DAY 90: I DID IT! HOLY P90X, I DID IT! (Finishing the Home (X) Stretch!

In the words of the greta Stephen Colbert, "I Did It!"

With "X Stretch" in the books, I officially completed all 90 days of P90X.

It was fitting to end with the X-Stretch, which was the biggest surprise of the program. It was both enjoyable and beneficial. I am so glad that I never skipped the stretching. An awesome routine that I will turn to again and again no matter what workout I am using.

Quick thoughts:

I'm stronger. Still not a guy you are going to be intimidated by, but I can lift heavy objects if needed. And I'd be ready to bring my Kenpo on in a New York minute if surrounded by attack Ninjas!

I lost 13 lbs.

I feel great. I look as good as I have looked in years (not just according to me!).

I have kicked my Dr Pepper addiction (although I will still drink it, just not as constantly!)

Anyway, that is just a quick summary. But I am really excited about the fact that I committed to the program and I did every single day without missing a single workout.

I will probably take a few days, maybe even a week off, but I will be back to working out soon. I needed to prove that I could do this program and I did it.

Bring it!

I'll take my "Post Test" and post the results (and compare them to the pre-test) as soon as I figure out when I should take it. Tomorrow? Tuesday? Any suggestions? I guess I can look it up in the manual!

Day 89: Yoga Finale. Namaste.

It took the entire three months to fully appreciate what Yoga has done for me. As much as I hated doing the program, my development here is unquestioned.

I am more flexible.

I am stronger.

I have a solid core.

I have better balance.

I have mental durability.

Thank you, Yoga X.

My last real workout was excellent. I improved the one leg/half moon leg killer. (Thanks for the tip , Jeff! My leg was still dead and I had to take a break, but only one on each leg. It was intense, but satisfactory.

I rocked the balance postures.

I was almost perfect with Crane.

My hamstring flexibility was excellent. I could completely grab the Yoga block (horizontally- not vertically) without having my legs bend even the slightest.

I did "Ohms" as long as Tony!

Yoga, I'll appreciate a break from you, but I don't hate you!

Namsaste

Day 88: Wow. Core Synergistics is Tough!

But Awesome.

I really feel great after completing this workout (and there is no Ab Ripper to intensify the torture!) and it ranks up there as one of my favorites.

Fuelled by my Rangers win against the hated Devils I pumped myself up to "bring it" for the last resistance workout. I found that I was doing more reps than the allotted time, so I had to keep pushing pause for more than one reason (usually it's to catch my breath, which happened a few times today). Either I got much stronger, I have a strong core, or I am doing something wrong. Hmmm. I'll go with "A" Regis? B? C?

I'll just call it a good workout and leave it at that.

Keep Bringing it!

(Holy crap! I only have one more workout and one more stretch! Yahoo!)

Day 87: Midweek Stretch

It almost feels like cheating, but it feels so good. (Insert Political Scandal and your own joke here...).

As much as I feel like the last week should be a all out, no holds barred (Don't actually know what that means) kick a** routine, I just love the midweek stretch.

I broke the 170 lb. barrier today. I am officially at 169.8. Not that I had any kind of desire to get much lower than 170, it's nice to know that I am still losing weight during the recovery week.

Anyway, Three days left and then I have to figure out when I will do the Fitness test and take my pictures (don't talk to me about posting them, there are technical difficulties at this time!)

Keep Bringing It!

Day 86: Sigh. Last Kenpo. So Sad. (Updated)

But I brought it!

I was exhausted from work, had to go out two hours after getting home, so I forced myself to bring it in that tiny window. It was awesome. I had a second wind and although I had fantasized about collapsing on my bed, the energy I got from this workout was awesome. I will turn to this Kenpo DVD on my own (even without a schedule telling me to do so, which is strange, since I am basically a slave to the schedule right now!)

I want a punching bag or one of those blocking dummys they use for football and karate. Punching is fun, but I'm sure it is even more fun to actually feel the result of your power punch/kick!

I am so pumped that it is the last week and I have made it thus far!

Keep Bringing it!

UPDATE: I thought of this while doing the Hamstring stretches before core Synergistics today (Friday). Of all the routines, why is Kenpo the only one that doesn't do the split leg Hamstring stretch as a warmup? It's the only time in any of the vids that he actually says "Be careful of your hamstrings!"

Just a thought!

Day 85: Core Synergistics: Back to Reality!

This is, after all, an extreme program. Getting ahead of myself and thinking the hard part was over was pretty much the worst thing I could do. Sure I have Kenpo tomorrow and I have Stretching on Thursday, but then I end with the Core/Yoga 1-2 punch. This week will not be cake, by any means!

I am back down to 170 lbs.

This is good.

Anyway, Here is my take on my third week of Core Synergistics:

Ow.

I kind of had this lurking feeling that the workout was a lot harder than I remembered it, but I wasn't sure until the first routine and then it was like getting kicked in the stomach (literally!).

I had pretty good intensity, but I probably didn't "bring it" in the "Banana Rolls" and "Banana-Superman"

Using Dumbbells in this routine was interesting. In some regards, I felt more of a burn using the bands. But any iso-hold benefits are outweighed (pun intended) by more weight and speed of transition between drills. "Lunge and Reach" felt cooler when I used the bands, but I ended up pausing and rewinding every freakin' time I had to switch. This way, I could keep up with the demonstrators the entire time and I got a much deeper, more cumulative burn. But for most of the drills, just using the 10 pound weights were a major upgrade over the 3 pounders I had been using. They were a little bulkier and the "Lunge-Kickback-Curl-Press" was tricky navigation in my small workout space, but an incredible burn overall!

I was more annoyed than usual with the video cutting. It's almost like the cameraman is suffering from adult ADHD and has downed 27 Nodoz and chased it with a 12 pack of Red Bull to meet a deadline. "Hey-hey-Tony-I-think-you-are-going-to-love-this-editing-I-did-I-got-everyone-in-it-just-like-you-wanted-and-I-made-sure-not-to-cut-any-of-your-jokes-do-you-want-to-feel-my-muscles-huh?-Please?"

Enough of that. Speaking of caffeinated beverages. The reason I am still awake is that I made a slight error in judgement during the workout. I ran out of water and I wanted something with a little taste. I had a 16 oz. bottle of water and a little packet called "Spark" which I had snagged from the "Tea" box at work. I thought it was a falvor enhancer, since it was labeled "Cranberry". I must say these things are impressive, as it turned the entire contents of the water bottle red in about 2 seconds. I didn't read the fine print around the word "Spark": "Morning" and "Caffeinated Drink Mix".

Whoops!

Yeah, as a caffeine addict, I realized my error almost immediately. It did give me a little energy. But it also made me feel a little full while working out and I am currently watching Lewis Black's "Root of All Evil", which is hilarious by the way.

Anyway, I'm down to one Kenpo, two Stretches, one Yoga and one more Core Synergistics. Yeah!

Keep Bringing it!

Day 84: Yoga: Early in the Week, Late at Night...

The fact that I had to do Yoga so early int he week and not have the satisfaction of being done with it for a while had me procrastinating until just before bedtime.

I did much better in many of the poses, but I took a lengthy break in the middle and it messed up my concentration. As tempting as it is to take a break between each of the half hours (you can tell I wasn't up for it at all tonight!) I think it is a bad idea. You need to commit to doing the 90 minutes and do it all at once.

I still wish Tony was better at verbal cues. If you aren't watching, you can get behind. Several times he is talking and the camera is on someone else ("I choose to not do a push-up!" and then we are watching someone else!) or he says he's going to tell us when to "go" and then he never does. It is especially annoying during the torturous "Yoga Belly 7" when he doesn't tell you when to pump it up, you have to watch the clock.

Anyway, I haven't worn my heart rate monitor during Yoga. It is one of the Polar models that beeps at you when you aren't in the "zone" so I figured it would be below "moderate" most of the time and would defeat the purpose of Yoga. But I am interested in knowing how hard my heart works durng yoga, so I might try it and see if I can turn off the alarm.

Keep Bringing it!

Week 12 Review: Holy Cow, I'm almost done!

It seems like I just started yesterday. Except I am a lot stronger and more fit. And my diet has changed completely.

But it really doesn't seem that long ago when I was wondering how I was going to survive the first workout, let alone 13 weeks worth of workouts.

What I learned this week:

The videos are just as infuriating to "learn" how to do the moves correctly for the dumbbell set as they are for the Band Camp. (Not always, just some times).

The Dumbbells are a much better and far more accurate way of building muscle and tracking your progress. I wish I had done the whole program with these, but I am motivated to use them now that I have such a cool (and convenient space saving) tool.

My stomach is always bloated at night. This is weird. I can't figure it out. I'm not eating that much (definitely not enough) but I always wake up feeling skinny and go to bed feeling , well, not exactly fat, but larger.

What's up with that?

I also wish that pictures were taken after a resistance workout. It looks like it will be taken after a recovery week, but I love my biceps after they've been pumped up. I look much more ripped. Anyway, I'll probably do a few reps before day 90 Picture day, or is that cheating?

I can't believe I am in my last week. I am very proud of my accomplishments thus far and I feel I was able to "Bring it" for the entire 90 days. I didn't have a ton of weight to lose, but my pants fit better and I am stronger. I look much better (more like I was three years ago) and have never eaten as healthy in my life.

I'd say it has been a successful program overall.

More tomorrow! Keep Bringing it!

Day 83: Coming into the Home STRETCH! (X)

My lower back was in pain all day. I should have stretched early, but some other plans came up and I didn't get to do it until late. Thank goodness I did. The pain is gone.

I'm worried that I will lose all my flecibility if I don't maintain a good stretching schedule when I am not doing P90X. I'm definitely getting older, and although I am proud of the fact that I ahve increased my flexibility to the point of my younger days, I wonder if it will be even harder to get it back each time I "lose" it.

A good philosophical question.

My next challenge will be to decide if I want to maintain a dedicated, intense schedule like P90X or something like what a reader suggested (Turbo Turbulence). It's worth exploring!

Have a great week!

Day 82: Kenpo to the Max!

Yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about.

Saturdays continue to be my favorite day (besides the fact that I can sleep in) because Kenpo is such a fast and enjoyable workout.

I think my intensity and my form was pretty good. I did get a little sloppy in the end, but I made myself stay in the Horse Stance for the duration and resist standing upright a bit during blocks and punches.

I still don't know if I could actually punch anyone, but I feel pretty confident that I can protect myself if needed. Of course the reality that another fist would be coming towards me might make me a little less confident, but for now I am a legend in my own mind!

I am pretty sore today. I've been using the Recovery Drink and my Whey Protein Isolate after every workout but I'm still sore. I think it's because of the Dumbbell switch. Worth it, though, and there is something to be said for feeling like you worked out.

Week 13 coming up! Keep Bringing it!

Day 81: Last Legs and ab RIPper x

I can't say I'm sad to finish my last Ab Ripper X workout. It hurts, and I dread the seated Tony telling me "This is NOT Ab Ripper 100 or 200..." Yeah, yeah. I know. Just Bring it already.

I upped the weights with my new dumbbells and it made the workout more intense. I hit 34 Chin Ups and I was able to use weights in some exercises that wouldn't work with bands. I am seriously spent right now, but I am tired of falling behind in my blogging, so I will get this done before midnight if I have to type with my toes.

Tomorrow is Kenpo and then I am set for the last week.

I won't be mourning Ab Ripper, I'll tell you that!

Keep Bringing it!

Day 80: 10 More Days and I'm Done with Yoga (er, for a few weeks!)

I tried not to think about the 90 minutes of torture and just do it. My Rangers had just won, so I was in a great mood. I had energy from a good Spicy Thai Chicken meal and finally got down to the Yoga.

My balance problems weren't there this time. I rocked the Tree Pose and the Toe Lock. I even did the Crane for most of the 60 seconds.

I still can't do the Half-Moon for the entire time. My leg starts rebelling and threatening to collapse completely and not let me go to work tomorrow after about a minute. I don't know how they do it on the video.

Anyway, I'm pumped for the final ten days and I can't wait to be able to say I brought it for 90 Days straight!

Keep Bringing it!

Day 79: Back and Biceps a la Dumbbells!

This workout got so much better. My arms are still sore as I am typing this (1 day later!) and I loved the fact that I didn't have to "fake" it with the bands and hope that I'm able to get enough resistance.

The annoying thing about this vid is that the video cuts sometimes make it impossible to watch the correct movement without constantly rewinding. Tony does one rep, and we mostly see his face and then the last part of the rep and then he's getting up to "check on the kids!" The we watch the others do the routine, but we always either get it at the end of the routine or as they are switching. Bad timing, adn I didn't notice it as much when I was doing the bands because Tony usually does an okay job at expaining the bands (at least most of the time, there are obvious gaps).

I struggled with the pull-ups as the callouses onmy fingers are killing me. The gloves I have for the dumbbells and the pull-ups helped a bit, but I still feel it ripping my skin.

Again, most of my weights went down because of my over-zealous estimations, but a few of the weights were pretty close and I was able to push it up a bit. My reps went down as I was dealing with heavier weight. It doesn't look like progression on my Spreadsheet but I know I was bringing it with more weight. I went less for "lean" (12-15) and more with "mass" (8-12).

I did one-armed push-ups on my knees as there was no way I could do it otherwise. I vow that I will be better the next go around, but I can't fathom how I'll manage this.

It was humbling to only be able to do 20 pounds for the first leg of my Strip Set Curls. I was hoping to do 25-20-15-10. Talk about feeling like the 98 pound weakling all over again. But I still flex in the mirror and think I look great. I'll be brought down to reality soon, I'm sure.

My weight is back down to 171 lbs after being up to 173 last week. I am eating pretty well, but still not enough. I like the snooze alarm more than I like getting up to prepare lunch for myself.

Oh, well. I've learned a lot. I'll be much better when I start all over again.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 78: Final Plyo! Swing Kicks and Heisman's No More!

It was a mixed feeling when I placed the Plyo DVD into the player for the final time (of this session!).

On one hand, I was happy that a break from the killer routine was forthcoming.

On the other, I'll miss the feeling of accomplishment when I finish it every Tuesday.

It was a great workout, and I really felt it with the Mary Catherine's.

And any day without Ab Ripper, is a day to rejoice!

Day 77: Dumbells for the Dumbbell! Arms Rejoice!

I stalked my prey for three months. Stealthily monitoring it's movements (pricewise). Waiting for incentives ($25 Off Coupon), stored my assets (old Sports Authority Gift Card) and finally pounced!

The link to the product that is sold online is here.

Here are what the beauties look like:

That's what I'm talking about! Okay, I was first enamored with the BowFlex SelecTech Dumbbells, but they start at $400 and they are kind of cheap feeling. These babies are solid and they take up little space (another important factor) and don't look out of place at my place.

They have their faults. I can't switch the plates that quickly, so the pause button is gettign a workout, and if you aren't careful you can accidentally "pick up" an extra plate or two and then have it promptly drop on your foot (or worse, your hardwood floors!).

Anyway, I told you last week I was done with the bands. I figured I'd wait until my next go around, but the opportunity was there and I'm looking a t a good tax refiund, so I bit the bullet and got them for a decent price. I also wanted to have some mention of using dumbbells on this blog for people looking for advice on what to do. I still like the bands for certain exercises and I think they are a great option for the road warrior, but I felt that my overall development was stagnating due to lack of progression with heavier weights.

So how were they? First of all, my motivation went sky high. I was already pumped because I am so close to finishing the 90 days, but this put me over the top. I had to learn some of the moves all over again, but it was worth it.

The first thing I learned is that my estimates of the band weight were awful. All my numbers went down. This is the best thing about using the dumbbells, knowing where you stand and being able to really adjust the weight. The bands are too ambiguous, with you foot and the band length being different almost every time. I also felt like I was really getting a burn.

I "brought it" for Ab Ripper X as well, feeling invigorated (and excited that I only have three left!).

Anyway, I'm a happy X'er! Keep Bringing It!

Week 11 Review: Motivation Miscues

I didn't have the desire this week. I was thinking more about being done with the program so I could take a break and less about progress. That's never a healthy or smart thing to do. It's like looking forward to the next game while you still have a game at hand. Not good.

Monday and Tuesday were challenging enough being away from home, but I actually enjoyed the challenge of making it work in a different setting. I think the change made it easier. I wanted to give up and not do it on Monday, but I dug down deep and found a way.

Wednesday was awful. It was an abbreviated and broken in two workout, but I got it done. It is not my favorite workout and I was glad to be done with it for a bit (I'll probably do it all over again in late April or early May, so this is my thinking- not really "final")

Thursday was just a workout that I didn't want to do. I waited until the last possible minute and struggled through it. My balance was off, which was probably due to the my distracted mind.

Friday was the first time I wasn't up for the legs and back workout. It was painful, even though I felt good about bringing it.

Saturday was better, because of Kenpo.

I'm not satisfied with the week because of my lack of motivation. Knowing that this is my last resistance week (and last chance to build muscle) I am going to bring it as hard as I can. I'm also committed to eating as well as possible, so we'll see how it goes.

Keep Brining it for the home stretch! Thanks for those that are still reading this!

Day 76: Morning Stretch

I much prefer doing this early in the morning as opposed to late at night. It somehow gives me more energy and clarity.

I really felt it in the hamstrings, and I know I would have been hurting if I didn't do this. Again, I'll take my weekly soapbox stance and encourage everyone undertaking this program to not skip the X Stretch!

Week 11 review coming up next!

Day 75: Kickin' It With Kenpo X

The one workout of the week that I never need motivation for is Kenpo. I absolutely love this workout. I love the intensity that you can bring to it, and my skill level has increased with each session. I am very confident in my ability to fend off anyone who tries to take me out. (Well, not really, but I might be able to fake it enough to scare the other person off, especially with the Jab, Cross, Right, Uppercut combo, which is downright intimidating.

My weight went up the last couple of days, as did my body fat. I wasn't as disciplined as I needed to be (ate a few extra protein bars and not enough real food!) but I will finish strong and be rock solid diet-wise this last two weeks!

Picture day will be my motivation!

Keep Bringing it!

Day 74: Restless Leg Syndrome?

I love those commercials for this ailment. My legs felt restless all night, but I didn't want to workout. I am hoping some rest this weekend will get me motivated again, but right now I am struggling to push myself to workout each day. My workouts get later and later.

Anyway, this workout hurt (in a good way). I felt guilty about the lack of motivation and the fact that I ate a whole can of soup tonight, so my stomach was a bit bloated. I'm sure the scale will show it tomorrow. My calories burned was an impressive 936, so hopefully I made up for the bad food day.

I have never looked forward to the Recovery Drink as I did tonight. My body was screaming, especially my legs.

Another investment for the next round: Gloves! I'm just ripping my hands apart at the seams doing Pull-Ups. It's preventing me from pushing too far beyond my goal rep. I'm sure I'll need them if I get Dumbbells as well.

I knew I was in trouble when I could barely stand after exercise number one: The Balanace Lunges! Yikes.

But just like writing, I like having worked out (Writers say: I don't like writing; I like having written!") so I am basking in my modest glory right now. So much so, I even caught up my blog for the first time in a long time.

The home stretch is coming. Kenpo tomorrow, Stretch on Sunday and my last resistance week starts on Monday. Time has flown by!

Keep Bringing it!

Day 73: Yoga- How Do You NOT Do A Push-Up Into Downward Dog?

That's the question that has been bugging me forever.

Tony always compliments me on doing pushups from Vinyasa into Downward Dog, but I have no idea how to Not do it. I am sure if there was an easier way, I would take that route, so I really want to know! (Just Kidding!)

I procrastinated like crazy. My motivation is down this week. Work is stressful and I am tired. I don't know why I am having such a difficult time getting motivated, but I always do the workout.

My balance was off again. It was kind of frustrating, especially because I had been doing so well until the past two Yoga sessions.

I did do well in the non-balance areas of the workout, so it wasn't a total loss.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 72: Home Again! Final Shoulders & Arms! (Thank You!)

So sad. The final Shoulders and Arms workout.

I'm lying. I'm not even close to being sad about this. The next time I do this program, I will have dumbbells so I can actually progress in this department. The bands fail here, but they were okay for the first three or four times. I never did well with the Crouching Cohen Curls because the bands could never give me enough resistance. I feel like the program will be entirely different next time.

I really brought it to Ab Ripper X. I made it through the whole thing without having to push "pause" which is quite an accomplishment.

(Disclaimer- I had to do the Bonus Round and Ab Ripper about three hours after I started as I ran out of time. This probably had a bit of an impact on the workout!)

Day 71: Big Screen Plyo!

This was cool. Plyo away from home. It's a good thing that I had this video with me, as it would be impossible to try to remember the order and keep myself motivated and timed during this workout.

The challenge here was the room was smaller than my workout area. It was also shorter. My ceiling is about 10 feet tall at home. Here it was about 8 feet. Some of the Jumping routines had my hands flat on the ceiling. Manute Bol would have to bend over to enter the room!

I loved watching this on a flat screen HDTV. It was amazing. I felt like Tony was lifesize, right in front of me.

I brought it and it felt great. I then rewarded myself by watching my Rangers lose in a shootout!

Anyway, another successful Road edition of P90X! I'll be back at my place tomorrow, so things will be normal!

Day 70: P90X: Road Edition

Well, the logistics were crazy, but it worked.

I was in a bit of a bind. I had packed all my bands (but not the "MyGym"), push-up bars and other items. But I left the DVD's at home. Whoops!

I almost considered skipping my first workout in the entire 70 days. I thought I might just skip it and do it the next day. Not a good plan.

I figured I didn't have a pull-up bar, so it wouldn't be a complete workout, so why do it?

I couldn't skip it. I found energy, looked online and got the workout, and decided to start with Ab Ripper. That was interesting.

The I had to figure out how to do the pull-ups. I didn't have anything up high to use. I also didn't have a door. So I used the foot of a couch and it worked great. It was a great resistance burn and I was able to do everything. I thought this was the worst workout to be away from home, but I think Wednesdays would have been harder.

It was a great workout and I felt totally ripped. It was a great start to the week and I realized that there are no excuses, you can bring the "X" anywhere!

I was really wishing I had remembered the Recovery Drink or my Protein Powder, though!

Week 10 Review: A Whole Lot of Progress Going On

My life and body has changed.

My physique is hardly Adonis-like, but I look and feel as good as I ever have.

I am eating as healthy as I ever have. (No chips or candy and limited Dr Pepper intake!)

I fit into my clothes.

I have more energy.

I am much stronger.

I am more flexible.

I have not missed a single day of workouts.

I am still kind of hungry and have occasional pangs for junk food.

I am looking forward to taking a few days off when I complete the program. Then I'll either do P90X+ or maybe Tony's 10 Minute Workouts before trying P90X again.

I know I have a while to go, but I am very happy with the program.

Keep Pushing Play and Bringing it!

Day 69: Rubbernecking

That's what my neck felt like, anyway.

It was a great stretch. I am still sore from Legs and Back on Friday, and the Kenpo probably didn't help.

One of the stretches (the tricep stretch) tweaked my neck and it started to bother me a bit. I took some Aleve and I feel better now.

I can use the yoga block (horizontally, not vertically) during the hamstring stretch, which is amazing. My flexibilty has increased dramatically. I used to be flexible, but when I started this program, I was unable to reach much past my toes without severe discomfort.

I have a new nickname for Phil. "Passive Aggressive Phil", as he ignores Tony who tells him that he is going to do the wide stance Arm Stretch, and then he promptly does what everyone else is doing as a kind of "I can do it the hard way!". Kind of funny!

I made myself do this at 8:00 AM, which was a great start to the day. I need to make myself do this early in the morning more often.

Tomorrow will be my challenging day. No pull-up bars, and not much resistance weight. Any suggestions on how to manage this? Still debating between doing half and finishing on Tuesday, or trying to make do with what I have.

Day 68: Gettin' My Kenpo Kicks on Day 6--8? (Two days from an awesome title!)

I didn't do this workout until late, but it was my favorite as always.

The good news today: I hit 172 lbs Even and I finally hit 11.5% Body Fat.

My balance issues continued a little bit, but my form was looking good (at least in my own mind!).

Last night's workout left me feeling as sore as I have felt in weeks, so it was a different feeling going into the Kenpo workout. Just as I dreaded doing anything when I was in pain from the neck injury, I knew that I always felt better afterwards. That was the case again today. It makes me question when I have bagged working out in the past because I was injured. Maybe I've been too quick to throw in the towel.

I am craving potato chips, doritos and those new "Wendy's Baconators", but I know I am doing the right thing. I will go back to some junk food, in moderation, but the days where I ate nothing but junk food are over. That part of me is dead (funeral arrangements pending!)

Anyway, my first real challenge is coming up. I will not be home on Monday. I don't want to skip a workout, but I won't have access to a pull-up bar. If it was Plyo or Yoga I could manage, but just like P90X couldn't schedule Kenpo on Day 66, the three in seven chance proved too difficult to overcome. I'll keep you updated. I thought about doing two workouts on Tuesday, or doing some of the workout while I'm away and doing the others when I return.

We'll see. Keep Bringing it!

Day 67: The 30 PULL-UP Threshold Broken! My Everest!

This might not seem that big a deal to you, but considering that I could barely do 10 Reverse Grip Pull-Ups when I started, I am beyond ecstatic that I hit it. Again, writing down what I did last time is incredibly motivating. I've been setting a goal to go at least two reps beyond what I did the previous time. It works.

This leg routine is killer. My legs always feel like I've ran a marathon afterwards. At least, that's what I am telling myself, since the closest I've come to a marathon is a 10 K in the 7th grade. But you get the idea.

My heart rate hit 179 max today, which is also a high. I also burned over 1000 calories for the first time.

A great workout. I'm hovering around 174 lbs, but that seems to fluctuate depending on how well I eat. What a concept, eh?

I've settled into a routine where I have a breakfast bar, a small glass of juice and my multi-vitamin for breakfast, A peanut butter sandwich on "Carb Helper Bread" for lunch and either a meal replacement bar or a decent meal for dinner. I tried a Weight Watchers "4 Point" frozen dinner tonight. It was good, but probably not the best for me. I'm going to tighten up the diet for the home stretch. Of course I've said that before. I'm headed to the grocery store tomorrow. We'll see how I do.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 66: Stumble Yoga X

My balance was whacked tonight. I invented a new program, as alluded to in the title:
"Stumble Yoga X"

I fell out of pretty much every balance pose.

I did feel the workout, and I brought it to every exercise. My neck was strong enough to do the neck and back stands (plough).

I really have a hard time getting motivated to start this workout. It's hard enough to get pumped to work out for an hour, but one hour and a half is brutal. And I'm well beyond thinking that the Yoga routine is a "break" of any kind.

It was like a sweat lodge in my workout room. I had to open up some windows.

I'm in the home stretch! Ready to "Bring IT Home!"

Day 65: Glamour Muscles

Exercisus Interuptus!

I had it all planned out. I had a one and a half hour block of time that was just ripe for working out in. I was sick of working out late at night, so an afternoon session was just the ticket.

But then I was interrupted.

Then I was interrupted again.

So I was behind schedule and I made the decision to put the last 20 minutes and Ab Ripper X on hold until later in the evening. It was frustrating, but it was better than rushing and making sloppy mistakes or hurting myself or being sweaty AND late.

Anyway, I love working the "Glam" Muscles, even if they don't look that glamorous yet.

My Biceps are bigger. It will be tough to continue to increase my weights with the bands, but I'm going for a lean look, so I know I'm getting at least something out of it.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 64: Mary Cathering Gallagher : Superstar Plyometrics!

The Mary Catherine's were superb.

This was another intense workout. My stomach still hasn;'t recovered from the pizza this past weekend, so it was a struggle. I had to keep raising my arms, which actually made it harder. The pause button was necessary today as well, since my heartrate was over my "zone" for most of the workout.

I kept up with Dominic, but I don't think I was able to summon the energy necessary to Bring it with an exclamation point!

I'm going to watch the Ranger game and go to bed. More tomorrow!

Day 64: Tricep-era-SORE-us

ow.



I am feeling it tonight. Even though I am still using the bands, it's the resistance of any weight that is definitely giving me a good workout. Although without the dumbbells I may never look like the cover boy, (I can wait until the next round for that!) I have transformed in so many other ways.



I was able to do the One-armed push-up (albeit, on my knees, but I did three before doing a very un-cool face plant!).



I was struggling to meet my previous rep count in most, as I think the two week layoff kicks the muscle confusion into high gear. I am sure next week it will be the same thing and then I'll be back to this workout and my body will be like:



"Dude, what the heck do you think you're doing to me? There's a perfectly good couch sitting right over there!"



My body always calls me dude when it's upset.



My stomach was bothering me before Ab Ripper X, so I am taking a minute to write this before really making my stomach upset. We'll see how it goes!



Okay, that was fun!

My stomach was cramping all through the workout, so I had to push pause and overdose on Tums to make it through. I am kicking butt on the Leg climbers and the Side Rises. I still struggle with making it all the way through the Pfifer Scissors and I did the cross-leg version of the sit-ups.

A great day, but I felt this one! I think this week will be making up for all the food I ate over the weekend! Oh, well, a challenge is a good thing!

Week 9 Review: Back Where I Started, Again!

Some good things happened this week. And some bad things.

But mostly good.

I showed tremendous gains in the amount of reps I could muster, and I was pleased with my overall strength.

I hit 172 lbs.

I look much better.

On the bad side, I broke another band on the "MyGym" and I hated Wednesday's workout.

I had a bad weekend as far as food goes because of the aforementioned visiting family.

But overall, this was a good week and I am excited that I am in the last phase. I'll post some body measurement stats this week.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 63: Stretching Necks, Giraffe Style

I really felt like just doing the neck stretch over and over again, but I'm glad I did everything. My body was tighter since this week was a rude awakening after the recovery week. I seemed to regress a bit in my flexibility. I am sick of the pain in my neck, but I don't want to go to the doctor because it seems ridiculous and it doesn't hurt that much.

Sort of.

Day 62: Kenpo Kicking the Pizza Calories

My weekend of Caloric Discontent began in fine fashion with two oversized slices of Greasy-goodness filled Pizza. It was worth it, but I needed to bring it even harder today for Kenpo. I burned about 900 calories, so I hope that covered it. Of course I had half a slice after the workout so I am definitely not in good food mode, but I have dinner out tonight and then I am home free!

Sort of.

Anyway, I was on fire during the workout. I was a bit self-conscious due to relatives int he house, but I still brought the intensity. My mother worried about whether my breathing was okay as it sounded to her like I was hyperventilating. I tried to explain that it was a Jab-Cross-Left-Uppercut combo move. She looked at me like I was speaking Japanese. And she's been to Japan.

This too shall pass!

I still love the Kenpo!

Day 61: Legs and Back and an Ab Ripper to boot!

I felt this one.

It's nice to be able to see progress, unlike Wednesday night. Each week I am improving and the results are encouraging. I hit 28 Reverse Grip Pull-Ups which is a major accomplishment for me. I feel it in my arms and back big time.

The legs are drained.

My neck feels better, but the pain lurks in the background. It feels better than it has in two weeks, so I am encouraged.

I have visiting relatives, which means eating out, so this weekend will be a challenge.

Ab Ripper also showed some improvement. I did the Cross Legged Sit Ups (instead of V-Leg) and I managed to do almost all of the dreaded Fieffer Scissors. I rocked the Side Risers.

A great workout for sure!

Day 60: Milestone Yoga X

As bad as yesterday was, Yoga was good today. Not only did I hit Day 60 without missing a single workout (or optional stretch) and I felt great. It was a good, intense workout that made me sweat. I again felt improved in everything (but still avoided the neck stands as I am still tender there. I wonder if it will ever go away or if I am destined to go through life- or at least the rest of P90X- with this kink in my neck?) and I am so much more flexible than I used to be. Heck I'm ready to strap on the pads and block a few screamers from the point like the goood old days!

It's a great feeling to remain committed to something for 60 days. I know I can make the final 30 and beyond in some capacity. I still don't have the ripped abs, but it's gettign there and I can fit into my pants again!

I still need dumbbells, as this week showed me that the bands aren't cutting it for day 1 & 3 of this phase. I've got my eye on the Gold's Gym adjustable dumbbells at Sports Authority. I also am interested in the Turbo Bell system. I am limited with space, so there is no way I can get a full set. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, tomorrow is legs and back, my second favorite!

Bring it!

Day 59: Shoulders and Arms (Disappointing)

By far my most disappointing workout.

I was in a rotten mood as I got some bad news, and I was looking forward to working off some steam by bringing it to the Shoulders and Arms workout.

I should have known I was in for an unfulfilling workout when on the first exercise I broke one of my purple bands on the "MyGym". It hurt big time. I still have a welt.

I wish I could say that it was because I was working too hard, but reality states that the band just wore out. Oh well, at least I have 10 of the 12 bands left on the sides. Of course I had to break two different colored bands on two different sides, so I've effectively crippled the contraption.

I'm over the bands altogether. In some of the other workouts, I can still feel the effects, but this one I felt like I was getting no where. What's worse is that I can't move up to the next level of band, but the one I am on is too light. I didn't feel half of the exercises.

Frustration Cubed!

Also, what is up with the Side-Tri- Rise? I don't feel it at all. Maybe it's because the gusy on the video have huge muscles and weigh more, but I can do twenty like it's nothing and then do the other side.

I didn't feel I got a sweat-on at all. Even the Ab-Ripper left me feeling empty. I won't feel much better after Yoga tomorrow, so I'll need Friday's Legs and Back to get my juices flowing.

On a positive note, I am still at 173 lbs, which is a good thing. A rotten day capped with a rotten workout, but this type of day has been rare during the whole process, so I can't complain.

I'm still mad at Tony for adding about 6 more reps to the backwards bicylces. I did the Cross Legged Sit Ups entirely, even with the pain that has stealthily moved to the other side of my neck. It hurts more when I am lying down than working out, but it's there.

More tomorrow!

Day 58: Plyo's Revenge! (Sore all over!)

I woke up and it was clear that I wasn't in recovery week anymore.

Not even close.

As good as I felt yesterday, today was a reality check. I felt it as soon as I tried to crawl out of bed.

And my neck pain is back, but curiously it shifted to my left side. Probably not a good sign.

But I powered through the Plyo and brought it. My heart rate was huge. I only pushed the pause button once, but I really thought I was going to throw up.

The recovery week may feel like you are wasting a week, but now I can really see how the results are maximized.

I am using Whey Protein Powder after my workouts and I hope that helps, but I honestly don't know if I'll know the difference. We'll see.

Best previously unheard line by Eric: "Or if you only have one leg!" in regards to the triple side switches (drawing a blank on the actual name, but it's the ski pole exercise with the weird music) when Tony suggests doing skip rope if you get tired. Classic.

Keep bringing it!

Day 57: The Votes Are In! P90X Delivers!

Wow.

I hated Mondays during the first phase.

I loved it tonight. It was awesome.

I improved to the point I was laughing at my old self. I jumped at least 5 reps in almost every category. I could do all the pull-ups and Push-ups without pain. I paced myself and still had room for the second round. I didn't hate it at all.

Well, I still kind of hated Ab-Ripper, which I think is the primary suspect in my neck injury case. I felt it tighten a bit during this routine, but I was unwilling to skip even one part of it. I'll let you know tomorrow if that was a wise or stupid decision!

I was doing more reps than some of the people onthe vid.

I do need more weight. I've given up hope of having dumbbells for this first time through the program, but I will have them for the next round for sure!

Awesome day. I also couldn't believe how much different and stronger I looked in the mirror. It was like a whole new me. I am pumped like Hans and Franz! (Yeaj, I put on the grey sweatsuit and put pillows in the sleeves!) Serioulsy, I look ten times better. This program works. Best decision ever. I can't wait to take my day 60 pics! (Although there are issues with the pictures. I'll explain someday, but I'm just focusing on the program now.)

Keep Bringing it and thanks for reading!

Week 8 Review: A Better Recovery Week

I am now at my lowest weight in more than two years: 174.2 lbs.

Someone noticed I had lost weight, which is a bonus, because I didn't really plan on doing this to get people to notice a difference. I definitely didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but it's been nice.

This program is everything it promises to be. It would be more if I could just get a handle on the food program, which continues to vex me. I am definitely not eating enough. I am committed to making a go of it for the final pahse. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am curious to see how I do on Chest and Back tomorrow, as it will be the first time since phase one that I am doing that routine. I don't remember enjoying Mondays that much, so we'll see if that changes. I think I am stronger. Time will tell.

I'm almost caught up with posts. I will try to keep it going, but it will probably be a little scattered this week, then it should settle down to a regular rythym again.

Keep Bringing it!

Day 56: The Stretch before the storm!

I almost skipped it because my back pain was pretty bad. I'm glad I didn't. It helped. A lot.

Not much to say here except that I am psyched to bring it for the last phase! Stay tuned!

(And how about them Rangers!)

Day 55: Yoga

I saw a commercial for Michael Myers new movie: "The Love Guru" (I was going to put a link here, but I'm sure you'll find it. It has all the Austin Powers-like comedy from what I can tell, plus Daily Show regulars, Verne Troyer and Justin Timberlake. Plus it has a hockey connection, so I am psyched! Anyway, Mike Myers shows off some Yoga poses that remind me of Yoga X (particularly when he is bending himself into a pretzel!)

I'm getting there. I am holding poses much longer, I am not dreading the workout as much and I am almost making it through the "Warrior III" pose at the end of the dreaded first section.

I kick butt on the "Toe Lock one leg stand" and the "Royal Dancer." I try to keep up with Adam (another good tip: pick one regular and try to match them (difficult when the camera cuts away, but the trick is to get in their rhthym as best as you can and see if you are still on target when they cut back. Try it! You'll like it!

I am still avoiding anything that involves standing on my shoulders or bending myself backwards over my head as I am still trying to be healed enough to work the resistance training coming up on Monday!

I ate a Chipotle Quesadilla today. I know, But the good news is that I am still at 174.6!

Day 54: Core Synergistics (um, recovery?)

Just when you think you are lucky to have this nice break, Core Synergistics rears it's ugly head and comes down on you like Judge Judy on a Jay Walker. I think I was a little distracted this time, compared to Tuesday, and my neck was bothering me a bit. I got it done. I did skip the Dreya Rolls again, but there was no way I could do them in my condition. I did awesome on the Plank to Chataranga ISO Hold as I matched the people on the vid. I also did well in the Over-Under Push Ups. I finished strong in this one, and I can see the results as I am stronger every day.

I feel good. It's nice when you start seeing results. It makes it worthwhile. I haven't missed a workout yet, so I'm going to keep bringing it as I head into phase three on Monday!

Day 53: Stretching in the middle of the week?

It almost feels sacreligious to not be doing something strenuous on a Thursday, but my neck injury really needed this. If anyone waited until the recovery week to do this, they are missing out.

I have shoe envy for Tony's non-slip shoe-thingy's he's sporting in the stretch video. Mainly because my hardwood floor is dirty and I am too busy to clean it, so I spend a lot of my "breaks" cleaning my feet and flicking off debris from the Plyo-Mat.

I can almost use a yoga block while doing the hamstring stretch. My knees aren't completely straight, but they are getting there. I can grab both hands around my heels though. It's nice to be flexible again. I can almost feel myself making a "Kick save and a beaut!", eh?

I am (wisely) skipping all shoulder stands and plough poses as I have a feeling that isn't the best way to recover from a neck/back/shoulder injury (it keeps moving, so I'm not sure what to call it. Maybe "Fred?")

I still wake up with pain, though.

I ate out for dinner tonight (an unexpected treat), but I only ate 2/3 of the plate and saved the rest for leftovers. Ribs again, but really delicious J. Alexanders Danish Ribs. I couldn't resist!

Day 52: Nothing like Kenpo on a Wednesday afternoon!

I'm a little behind in my blog, but I've been keeping notes and I still haven't missed a workout.

Not much to say about Kenpo except that it is still my favorite workout. It also made my neck/back problem feel much better.

I am down to 174.6, my lowest weight so far. I'll probably lose a little more this week, but eventually I will probably end up back around 180 if I gain in muscle as I hope to. I'm still relying on Shakes and Bars to get me through it all.

Tip of the day: I really like saying the moves as I do them. I don't know if it helps in any way other than keeping track of when to throw a hook and when to jab, but it's worth it to me!

I am enjoying this recovery week and I am hoping that my neck pain is better next week when I start resistance training again. The timing was the best of all possibilities if I had to have an injury.

More later!

Day 51: Core Synergistics = Core Improvements!

I was not looking forward to this due to my neck. Right before I started the workout I was feeling it when I tried to turn my head. It seems that my sleep last night was the worst thing I could do. My neck was killing me in the morning and I felt like I was right back where I was on Saturday as far as pain and discomfort go.

But I slapped on some "Icy Hot" and I felt great during the workout (I didn't take Aleve or Advil so I could feel it if I was in pain!). For the second day in a row I actually felt better doing a workout than I did not doing one.

The program has definitely increased my overall stamina, strength and flexibility. I could handle pretty much everything much better than I did during the last recovery week. I skipped the "Dreya Rolls" for obvious reasons (I didn't think rolling to a neck stand was a smart thing to do in my condition!) but I didn't feel any pain after the neck rolls in the warmup.

I like the look of my abs and my waist. I am seeing improvement. I don't look like one of the guys in the video, but I am healthy and strong. My scale tells me I am 17 years old, so I'll take that any day!

This week will be interesting, that's for sure. I'll be headed out to celebrate a birthday on Thursday night, so another restaurant meal. I'll have another on the 15th, but that should be about it as far as meals out for a while.

I hit 13% body fat today. Cool.

The home stretch is just around this corner. I'm ready to "bring it" home!

More later.

Day 50: Yoga with a Bad Back (or neck?)

I was anxious about doing this workout. I guess it was the best one I could have considering the pain in my back/neck. I woke up feeling much better, but it was still a concern that I might not be able to do a full-fledged workout.

Luckily the Yoga seemed to be the exact thing that I needed. The only poses that I decided not to do were "Crane" and "Plough" because of potential falling on my shoulder in the former and undue pressure on my back/neck in the latter. Other than that I did well, but man does this workout kill my legs, especially during the "Half-Moon" pose which seems to last about three months while standing on one leg!

As I noticed in Ab-Ripper, there are a few gaffes in the routine. Tony tells everyone to stay in "Runner's Pose" but they are all still standing there with their legs up. He handles it like a pro, though, and quickly tells them to switch it up, as if he had planned it that way. (But really, he just didn't want to have to start over!)

The other thing I noticed is that the pose where you swing your leg from "Downward Dog" to touch your knee to your head and then back up and so on. On the right side, he has us do it three times before getting into "Runner's Pose" and the left he only does it twice! Imbalance, I say! I felt like an idiot the first couple fo times because I felt like I wasn't paying attention and I was just doing extra. Now I know I'm not seeing things! Hah!

Except I swear I just saw Tony throwing the diet soda out of my fridge? Oh, well.

Core Synergistics tomorrow. I can't say I am really looking forward to it, especially with my tender neck. Stay tuned!

Week 7 Review: Signs of Progress

Well, as Tomny would say during (name that routine!): "The hard part is over...sort of!"

I finished the third week of phase two and I am noticing some good things. I can fit in my pants better. I look much better (or maybe I am just fooling myself. We'll see in about 10 days!), I am stronger and able to do much more in the strength department. 23 Pull-ups! Yeah, baby!

As far as weight I was back down to 175 pounds again, and I can really see the definition in my chest and arms and my legs are solid. I went bike riding and it was a piece of cake. My heart rate is good and I feel like I am in as good a shape as I ever have been.

I might not be getting the "Wow, look at that body transformation!" effect, but I have hpes that the third phase will give me a more dramatic change. I think it has been harder for me (in some ways) because I didn't have a lot of weight to lose. My changes will be far more subtle, but just as satisfying in the end.

I look forward to the recovery week just so I can have a break from the Ab Ripper X and I can rest my injured neck/back. I'm kind of bummed that picture day comes right after the recovery week, but it didn't turn out that bad last time.

I ate much better this phase, but I still have a problem planning meals. I am relying on shakes and protien bars and I am not sure that is the best way to go, but I'm determined to stay away from the junk food (although I did have 2/3 of a burger from Chilis 2 Go on Saturday night as it was my second time going out since starting the X!)

My main regret is still that I don't have dumbbells, but maybe the second time around (or if I try P90X+.

I'll be back soon with more updates. Keep bringing it!

Day 49: Stretching Out the Pain in My Neck

Ow.

This sucks. I can't really turn my body without the sharp pain. It has progressed a little bit, but if I had to do any resistance training today I'd be in big trouble.

I ended up doing most of the stretch routines (there were a few exercises I couldn't do because of the pain, but I attempted most of them) and I felt much better afterwards. It probably wasn't smart to ahve taken Aleve before doing this. Pain is a good indicator as far as when to stop, so I blew it there. Luckily it was fine.

A heating pad and some more aleve helped at night. I still haven't missed a workout.

I also made a kick-butt spicy tomato-basil soup for dinner. More later with a week 7 review!

Day 48: Those kids were KENPO Fighting! (And a late night pain in the neck!)

Those kids were fast as Lightning!



Yeah, baby. Early morning Kenpo to set the tone for Saturday!

As I have stated many times before, I love getting my Kenpo on. I did it early this time, due to my schedule and it was definitely hard after doing the workout late last night. My neck is a little stiff still, but it didn't bother me too much during Kenpo.

One thing I noticed this time (When you watch a video over and over you start to notice things you didn't in the past. Which is why watching a movie - or reading a book - more than once is always a good idea!) is that during one of the last moves, Tony talks about kicking and that you want to "think Shins" as far as height goes. But then everyone demonstrates a kick to the head! Either that or we are practicing kicking NBA players in the knee!

Anyway, it was a great day, topped off with another beautiful, long bike ride. It added to the workout and felt great.

And then the pain hit. Shooting pain in my neck. Excruciating. It kept me up late and I feel like I can't move. I don't know if I can do my stretching tomorrow. We'll see.

Day 47: How Can I Sleep When My Legs Are Burning?

I felt better this week than last week.

Again I improved in all areas that I was able to. Especially kicking butt in the Pull-Up department. I hit 26 reverse grip pull-ups and I was able to come close to each of my first rep tallys the second time around.

Man this workout kills the legs. You don't think the Lunges are doing anything until you hit the final repa dn the cumulative effect hits you like a body check from Dion Phaneuf! (Just checking to see who's paying attention. Look him up, you'll probably see a picture of him pummelling someone into the boards! Why not just say sledgehammer? too Cliche, grasshopper! I am trying to improve my locutions!)

Ab-Ripper X was brutal again, and I will not be sad to see it go away for more than a week. I felt a twinge in my neck again during the program, but hopefully it will go away soon! I also did the whole routine without my shoes on because I couldn't figure out why I needed them. I felt much better without them, and then I realized why!

The shoes add about 2 1/2 pounds of weight to each foot. Duh! No wonder it felt better! I'll leave them on next time. I felt a little guilty about it.

Okay, not really. But I will wear the shoes again next time!

I did manage to do the Wide-leg sit-ups for most of it and did the "no-touch" option once again!

Every time we start the Mason Twists I keep hoping Tony will stop us at 40 like he says in the beginning.

I keep getting disappointed.

Sigh.

Another tough workout down. I am still worried about my results as I know that next week is a recovery week and I know I am stronger but the dang pictures loom over my head! Any advice on how not to be anxious about this? I can't follow the meal plan and it's messing me up. I know I'll never have abs like Adam, but come one, I want to lose all my flab!

Day 46: Yoga (Groan!)

I could look forward to this workout if the initial phas was, say, twenty minutes shorter. My legs were burning by the time I got to Warriot Three Pose. When I staggered across the room, it was as if all the muscles had been removed from my legs.

I can't tell you how much relief I feel when I get to the last Visnasya (Spelling?), although I was able to hold the Pretzel pose for the entire allotted time.

I kicked butt again on the Standing poses (Tree, Royal dancer, Toe Lock/Leg extension and even Camel!)

I do enjoy the stretching and the meditation stuff at the end.

I always feel better having DONE the workout, but I wish I had more motivation to do it. I would think as I get better I would be more comfortable, but it's the opposite. I am getting better which is raising the bar and making it harder. Now I know why Adam is sweating like a madman during the whole routine!

I'm back down to 175.8. For a guy not watching the scale, that really made my day!

I still need more muscle.

Does anyone check their heart rate during Yoga? The beeping would probably drive me bonkers and be counterproductive. It would remind me of the Ellen Degeneres comedy routine where she talks about doing Yoga and meditating and wonders if she turned the stove off. No one is funnier at random streams of consciousness than Ellen. Am I off topic? A little, but I'm ready for Recovery Week after this weekend. I wonder if it would be worth it to get Dumbbells when I am 2/3 through the program? I'm worried about my muscle results. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks and Keep Bringing it!

Day 45: Back & Biceps (And Tony Cheats in Ab Ripper!)

I have suspected it for a while now. I couldn't understand why my counting was so far off from Tony's in Ab Ripper X.

So I watched.

Carefully.

He doesn't count correctly in the Reverse Bicycle exercises. I'm at 25 and he starts counting from 19. Not even close!

I'm on to you, Tony. There are a few other counting errors throughout the programs. You will not be doing my accounting, Mr. Horton, that's for sure! The nerve of that guy, trying to trick us into doing more than we think we are doing!

I did show some improvement in Ab Ripper x as I was able to do some of the cross Legged Sit Ups in lieu of the Wide Legged version. I also did most of my Leg Climbers with only the one touch at the toe (or would that be no touches? Whatever it was, it was cool!).

The Back and Biceps is always a fun workout, because the routine is for the "Glamour Muscles" and it feels good working the Biceps especially.

I improved in pretty much everything, and it's always motivating to see this type of improvement on a weekly basis. I was able to do switch-grip pull-ups (although I can't switch while hanging. I guess it's kind of cheating, but I'm still doing the work! I don't know why these tire me out so much more than all the other type of Pull-Ups. I even managed the Corn-Cob Pull-Ups AND the Towel Pull-Ups without the chair this time.

I did 18 Wide Grip Pull-Ups, but my callouses are starting to bother me when I do the pull-ups. My padded hand grips are in a permanent position, so it makes it difficult.

I love the Congdon Locomotives. Awesome feeling.

I also improved a little bit with my Hammer Curls. My right arm is stronger than my left. I still tilt my body when I am trying to push through the left hand curls.

Yoga tomorrow. I'm excited. (okay, that was sarcastic, I know, but I can't stand the first half of that workout and then finishing with Yoga Belly Seven!).

Later!

Day 44: Plyomaniac Strikes Again!

I brought it and I brought it big time!

I did feel it a little more after this workout, but I think it's because I was so frustrated with the day before that I was ticked off at myself.

I again managed to keep up with Dominic and I didn;t hit the pause button nearly as much as I usually do. It helped that I was in a time crunch, so I didn't have a lot of time to mess around. The intensity was there and I worked it.

My legs are killing me.

I love the Sports Bonus round, but I don't feel it there like I do everything else.

I lost another couple of pounds as I am down to 177 lbs (from 179 yesterday) and I feel good about myself.

I had a night meeting and it was next door to a great chinese Restaurant that I smelled through the entire presentation. I felt guilty about not having the will power to ignore it. I ordered curbside-to-go and took home some Kung Pao Chicken.

I know.

I only had about half of it (until I finished it on Wednesday!) so I don't feel that bad. I've been living on Power Bars and other Protein replacement shakes and bars. I indulged and it was good.

Day 43: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps. Being Jack Palance!

How the heck does anyone do one-arm push-ups, let alone an ancient actor who probably smoked more in on day than I inhaled second had smoke in my lifetime?

Talk about an ego-killer! I can't even do it on my knees like the lady int he video! What the hell?

This workout was the first of the resistance workouts that I didn't really improve my stats from the previosu week. Part of this is because the numbers are set increments, but it's mostly that I didn't improve or push myself as much as I should have. I was admitteldly distracted with work and other things and I wasn't feeling it.

My heart rate was good, but it was frustrating to not see the progression as I do in the other resistance routines. I think the bands also limit me a bit. I don't have that many options for weight with the bands.

Ab Ripper was deadly. I still have to hit the pause button after the first set of bicylcles!

Week 6 Review: Houston, We Have a Problem!

Sort of.


I felt really good for most of the week, but I didn't eat very well. It's not like I had junk food, but I ate too much of everything, tossing the whole "limited portions" thing out the window. I also am completely convinced that Mucle Milk is making me gain weight (which might be the point- I should really read the label!) and not muslce.


It was disappointing that I was back up to 179 lbs at the end of this phase after the week before I was down to 175. It's hard to convince myself I am not worried about the scale when I go through the routine of weighing myself every day. Glutton for punishment?


I like this phase better than phase 1. This is mainly because I am in better shape and can do "Dmore physically, but also the routines didn't have as much of the "Do one set now and then when your limbs are hanging limp from your body do them again!" mentality.


There were also less push-ups.

Or maybe I've gotten better at pushups? Who knows, but it is a good program, and I thank those who commented that they see some improvement from Day 1 to Day 30. I have a critical eye of my own development and I was expecting more. But if I look closely, I admit that I can see definition in areas that I have never had before.

I am still loving this program. For a person like me, I need a strict schedule to adhere to and I need to see some results. My heart rate is doing really well and my cool Body Fat scale says I have the body of a 20 year old!

(Well the next day it said I was 30, but it's finciky that way!)

More later. Sorry I am behind in my posts! I haven't missed a workout, though!

Day 42: Stretching it to the Limit! And a Bike Ride to Boot!

I almost didn't do the stretching. I waited until late at night. I'm glad I didn't skip it as I actually contemplated doing so. Even though I contemplated by asking myself, "Do I really want to spend an hour stretching?" I ended up making the right decision.

As always, it was a pleasant and satisfying time spent.

Earlier in the day I took a wonderful bike ride for about 6-8 miles. It was a glorious day and although my rear felt it from a new bike (first time on the seat) I think P90x really prepared me for the exercise as I was never winded. Granted I wasn't going Lance Armstrong on anyone, but I wasn't stopping and coasting all the time either!

Day 41: Kenpo Kicks it Up a Notch!

Nothing like a Late Night Kenpo X session right after my Rangers win an essential game against the Buffalo Sabres!

My balance was off again today and I gained some weight since Thursday. Probably because I had a Muscle Milk Shake yesterday, depsite warnings that it was probably not a good idea.

But other than that, Kenpo rocked once again. I love it. It is by far the most "fun" workout and you can really get into it.

I haven't really seen anything I can improve in (like the muscle exercises) but I think my form is better (at least in my mind. I could look like a reject from Mr Miyagi's Katate class, but who is going to know? So just picture someone looking like they know what they are doing, okay?)

Anyway, I'll be bacl tomorrow with an update and a week 6 review! Thanks for reading!

Day 40: My legs are burning!

Although this is my second favorite workout, it almost killed me.

I knew I was in trouble when the first exercise (the balance lunge) had me dizzy afterwards. I felt it big time in every one of my leg exercises, and I was much more wobbly than I usually am.

The good news is that I improved in all of my Pull/Chin-Up exercises, peaking at 23 Reverse grip Chin-Ups (I did 10 the first week). Again, it's crucial to keep track of what you have done in the past because it gives you a goal to reach for. I made sure I beat all of last weeks totals, and I don't think I would have done that if I didn't know what I had done. I also raised my Wide Front Pull Ups by about two a week (6-8-11-12-14) and I'm not losing as many reps on the second set.

I do always feel great after this workout, but I was as tired as I ever was tonight. I also noticed my heart rate was pretty good during this workout. I was in "the zone" for most of it (although believe it or not, my heart rate went down during Ab Ripper X! Go figure!)

More later as I'll report on tonight's Kenpo X!

Day 39: The Dreaded Yoga!

This was the first workout in a while that I really wanted to skip. I didn't, but I wanted to. It was after a long day at work and it ended up being a late night session and I was not looking forward to it.

I am still seeing improvement in my flexibility and my endurance. I can hold the "Twisting Pretzel" Pose (I think it's named something else, but you getthe idea!) and other balance postures a lot longer.

I hate the Yoga Belly Seven.

I was almost asleep during the "Corpse" pose, but I woke up just at the end of the minute. I wonder if I did fall asleep, how long would it be before I woke up? Would the "Ohms" wake me, or the obnoxious loud commercial for Beach Body products at the end?

Enough of that. I am behind in the blog (but not my workouts!) More later!

I'm not eating well, but that's not new.

Day 38: Back and my Aching Biceps!

Killer Workout. There's nothing more satisfying than working out you biceps, which is why they are called the glamour mucles, I suppose.
It's a vanity thing, but you can tell you've worked out your biceps more than any other part of your body. This is what Hans and Franz meant when they said "We're going to...Pump...You up, you girly man!

My heart rate was in "the zone" for a good amount of this workout. I got messed up in the end where I had to take a phone call and it screwed up my workout. I finished it, but the last 6 minutes didn't have the usual cumulative effect.

The muscles confusion is excellent. My body was not ready for this. I struggled with the bands again and if I could afford a decent (or any condition) pair of dumbbells, I would buy them right now.

I've been hungry the past two days and I think I gained a pound back. Oh, well. I keep telling myself it's not about the scale. I feel I look 100 times (er, 10 times?) better already and I feel healthy. That's the most important thing at this point.

More later!

Day 37: Plyomaniac! Bringing it for real!

The mother of all P90X routines continues to be Plyometrics.

I was interrupted several times but I was trying to monitor my heart rate and I was having some difficulty staying in "the zone". I guess I should learn more about zones before I try to change anything.

The squat-switch-jump-turns-whatever were killing me. I am still feeling this workout, which is much different than the times I've done it (since week 1 anyway) previously.

I cooked my killer Thai-Chicken for dinner (a small portion) and although it has veggies and really lean chicken, it probably had ingredients in the sauce that were not the best for me. But I got tired of energy bars for dinner. I also made some Turkey Jerky that will be ready tomorrow and I found some cool "Low Carb" bread that will be good for my Peanut Butter sandwhich lunch.

More later!

Day 36: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps (Ow, my neck!)

I am in pain. The workout went well, but right during Ab Ripper X (Cross-Leg/Wide Leg Sit-Ups) I got a major pain in the neck. First I felt two popping-like sensations right above my lower back/waist area. That worried me, but it didn't hurt. The pain came right during the Sit-Ups. I don't know what the problem was, but I am still in pain. I made myself finish, mainly because the neck wasn't bothering me during the rest of the Ab Ripper exercises, but it's killing me now.

I really need to get on the diet again. I am dedicated to the exercising part of the program, but not the diet. I'm still eating pretty healthy (except a few pieces of candy at work) but I don't eat enough. Period. I did go shopping, so hopefully tomorrow will make me more disciplined. I did take out a steak for tomorrow, so maybe I'll have a good protein dinner tomorrow.

More later!

Week 5 Review (Phase 2 Commences!)

Phase 2 is where the muscle confusion really hits home. I was enjoying the Phase 2 routine, and just when I got used to things, old Tony Horton and the P90X crew rocked my world.

The format stays basically the same:

Monday:
Replacing Chest & Back is newcomer Chest, Shoulders & Triceps. The routine is excellent and less Push-Up intensive, which is good (because I hate Push-Ups) and bad (because I hate Push-Ups!). Unfortunately, Ab Ripper X is still here. I take that back. I like the Ab Ripper. Sort of. Not really. Maybe like I like Broccoli. I know it's good for me, but...

Tuesday: Plyometrics remains. The mother of all P90X routines continues her dominance!

Wednesday:
Shoulders & Arms is replaced by Back & Biceps. Of course what would Wednesday be without Ab Ripper X as well? Besides less painful, I mean? The Back and Biceps routine is brutal on the arms, and you really feel it in the biceps. I like it a lot.

Thursday:
Yoga, the deceivingly brutal and intense workout, continues to challenge me.

Friday:
My favorite workout, Legs & Back is still on Friday and I like it.

Saturday:
My second favorite workout, Kenpo X, lets the Friday-Saturday One-Two Punch continue (pun intended!). this is a great start to any weekend and you can't help feeling energized by doing this routine.

Sunday:
Ahhhhhh! Stretch! Don't skip it! I needed it more this week than ever!

The new routines are less repetition, which allows you to focus on maximum reps. It also works some different body parts and uses different exercises on body parts you have already been working. this is where the muscle confusion is gold.

I ate a lot of meal replacement bars and shakes this week and I think that's why I showed the most change in my stats (see Day 30 Pics/Stats Post), although it could be the cumulative effect.

Anyway, I am still loving the program and think Tony Horton should be inducted into the infomercial Hall of Fame (right next to the guy who brought us the "Flowbee")!

Day 35: Stretching out the Weekend

This was another great Sunday X Stretch.

Don't even think about skipping it!

I went grocery shopping and stocked up on health food again. It is so much cheaper doing junk food, but I feel so much better that it is worth it. Besides getting milk and OJ, I have only had to do two grocery shopping trips since I started the program. Of course, I've been drinking a lot of protein shakes and eating a lot of meal replacement bars.

I made some turkey jerky. I'll post the recipe here, but I warn you that it is scorching hot. IF I'm going to eat healthy, I'm going to make it sizzle!

I'm ready to start Week Number 6! Keep Pushing Play and Bringing it!

Day 30 Pictures

Pictures unavailable at this time! Sorry!

I think I see some improvement, but it's not as "Xtreme" as I would like. I feel better, though!

DAY 30 WEIGHT: 175.4 lbs (Down from 182.4)
DAY 30 BODY FAT: 14.7 % (Down from 16.6%)
DAY 30 BODY WATER: 55.7% (Up from 55.1%)

Day 34: Kenpo ROCKS!

I love the Kenpo.

Once again, Ibrought the intensity and it felt great. It is a fun workout and I can bring it with pleasure. It's one of those empowering workouts that makes you feel stronger and more confident.

I got a free heart monitor by buying two Minute-Maid Enhanced Juices (check it out HERE).

My resting heart rate has improved a lot since I started this program. I am definitely in the best shape of my life (well, almost. I still have a bit of flab around the gut, but I am much better cardiovascularly! Uh, is that a word?)

I was in "the zone" for a good amount of the workout, but I am going to have to work on it a bit more. It's been a good work. I like this better than the first phase, and I look forward to the stretch tomorrow. I hope to get my pictures up soon.

Day 33: Legs, Back and Ab Ripper (I'm on fire!)

I have been right on top of my workouts, but less on top of my blog. Apologies for those that are interested. Hopefully you'll be relieved to know that I didn't cheat and skip a workout.

I absolutely love this workout. Here is waht I learned after this one:

It is very important to write things down. I highly recommend this software because it not only allows you to track your progress, it is a great motivational tool. Before I do each exercise, I look back at the last time I did it and decide what I am going to shoot for this time. If I didn't have the logs, I would probably be doing roughly the same each week. When Tony harps on writing down your reps and weights, he is right on. Write it down!

I still use the "MyGym" for this workout, as a lot of the exercises can easilly be used with this product (I only used the bands once or twice).

I enjoy all the lunge exercises, since my hockey legs thrive on the stuff.

The Pull-Ups went very well, as I improved in all but one set (The second set of the Wide Front Pull-Ups that really hurt my hands. I wonder if I need gloves. Callouses are not building up as quickly as I would like. It is more like blisters.)

I am really going to love the Friday-Saturday routines for this segment of the program. More later!

Day 32: Yoga! I Survived The Twisting Triangle Pose!

For this report I am just going to give myself grades. They are on a bell-curve, of course!

Part 1: Vinyasa's (Spelling?) This is the first time I did Upward Dog and not Cobra. I made it through almost all the poses, but I did pretty much bail on the last stage of the workout (The "Stand-on-one-leg-for-what-seems-like-a-million-hours" pose.)

Part 2: Balance Poses: I kicked butt. I did "Tree" without falling once on my left leg and just once on the right. I managed to do the Royal Dancer and I was able to hold my leg with both hands and keep the horizontal pose. Yeah, baby! I did "Wheel" for a little bit, but still felt more comfortable in "Bridge". I did "Crane" for the first time and I did "Plough" without breathing difficulty. My favorite part of the Yoga program (besides the end where I almost fall asleep in the "Corpse" pose.)

Part 3: Stretching: I notice a big difference from week one. I can now almost use a yoga block stretching beyond my feet. If I bend my knees slightly I can do it, but that doesn't count. I can feel the flexibility. I almost matched Tony in "Ohms" length.

Anyway, a good day. More to come soon!

Day 31: Back & Biceps (Killer!)

It's hard to type this. I am really feeling yesterdays workout. There is something about working the biceps that I really enjoy, in a sadistic sense. It is definitely a good kind of pain. Sort of.

The workout is well paced once again. 24 Different exercises to destroy your recovered muscles.
They are:
Wide Front Pull-Ups
Lawnmowers
Twenty-Ones
One-Arm Cross Body-Curls
Switch-Grip Pull-Ups
Elbows-Out Lawnmowers
Standing Bicep Curls
One arm Concentration Curls
Corn Cob Pull-Ups (OMG- You have got to be kidding me! Pure torture!)
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
Open Arm Curls
Static Arm Curls
Towel Pull-Ups (I really liked these. I didn't do that well with these, but I like the idea!)
Congdon Locomotives (Awesome. I love these. It's a great Power move. Fun!)
Crouching Cohen Curls (These are really hard to do with the bands.)
One-Arm Corkscrew Curls
Chin Ups (What is the difference between these and "Reverse Grip Pull Ups? Anyone? Bueller?)
Seated Bent-Over Back Flys
Curl-Up/Hammer Down (Again, hard with the bands)
Hammer Curls
Max Rep Pull-Ups (I felt so weak at this point I didn't come close to doing my usual amount!)
Superman (Unlike the Core Synergistics, this was a welcome relief from the rest!)
In-Out Hammer Curls (Duh-na-na-na. Hammer Time!)
Strip-Set Curls (4 reps starting with a high weight and decreasing incrementally. This was tough with the bands, but I made it work. A great exercise.)

Overall it was a great workout. I still struggle with some of the pull-ups and some of the band routines don't work well. The "MyGym" (the parts that weren't broken) continues to be a very good replacement for weights and the bands, as it is much easire to just stand on it and pull as opposed to trying to loop the band to get more resistance. If I didn't have the MyGym, I don't think I would be doing nearly as well with some of the exercises that call for weights (especially since I broke one of my bands), although it is very difficult to guess the weight as the bands increas in resistance the farther you stretch them (and decreas the opposite way). As long as you keep track of the color and whether you are standing, kneeling or sitting, you can probably figure out a system that works.

I think this is the last new routine, since the Cardio X isn't part of the "Classic" routine, so my future reviews will be anything new that I notice. Thanks for reading and keep bringing it!

Day 30: Plyo MANIA!

Sorry for the delay. I've had computer issues the last few days, but I'm still on schedule without missing an exercise day.

I rocked the Plyo. It was a great workout and I still love the Swing Kicks. My goal is to keep up with Dominic and I matched him almost the entire workout today. The squat jumps are what kill me!

I probably won't have any video updates for a while, so sorry for those that only like the videos. I'll try to make this as entertaining and informitive as possible. Thanks for the feedback! I'll also have updated pics soon, although I had to take them myself so no face.

Day 29: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps (Oh, My!)

Talk about a shock to the system! If my muscles are as confused as my mind is, then the P90X legend is for real. It was a good workout, though.

No double reps during this workout. Twenty-Four (24) Different exercises and each one of them is killer. I had a few problems during this workout as first my light weight Blue Band broke one side. Then I broke the other side. And then to completely ruin my day, the MyGym band broke as I figured I was giving up using the regular bands. I was not happy.

It was also the first day that I had to split the workout in two due to interruptions and bad timing on my part.

Slow Motion 3-in-1 Push-Ups (These are very difficult, especially if you try to match Tony!)
In & Out Shoulder Flys
Chair Dips
Plange Push-Ups
Pike Presses
Side Tri-Rises (I don't know what the deal is, but these don't give me any problems)
Floor Flys (Almost impossible. I suck at these big time!)
Scarecrows (See, I'm always thinking! A tie in to my title!)
Overhead Tricep Extensions (This is also where my first two bands broke!)
Two-Twitch Speed Push-Ups
Y-Presses (This is where the MyGym Broke and I considered Kenpo Chopping the couch!)
Lying Tricep Extensions
Side-To-Side Push-Ups (Nice, but almost as hard as Fly Push Ups!)
Pour Flys (You don't get as much out of this with the bands. Bummer)
Side Leaning Tricep Extensions
One Arm Push-Ups (I did approximately "0")
Weighted Circles (You can do this with bands. I used my 3 lb weights. It was hard enough!)
Throw The Bomb (If the government is watching- don't paint me as a terrorist! That's the name of the dang exercise! It's football reference!
Clap or Plyo Push-Ups (Felt like a Marine, although I think Marines can do more than 8!)
Slo-Mo Throws
Front To Back Tricep Extensions
One Arm Balance Push-Ups
Fly Row Presses
Dumbbell Cross-Body Blows (This was really fun, especially with the bands.)

Overall, it was an intense and fulfilling workout. I am sure I'll get more comfortable with a lot of the exercises and then they'll switch me to something else.

Keep Bringing it! Here's my vid:


(Unavailable at this time!)

Week 4: My Progress Update (Stay Tuned!)

This would be a good time to review my own progress, but because I am not at day 30 yet, I will wait until I post my photos. I probably can't take the updated photos until Wednesday (Day 31) but it's my only option at this point. Expect a review of my progress on Thursday. Thanks for your patience!

Week 4 Review: Am I recovered now?

So it's been 28 long days. Here is my review of the program thus far:

The Good:

1. The program is planned extremely well. It is so much better than just guessing which exercises to do on what days (as I have had to do with other programs or if I just try to do it on my own.)
2. Tons of variety. No getting bored here. By the time you get the hang of something, it will be a while before you do it again. It makes the learning curve a bit steeper, but the results (and motivation) make it work.
3. Motivation. I don't know if the blog and YouTube vids make me more accountable, or if it is the nature of the program, but I can count on one hand how many times I didn't want to work out. I'm not talking about the inevitable sense of dread that accompanies "pushing play" on days you know you are going to be feeling it. I'm talking about how many times I thought about actually skipping a day. I also like using the Beachbody.com WOWY site to log my workouts. It's nice seeing the little red X's all over the board.
4. The DVD'S. No surprise, considering the slick infomercial, but the criteria for a good workout vid are all met: A leader who is not annoying (like, say, Richard Simmons); People actually working out and not just demonstrating; Variety of custom options depending on your fitness level; Decent music; Learning new things with each viewing.
5. Um, the Diet. Well, this makes my bad list as well, but that's for personal reasons. The diet is manageable and if you have the patience, there are some great recipes.

The Bad:

1. Inconsistent Demonstrations. This isn't that bad, but there are some exercises that are explained brilliantly, and others that are destined to have you skip back to the beginning. I'm sure I'll appreciate the spartan directions when I have heard tony say "from you hips to your finger-tips" for the eighty-seventh time, but it's a bit aggravating at times. The camera angles are good for the most part, but occasionally they zoom in on something ridiculous which causes you to get confused (I won't name specific exercises, COUGH- STAR BLOCKS-COUGH!)
2. Space Limitations. Again, this is minor. This program is designed for a home, but sometimes it seems like you need a lot more space than a small living room.
3. You really need Dumbbells. Yeah, the bands kind of work, and you can get some killer resistance, but I feel like I am not maximizing my results because I spend so much time trying to figure out what weight to use. The MyGym helped, but now I've broken one of those bands. It's hard to track what weight you've used with the bands as well. If you are thinking about doing the program without dumbbells, just be warned that it is challenging and keeping track of your progress (increasing resistance/weight) is tough.

The Ugly:

1. The shameless promotion of Beachbody Products. I know, I know, it's an infomercial product and it is a huge company, but I think there are enough advertisements in the guide book (written in context, of course!) and on the website. I don't even mind the plugs for products afterwards. I just don't like Tony telling me to buy the recovery drink at least once per disc.

It's really not that ugly, but I had the good and the Bad, so what am I supposed to do? Leave out the ugly?

Here's my Video Review:

(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 28: Thank goodness for X Stretch!

It was definitely different muscles that really felt the X-Stretch today. I definitely look forward to the stretch days and I can see the results. Anyway, The scale finally shows that I have lost some weight, I wonder if it's because I ate better (I don't think so?) or if I didn't put on any muscle this week?

Anyway, I'll have a Week 4 review and vid by tomorrow.

Day 27: Namaste! Yoga beats me up!

Core synergistics yesterday made Yoga harder for me today.

All I can say is that I dreaded doing it. I am glad I did it, but it was an effort. I still can only do about 80% of the program. I am showing improvement. I'm glad tomorrow is a stretch day and then the recovery week is over.

Does this mean I recovered?

Sorry for the weak post. I do have some more in depth things I'll be adding shortly, including reviews of products I use.

Keep bringing it!

Day 26: Core Synergistics kicks my ABS!

I wasn't looking forward to this workout. Idid much better than last time as familiarity makes me a little more confident and my trusty skip back button is getting worn out while I try to learn these moves!

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast:
Hot oatmeal with a smidgen of Brown sugar and a touch of 1% milk

Lunch:
2 rice cakes with peanut butter

Dinner:
Stir Fry Thai chicken with Bell Peppers and some Jasmine Rice

Snacks:
Muscle Milk Fitness bar
Gatorade G2
Water
Recovery drink

Not great, but I still feel like I am eating a lot healthier than I ever have. I have lost a few pounds, but I look a lot better than I used to.

I am going to be a little more discretionary with my Muscle Milk, since I was told that that might not be good for me. Damn those GNC salesmen! I know that I need some kind of Protein Powder drink and Muscle Milk seemed like ti would help me a lot. I only use one scoop instead of two, but I do use about a two cups of 1% milk. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Day 25: Stretching Results (My life as a Pretzel!)

I am committed to doing the program every day, and although the STRETCH X program is tempting to blow off, it is a routine that I have seen incredible progress each week. I have always been flexible (C'mon, I was a goalie!) but I had definitely lost a little flexibility over the past few years. In a almost a month I can do almost all the stretching routines and it always feels great during and afterwards.

If you are contemplating skipping the Stretch workouts, you really should reconsider. I know it is making me stronger and enhances my ability to make things work.

I alos love the "Rollers!" I could do those for an hour!

Core Synergistics tomorrow. I can't say I am looking forward to that workout!

Day 24: Kenpo tips from P90Xtreme!

Okay, so you've done the Kenpo X four times now. The first time it was kind of a novelty, so you were into it. The second and third time was good, but you were missing something. You weren't really punching anyone, so how do your muscles really feel it beyond an excellent cardio workout?

I know, I wondered the same thing!

Today it was a revelation. I really felt it during the entire workout. I brought it, big time. Star Blocks aside, I was on fire. (Um, well, I at least had a serious temperature!)

P90Xtreme, how do you "Bring" the intensity level to this workout?

I'm so glad you asked! Even though I still can't do "Star @%$& Blocks" I have learned something, Grasshopper!

The answer is: Mirrors!

I don't actually have mirrors, but I amg oing to reveal the poor man's way around this. Obviously, if you have a mirror in your workout room, you are golden. What I have is two glass framed pictures that pretty much do the same thing. I set up my mat (I use the plyo mat to take it easy on my old goalie knees) horizontally across the room directly in the line of the two pictures. These pictures are only about 1" x 1 & 1/2" , but it does the trick. I can see my expression easily when i am facing the pictures. I then do the left punch routines looking at the left picture and the right punches on the opposite.

Umm, P90Xtreme, that's great. Er, really, really great. What an, um, interesting tip...

Yeah, I know what you are thinking. Maybe I punched myself in the head (or residual effects of hockey pucks to the noggin)?

I did hit myself, but I am dead serious. This works. Seeing your form in the mirror/glass is a major motivation to bring the intensity. When I am not looking at my reflection, I sometimes feel kind of foolish punching at nothing. This technique makes you think you're punching yourself.

(It also helps that one of the pictures is a photo of Hockey legend Mark Messier with a bloody face. It kind of sets the tone!)

I wouldn't have been able to do this the first few times because I was learning the routines, but once you feel comfortable

(I still get confused with the punch combinations, so I have to say them out loud as I am punching, like, "JAB-CROSS-CROSS-UPPERCUT!")

I credit this technique with increasing my intensity, especially during the punch/kick routines. I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried something similar. At night you could do it in front of a window and it would accomplish the same thing. Of course, the neighbors might see you, but if a burglar is sneaking up during your routine, there is no doubt that you would scare them away. Especially with all the vocal grunting (highly recommended as well- don't dismiss it as nothing!)

Keep Bringing it!

Day 23: Core Synergistics: Recovery Week My ABS!

Any lingering fantasy of a relaxing vacation week was blown up in Rambo-like fashion today as Core Synergistics came in and kicked my ABS (and every other part of me!)

I couldn't do a lot of this. I had to watch, rewind, watch, rewind, move into a bigger workout room (Not that I had that choice, but Tony had us all over the place. He obviously didn't get the memo that I was in a limited space for my workout room.

Walking Push Ups? You have got to be kidding me.

Stack Foot Stagger Hand Push Ups? Is that an exercise or a dance move?

Sphinx Push Ups? Ancient Egypt is ruined for me!

Superman-Banana? Leaning Crescent Rolls? This is the first exercise vid that made me hungry from the titles!

Plank to Chaturanga Run? Good luck with this one! Holy Cow!

Lunge-Kickback-Curl-Press is as hard as it sounds, and I only used 3 pund hand weights!

Reach High AND Under Push Ups? (mommy!)

I did kick butt at Towel Hopping and Steam Engine.

Finally: The Dreya Roll! Be careful, I almost rolled into a wall!

Tip of the day: The person demonstrating the "Squat Xpress" with the Bands (I don't have weights) is a woman. If you are a guy and you try it, BE WARNED!

Anyway, here's my YouTube vid:

Day 22: Yoga. This is recovery? Yikes!

It isn't that bad, but Yoga is the toughest (and longest workout) so don't be fooled into thinking the term "recovery" is equal to the term "less work!"

This week will be two YOGA routines, one KENPO routine, two STRETCHES, and two CORE SYNERGISTICS (which is a new routine for me, so I look forward to reviewing it.

Basically, it is more about letting your muscles recover from the workouts, while maintaining your flexibility and core strength.

I really don't know what I will do without the Ab-Ripper.

I'm worried that my pictures won't be that impressive, but it's a long process, so I'll deal with it. More later as I try Core Synergistics on Day 23!

Day 21: Week 3 Review!

I survived the first three weeks. Here are my observations:

I felt stronger this week. I improved in most of my exercises and didn't feel a plateau.

I have totally bought into this muscle confusion strategy. It works. It works like aces!

I haven't really lost any weight, but I feel better. The food is a challenge for me, but I realized that if I tried to lose weight, I'd probably be less healthy. 180 is a reasonable weight for me, and my waist already looks better, so I have decided not to stress out about it. I will continue with the junk food free diet (and I made some kick-ass Spicy Turkey Jerky last week!) and see if I can turn the extra abdominal fat into muscle. I look forward to taking pictures on Day 30 and see if I notice any results.

I will be posting more YouTube vids this week, since I will be doing new routines.

Thanks for reading and keep bringing it!

Here's the YouTube Vid:

(Unavailable at this time!)