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!