P90X: Day 11 & 12

Yoga on Day 11 was just as horrible as it was the first time through.  As the folks on the video go through each pose with what can only be described as ease, we attempt to contort into the positions as though we are a pair of elephants.  Even so, we both lumbered through the routine, and both of us felt a bit more nimble as a result.

Legs & Back (and the lovely Ab Ripper X) were on the Day 12 schedule.  I feel like I didn’t get a good workout in today, so I’m not entirely sure what to write.  Matt and I are working with a coworker all weekend to try and make headway on a very important project that needs to be completed.  As a result, I haven’t been in the best mindset for working out, but I still managed to do the workout.  I’m hoping that half of the challenge of P90X is just forcing yourself to do the routines.  After all, how can you get any results if you don’t dedicate yourself to the workout?

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 10

We’ve completed 10 days!  I know Chris will agree with me when I say that so far we are very pleased with the program.  On top of that, we both have more energy and are starting to feel a bit more powerful.  Whether or not that’s true is probably up to interpretation, but at least we feel good.

Today was the second day of Shoulders & Arms (as well as the normal Ab Ripper X).  For whatever reason I found myself having the ability to power through this workout like I couldn’t last week.  The easy answer is that my body is adjusting, but I am pretty sure that there’s more to it than that.  I was pushing higher weights longer than I thought I could, and I was enjoying the pain.  I’ve always had trouble getting over that initial hump, so I’m actually very happy with my workout from last night.  My arms are not so happy with it…but it occurs to me that they aren’t supposed to like it.

Later today I’ll be doing Yoga for the second time in my life.  I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to it, but I will be curious to see how I manage some of the poses now that I’ve gone through it once.

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 9

The one difference I’ve noticed so far this week is that instead of being excruciatingly sore in one or two places on my body, I am just generally sore.  I think I prefer this to being sore enough to restrict movement, but I also wonder if I’m not pushing myself hard enough with the workouts.

Plyometrics was not a place I could test out that theory however, as I am still having minor pain in my foot.  Even so, I stuck it out and got more of the workout done this time than last.  I was just as exhausted and unwilling to move afterwards, and this morning I feel just as good for it as I did last week.

Chris and I have discussed the lack of pain, and we think that it may be possible the first week served only to re-introduce our usually dormant bodies back into the routine of being physically active.  Even so, we will work harder to push ourselves in each of the routines to see if we can get the most out of the program as possible.  As our fearless leader Tony always says, you just have to “Bring It.”

 

- Andy

P90X: Days 7 & 8

Day 7 of the P90X program is a “Rest or Stretch” day.  Chris tried the stretching routine they provide, and I decided to rest.  We’ll see how this affects us as we move forward, hopefully it turns out to not matter much.

With the beginning of week 2, Day 8 provides the start of the same schedule as the week before.  We stay on this schedule for the first three weeks of the program, have a ‘Recovery’ week for the fourth week, and then move on to Phase 2.  The premise of P90X is that it keeps your muscles from acclimating to a single routine, thus maximizing the benefit you receive from that routine.  I’m curious to know what study they are going off of that allowed them to choose a 3+1 week range for a phase of the program…

The second time around with Chest & Back (and the 4th time around with Ab Ripper X) proved to be actually somewhat satisfying.  Gone are the aches and pains that accompanied the first attempt a week ago, and now we have mild soreness and that wonderful lack of power that can only come from working out.  It would almost suggest that the program has been working for us already, though much of that may be from our low level of fitness upon starting the program.

I have been informed by a friend however that I have a noticeably higher energy level since starting the routine, and this is comforting to hear.  It also looks like my gut has been pushed out further than it was before, which tells me my abdominals may already be benefitting from the intense Ripper workouts and therefore are pushing out what gut I have to new widths.  I have been eating well and not overeating, so I find it hard to believe that I could have added so much girth in the course of one week.

All seems promising, but there is still a long way to go.

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 6

Today was Kenpo day at Apartment 307.  Chris went through the routine earlier in the day (as usual) and seemed rather unimpressed by the workout.  As such, I went into the routine with a bit of trepidation.

Tony spends a lot of time stressing that he doesn’t want you to hyper-extend your joints while doing this workout.  Knowing what I do about my arms and legs, I decided to concentrate on two things for this workout; 1) Form  and  2) Flexing my muscles throughout.

By doing this, I find that I am just as wasted as ever, and satisfied that I am working on punching with equal power from both of my arms.  My kicks will take some time to look pretty, as my legs just aren’t that flexible, but it looks like I’m going to have a lot of fun with the Kenpo routine.

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 5

Legs & Back, and of course Ab Ripper X.  I can honestly say that Ab Ripper X is becoming my favorite routine of this part of the program, but we’ll see if that holds up after tomorrow’s workout…

Legs & Back was a nice way of saying that we’re going to make you do lunges, and then pull ups, and then lunges again, followed by pull ups and we’ll even throw in a wall squat or two.  For anyone who is not familiar with wall squats, they are better experienced than described.  Walk up to the nearest wall, put your back against it, and then squat down to make a 90° angle with your legs.  After that, just hold it until you can’t, it should explain things pretty solidly.

I tried doing all of the pull ups using only the chair as support while I grunted at the pull up bar.  Another option (which I believe Chris used) was to kneel and utilize some power bands, but it seemed to me that we wouldn’t have something that weighed enough.  The workout was tough and I’m feeling pretty limp in my arms, back and thighs.  My abs are also a bit wobbly, but that’s just what Ab Ripper X does for you!

I have one more workout this week with our Kenpo X tomorrow.  Monday is a rest or stretch day, which means I can almost make a summary post about my first week on the program.  I’ll be back tomorrow with that and with a description of Kenpo X!

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 4

As another morning began, I lay in my bed afraid of what sensation awaited me upon trying to move.  Thankfully, I was rewarded with a minimal amount of soreness in my legs and abdomen, though it appeared that my arms were still somewhat asleep.  The same sensation stayed with me throughout the day in my biceps, but otherwise I feel good.

Today’s routine was ‘Yoga X’, which sounds a bit ominous really.  In reality, it was a challenging but rewarding routine to get through regardless of how many positions you were actually able to contort yourself into.

To say that today was a day off would be incorrect, as you still find yourself sore after the workout.  It was today, of all days, that I found myself coming close to pulling muscle during one of the poses.  This was an interesting feeling that makes me wonder just how much other effort I didn’t notice while performing the poses and doing some deep breathing.

Tomorrow is ‘Leg & Back’, as well as another installation of good old ‘Ab Ripper X’.  Chris and I both wonder how our bodies will respond to the stress, but we’re starting to feel better overall as a result of forcing ourselves to do the program every day.  Till tomorrow…

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 3

If you are noticing that I’m late posting this blog, there is a very good reason for that inconsistency.  That reason goes by the name of P90X too.  Yesterday (Day 3) was one of the most excruciatingly painful days I’ve been through in my life so far.  Tony, our instructor, can tell us that we have to “Bring It” as much as he wants, but when you are so sore that standing up is painful, you have to tone things down a bit.

Even so, with a bit of Advil and lots of water, I was able to complete the two routines for Day 3.  The ‘Shoulders & Arms’ routine was a pretty rough one, I can say without a doubt that I have never tried harder to work on my biceps and triceps.  The only results I’m feeling at the moment is the same “sausage” sensation that I’ve gone through with both my abs and legs before this.

The second routine of the day was again Ab Ripper X, and for the second time this week I have been horribly incapable of keeping up with the routine.  Sure, it didn’t help that my abs were still painfully sore from the first time, but I did my best and tried every single workout on the routine.

I feel as though this day was a bit lackluster, but I did the workout despite every protest my body offered.  I think that continuing with the routine will be the hardest challenge in the end, so with that in mind I’m still doing great.

 

- Andy

P90X: Day 2

It was an interesting morning.  I got up a little later than usual to compensate for the late evening last night.  I also worked as hard as possible to not move my abdominal muscles.  Any effort with that goal in mind was in vain however, as I soon realized just how many actions I do that involve my abdominals.

Chris got to do his workout before me again today.  I watched what he was doing this time when I could afford a few minutes away from work.  This turned out to be a bad idea, as I ended up psyching myself out before even getting to my workout.

This second day involved what they call Plyometrics.  I don’t have the energy to go look this up, but I can tell you that whatever it is, it involves lots of jumping and generally attempting to strain every muscle in your legs.

Within a few routines, I had to switch to an old pair of shoes.  It seems to be that my nice new $90 shoes aren’t doing a good job of supporting my feet.  All the jumping brought me close to re-injuring my foot, which certainly hampered the rest of my workout.  Even so, I find myself in extraordinary amounts of pain as I try to walk around and function like a normal human being.

So far, P90X is delivering on it’s promise that it will take commitment to finish.  This program is for crazies and those among us who are physically blessed.  I don’t fall into either of those two categories completely, but I’m definitely feeling like I will be getting some good results if I keep up with the program.

 

- Andy

The Adventure Begins…

In a fit of psychotic rage, the roommate and I have obtained a copy of the P90X workout program that runs infomercials on TV.  It took us a little while to get things setup, but we’ve embarked upon the journey.  Since a lot of people have asked me to tell them how it is, I’m going to chronicle the experience here on my blog.  We begin…with day #1.

 

Day #1
Got home late today, so starting the workout was significantly later than it will usually be.  Regardless, after several messages from Chris along the lines of “P90X is destroying my life”, I knew that I would have my hands full making it through the two workouts that night would provide.

After dealing with some extra work issues when getting home, I threw on my workout clothes and headed into the living room.  In goes the ‘Ab Ripper X’ DVD, which tells me that I will be doing over 300 core workouts, or something like that.  The journey has officially begun.

After three routines, I had to stop.  This became a common theme for the night with both the ‘Ab Ripper X’ DVD and the ‘Chest & Back’ DVD.  At this point, I can only offer one piece of advice to anyone considering getting the P90X program, and that advice comes from Chris:

Don’t, it will destroy your world.

 

- Andy

PS – For a bit of comic relief, Chris and just attempted to do one sit-up each.  It is difficult to explain how it feels, but imagine if you can having no control whatsoever over your abdominals and you will be imagining what has happened to the both of us.

PPS – The program tells us to take “Before” pictures of ourselves so that we can chronicle our results throughout the course.  After Chris gets the pictures onto his computer and into my inbox, I will post them here despite how embarrassing they are for both of us.