90X - Day 1 - Wow I'm Out of Shape!
10/13/2008
Okay, so I haven't done any real exercise for 10 years. I just turned 30. I weight 192 and I'm probably 5' 8" - basically, I'm overweight and out of shape, not to mention starting to feel a little older.
So, a friend (who's in quite good shape) and I decide to hit P90X. Actually, it was mostly my idea. Stupid idea, in hindsight, but there's no way I'm backing down. That is, unless I hurt myself doing this.
We get P90X only to find out that that's just the start of what you really need to do it right. Since my friend's fairly in to this sort of thing I let him scout out all the things we need like weights, bands, yoga mat, etc.
He also picked out which workout calendar to base things off of. We went with the Lean, since that's what I'd like to be (also I'd like to be rich, but I digress...).
Then, I find out about this Nutrition Guide. I'm thinking, "Cool, eat a few of the right things, yada, yada." Nope. Completely redesigning how I eat and in ways I don't like. I'm a Mountain Dew guy - this is not something I'll give up without a fight.
Well, that fight ended as soon as I took pictures for the "before". I'm fat. I had no freaking idea I looked like that until I saw a picture of me from the back. It looked like a person's back that's overweight. Really bothered me. I didn't realize I looked like that. Luckily my wife confirmed, "Yup, that's what you look like!" in a somehow chipper voice.
My friend and I go shopping for foods and such the night before. Spent about $60 to start. I was blown away by that amount! Holy crap!
Day 1
So I get there a couple minutes late, but we still have a moment to joke about "Bringing It" (Tony Horton's chant).
I throw down my mat and we start. It's 6:30AM and I'm used to getting up at 7:45, so this already sucks a little. Here we go - a nice intro with plenty of "Bring It!" thrown in there. This is the Core Synergystics or something along those lines.
BANG! Off we go. Basically two minutes per bizarre, painful exercise and move right into the next one. This is seriously beating me down in legs, arms, stomach, etc. I'm keeping up fairly well - doing about 2/3 of the reps and such. Breathing like I'm going to hyperventilate because I am so not used to cardio.
After about 30 minutes of this crazy rolling, forcing movements, and pushing myself I start to develop a headache. My friend's also complaining about how much each exercise is kicking his butt, but he's still keeping up with it. My favorite thing about these is the way they found a way to get you completely spent on one exercise, then increase the strain on those same muscles while bringing more parts of you in for the pain in the very next change. Wow, this is not for people like me, that's for sure. And I'd been warned, so this is all my fault.
After about 40 minutes I started getting nauseated and I backed down a bit - feeling ill from overworking.
I lost two pounds...
Because I threw up a few times. The workout seriously destroyed me. I felt crappy the rest of the day afterward - I don't know, maybe I was just getting sick. My kids had been sick, so maybe...
Okay, so I haven't done any real exercise for 10 years. I just turned 30. I weight 192 and I'm probably 5' 8" - basically, I'm overweight and out of shape, not to mention starting to feel a little older.
So, a friend (who's in quite good shape) and I decide to hit P90X. Actually, it was mostly my idea. Stupid idea, in hindsight, but there's no way I'm backing down. That is, unless I hurt myself doing this.
We get P90X only to find out that that's just the start of what you really need to do it right. Since my friend's fairly in to this sort of thing I let him scout out all the things we need like weights, bands, yoga mat, etc.
He also picked out which workout calendar to base things off of. We went with the Lean, since that's what I'd like to be (also I'd like to be rich, but I digress...).
Then, I find out about this Nutrition Guide. I'm thinking, "Cool, eat a few of the right things, yada, yada." Nope. Completely redesigning how I eat and in ways I don't like. I'm a Mountain Dew guy - this is not something I'll give up without a fight.
Well, that fight ended as soon as I took pictures for the "before". I'm fat. I had no freaking idea I looked like that until I saw a picture of me from the back. It looked like a person's back that's overweight. Really bothered me. I didn't realize I looked like that. Luckily my wife confirmed, "Yup, that's what you look like!" in a somehow chipper voice.
My friend and I go shopping for foods and such the night before. Spent about $60 to start. I was blown away by that amount! Holy crap!
Day 1
So I get there a couple minutes late, but we still have a moment to joke about "Bringing It" (Tony Horton's chant).
I throw down my mat and we start. It's 6:30AM and I'm used to getting up at 7:45, so this already sucks a little. Here we go - a nice intro with plenty of "Bring It!" thrown in there. This is the Core Synergystics or something along those lines.
BANG! Off we go. Basically two minutes per bizarre, painful exercise and move right into the next one. This is seriously beating me down in legs, arms, stomach, etc. I'm keeping up fairly well - doing about 2/3 of the reps and such. Breathing like I'm going to hyperventilate because I am so not used to cardio.
After about 30 minutes of this crazy rolling, forcing movements, and pushing myself I start to develop a headache. My friend's also complaining about how much each exercise is kicking his butt, but he's still keeping up with it. My favorite thing about these is the way they found a way to get you completely spent on one exercise, then increase the strain on those same muscles while bringing more parts of you in for the pain in the very next change. Wow, this is not for people like me, that's for sure. And I'd been warned, so this is all my fault.
After about 40 minutes I started getting nauseated and I backed down a bit - feeling ill from overworking.
I lost two pounds...
Because I threw up a few times. The workout seriously destroyed me. I felt crappy the rest of the day afterward - I don't know, maybe I was just getting sick. My kids had been sick, so maybe...
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