Day 59...Shoulders/Arms/ARX

After a long break I went back to Shoulders/Arms today and it was a fantastic workout! I increased my weight and reps for most of the exercises and was especially feeling good about putting up 25's on the Deep Swimmers press...10 more than I did the last time. I noticed I was sore after Friday's Chest workout so it will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with turkey bacon. Wheat bagel, Juice and coffee black. (It seems like a lot but the nutrition guide says I have to eat 3,000 calories a day now...and when I don't I feel light-headed during the workout)

Snack: Accelerade

Lunch: Grillin' Beans with applesauce (I'm running out of food again)

Dinner: I'm going to grill something...possibly burgers. 

Tomorrow is Yoga and that makes me happy. Sorry for the absence between posts...I'll try to keep that to a minimum. Later.

Day 58...Plyometrics

Well I'm back. I won't get into a long story as to why it's been a week since my last post but I'll just say that I've been busy with the wedding planning and work. Last weekend was my wedding shower and we had relatives in town from around the country. There were dinners, drinking, mixed with work all weekend, and the shower itself, hangovers...etc etc etc. I'm not a fan of making excuses and this was the first time I missed any workouts. Everything got screwed up during the weekend and I can't make up the schedule during the week because of work so I just took a break and started Phase 3 again on Friday. Unfortunately this may happen again next weekend because of my bachelor party.....I don't know if you've tried doing Plyo with a hangover but I can imagine it would suck. Anyways, I did Chest/Back on Friday and yesterday was Plyo...

It went well after a long layoff. I pushed for full effort to make up for my week off and ended the workout exhausted and sweaty. 

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: Cereal with skim milk. Coffee black

Snack: Yogurt and granola bar

Lunch: Lean cuisine 

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Chicken and peas

Day 57...Chest/Back/ARX

This is it...one more phase to go! This weekend is going to be very hectic with work, Memorial Day, beginning this new phase, and my wedding shower tomorrow. I have a lot on my plate and I want to post for last night's workout before I forget.

After a 5 week hiatus I had to do Chest/Back again, and I will have to say that I was excited for it! That seems weird to say after how much I used to dislike this workout but that was only because it was very hard back then. Yesterday I KILLED this workout! I increased my rep counts on all of the exercises...some by 10 reps! It was amazing to see the differences between my first week rep counts and last night...I'm doing over double the amount! And those damn Diamond Push ups? Killed them too! Surprisingly the most challenging exercise for me last night was the Military Push ups. I did many unaided pull ups and the workout ended on a high note with a great Ab Ripper session. I felt great after this workout!

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat English Muffin with jelly and juice. Coffee black.
Snack: PB&J sandwich
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with an apple
Snack: Protein shake and 2 pieces of string cheese. Accelerade after workout
Dinner: Pizza

If I get the time to post tonight I will, otherwise I will see you in a couple days.

Day 56...Rest Day and Phase 2 Recap

I took the rest day yesterday because I didn't feel another X Stretch was necessary. So that means I have officially completed Phase 2 of P90X! All of these small victories, minor accomplishments, they are adding up and it all leads to the next 5 weeks of punishment.

Phase 2 Recap.

As much as I struggled during the first couple weeks of the program I almost felt like Phase 2 was more challenging. My body had really come around during the final two weeks of Phase 1 and I was optimistic about how the next phase would go. But as previously stated, Chest/Shoulders/Tri's humbled me quite a bit.

Chest/Shoulders/Tri's- The hardest P90X workout...PERIOD! Three exercises into the workout and I was feeling whipped. From the Plange Push ups, Pike Press, Plyo push up, One Arm push up...this workout killed me every time! Although I was able to increase my reps for most of the exercises each time I did the workout I still felt unsatisfied with my performance...I thought I was better than this! This workout was a reality check...this program does NOT get easier!

Plyometrics- I really got into a groove with Plyo during this Phase. I've gone beyond the days of dizziness and struggling to keep my form and am now jumping and squatting for full reps. MK Lunges are still the most challenging but like everything else I am getting better. "The Beast" pushes you hard but the feeling you get once you've completed it is amazing! As Tony says, "Take in the fact that you just did that!" Of course he was referring to the Half Moons in Yoga but it's a similar feeling for Plyo.

Back/Bi's- The last new workout in the program was quite the challenge...but the reward is awesome! Trust me, I will never refer to my arms as "Guns" or shit like that, but I will venture to say that my biceps have never looked better. All you do is curl after curl after curl with a few pull ups for levity. I liked this workout a lot and the results are unlike anything I've experienced going to the gym.

Yoga X- My great P90X stress reliever! Yoga went pretty well during Phase 2 and I was able to complete a few new moves. By far the biggest accomplishment was completing the damn Right Angle Poses which was right up there with the still unconquered Half Moons. I held Crane for 30 seconds the other day and Wheel for 5 a week ago. When it comes to Yoga I take my small victories and feel good about it because you can't expect to complete this workout with perfect form on Day 1. Every time I start the workout I make sure to set a goal in my mind....Hold Crane longer, attempt Wheel again, complete Half Moon, etc. Unlike Kenpo which is quite easy, Yoga is a challenge every time and I love that! This is my favorite workout!

Legs/Back- I no longer despise this workout, probably because my leg strength has greatly improved. The Single Leg Wall Squats are still hard but the lunges have become much easier over the last two months. It was during Phase 2 that I started doing the pull ups without the chair and I improved those unaided reps by a couple each week. Once again, these are small victories but I will take them when I can get them.

Kenpo X- This is just a fun workout and I sweat a lot! At this point the only way to make it more challenging is to buy ankle and hand weights, which I have yet to do.

Ab Ripper X- I saw improvements during ARX. I can now complete every exercise in full except for Reverse Bicycles, Crunchy Frog, and on occasion Fifer Scissors. That will change in the next few weeks I promise!

Overall Phase 2 was challenging as hell, but VERY rewarding! Back in 2007...at my heaviest...I weighed in at 178. I weighed myself this morning and it said 166 with 12% body fat! That's almost 5 percent less body fat then when I started! I look forward to posting my Day 60 pictures because there are definite improvements. Once again thanks to you guys for reading these posts! I started this blog to keep myself honest during this program...not letting myself skip days or get off track. I never thought anyone would even read this, so thank you for the support! I look forward to the final phase and I will try to BRING IT every day! Later!

Day 55...Yoga X

Another day of Yoga X and it was much needed after my crappy day at work. 8 and 1/2 hours felt like 15 today...I was DYING of boredom! If there is one thing that makes Yoga X therapeutic it's the fact that I can come home feeling like total shit and a hour and a half later I am relaxed. Yoga X is definitely my favorite workout which is a surprise considering I had never done Yoga before and had no idea that it would be so rewarding. 

As always, unless I wake up early I probably won't do X Stretch tomorrow. If that's the case then that means I am two phases down...one to go! 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat English Muffin with peanut butter. With juice and coffee black

Snack: PB&J Sandwich

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Lasagna

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Dinner: 2 Tuna Sandwiches with pickles

Friday starts Phase 2 and that means the triumphant return of Chest/Back! Diamond push up...I'm going to destroy you!! Later!

Day 54...Core Synergistics

Today was quite the challenge because of all the yard work I had to do. Ripping out the remaining vines around our pool, mowing the lawn, and carrying 12 lawn bags full of heavy yard refuse for pickup tomorrow was really draining. So after all of that I had to do Core Syn. again.

I don't know about you but I have a real tough time with this workout. The Prison Cell Push ups, Plank/Chaturanga Run, and Lunge/Kickback/Curl/Press combo are some of the harder exercises and I struggle through them every time. I was chugging water throughout and even had to hit the pause button a few times to catch my breath. I think it had something to do with the warmer weather and lack of ventilation in my workout room. Whatever the reason may be the workout is still a good one but I'm glad that I only have to do it 6 times in the entire program......I'm glad I didn't pick the lean program! 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with turkey bacon and juice. Coffee black

Snack: No snack. Ran out of food but I did go shopping later

Lunch: 2 PB&J sandwiches

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Grilled Sirloin burger with lettuce and tomato. Corn on the cob and a pickle. Bottle of Miller Light. I love summer!

Tomorrow is Yoga X again and then it's time for the final Phase!! This is going to be an exciting June! Later!

Day 53...X Stretch

One of the few times I've done X Stretch during this P90X and it was worth it. It is nice to perform the stretches without having to do any hard exercises after. Very relaxed and very needed if you're feeling sore or you just need a rest day. I highly recommend X Stretch during the first week of a new phase because that's when your body is generally feeling the most soreness. 

Monday's Meals

Breakfast: Cereal with skim milk

Snack: Granola bar with yogurt

Lunch: Leftover spaghetti

Snack: Didn't have one...I was running out of food

Dinner: Italian sub

Day 52...Kenpo X

I have to make up for 3 days of no posts, sorry about that. This is turning into a hectic week with my wedding shower coming up on Sunday. We are trying to get our house ready for out of town guests and that means loads of yard work and cleaning inside the house. I'm pretty beat after today but I must complete these posts because if I get too far behind I will stop doing it completely.

Kenpo X on Sunday...the usual sweaty workout. I pushed my intensity level for every move in an effort to create a tougher workout without the use of ankle weights (I haven't got around to buying them yet). I've concluded that the Jab/Cross Foot switch and Hook/Uppercut F.S. are definitely the most challenging moves in my opinion. Otherwise the kicks, blocks, and crazy punch sequence at the end are just plain fun. 

Sunday's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with turkey bacon and juice

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Pizza

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Spaghetti with garlic bread

Day 51...Core Synergistics

Realistically, doing Core Syn. again should have been easier than the last time, but let's face it...nothing surprises anymore when it comes to P90X. The Prison Cell Push Up was by far the hardest exercise today followed by the dreaded Plank to Chaturanga Run. I am not a fan of this workout, the results are great but the exercises themselves are some of the hardest one's in the program...which is funny to think about considering this is a RECOVERY week! I'm exhausted already.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice and coffee black

Snack: Granola bar with Activia Yogurt

Lunch: Lean Cuisine

Snack: Healthy Choice Garden Veggie Soup. Accelerade after workout

Dinner: Pizza

I have Kenpo tomorrow which comes in handy after you eat a few pieces of pizza as I did tonight. Later!

Day 50...Yoga X

Another day of Yoga today and the start of my second recovery week. The Half Moons are the only part of the Vinyasa sequence that I can't complete without stepping out of the move. However I held Crane for 20 seconds...a new best! And I was actually able to perform wheel for a few seconds. Of all the P90X workouts I find that Yoga X is the most rewarding. After a terrible day of work I used to come home and have some beers (Unhealthy I know). Now I can lock myself into the room for an hour and a half with Yoga and come out feeling calm and relaxed. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat Bagel with peanut butter and apple juice. Coffee black

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: 2 PB&J sandwiches with skim milk

Dinner: Chicken and peas

After a 3 week break I have Core Synergistics tomorrow. My goal is to conquer the Plank/Chaturanga Run and ISO Plank/Chaturanga since they gave me the most problems last time. Later!

Day 49...Rest Day

Alright folks, onto the second recovery week! 

I didn't feel like doing X Stretch this morning. It's not that I don't like it but rather I am not a fan of working out early in the morning before work. So I took my rest day and tomorrow I do my Yoga as day 1 of the recovery week. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: 2 wheat waffles with light syrup. Juice and coffee black

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Lean Cuisine Pizza

Snack: 2 Granola Bars

Dinner: Mostacholi

Have a good night, I will see you tomorrow for Yoga.

Day 48...Kenpo X

Kenpo was a nice challenge today...I really worked up a sweat! What I like most about it is that it's an hour workout that seems like 20 minutes. You blaze through the moves and work your ass off (literally) in the process, and all of a sudden it's done. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cereal with coffee black

Snack: I need to go grocery shopping

Lunch: 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with skim milk

Snack: Accelerade after workout

Dinner: 5 cheese and potato pierogi with green beans

I have the optional X Stretch tomorrow or rest, and that means I am done with another week.

My second rest week is next which means more Core Synergistics! Superman Banana here I come!

Day 47...Legs/Back/ARX

Let me just go ahead and say it...Jury Duty is one of the most inane, mind-numbing, complete wastes of time. Sitting around for almost 8 hours with nothing to do is a serious test of your patience. I completed my vows in about 2 hours and suffered until the lunch break, after which I brought along a book to read. However, an hour after that I actually got called into the courtroom with a group of 30. The judge interviewed the prospective jurors and either approved or dismissed them based on their answers. You could tell the people that didn't want to do it...they were the one's coming up with some whoppers. One girl even played the damn race card...seriously how f**king desperate to not get picked do you have t be to claim that you are racist in front of a group of 30 people?!? I bet she was proud of herself after when the judge dismissed her. Anyways, I wasn't picked so I went home stressed and in need of a workout.

Legs/Back was good this week. This being my last resistance training day until Phase 3 I really tried to use perfect form, increase pull up rep counts, and increase weight on the lunges. It was tough because I didn't eat much at friggin' jury duty, and what I did eat was Taco Bell because our break was short. Thus I was really struggling to keep up the intensity for the workout. I never realized how hard it is to do these workouts when you don't have a proper nutrition plan for the day. I can say that I am doing more unaided pull ups now and when I do use the chair I push it way back to make it harder. I was happy to do Ab Ripper and get off my feet for a little bit. Reverse bikes killed but I did full Fifer Scissors and V-up/Roll ups. My improvements are very evident during ARX.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter and coffee black

Snack: No snack...damn jury duty

Lunch: Taco Bell...damn jury duty

Snack: Accelerade after workout. I was starving at this point!

Dinner: Grilled sirloin burger with peas. Absolutely delicious after how little I ate today!

No more jury duty for at least a year so that's nice. I can't handle that crap!

Day 46...Yoga X

I'm going to make this post quick because I have to wake up early tomorrow for jury duty! Bastards finally got me after a decade of having a drivers license! The nice thing is I don't have work tomorrow, the not nice thing is that I get paid a whopping $25...BIG MONEY!! I think I'm going to spend the hours in the jury room writing my wedding vows. I know, that's not a very romantically inspired place to do that but it needs to get done and I will have a lot of time to sit and write. 

Yoga today...Lot's of fun actually. Except for the Half Moons but that's neither here nor there. When I have bad days at work my Yoga sessions tend to be amazing...it's a great stress reliever! I sucked at Crane today and my Wheel aspirations are still pretty lofty and unattainable, but I went through the Warriors with no problems and even the Right Angle poses were better today. I will say this...there is no relief sweeter than when you finish the Right Angle Pose section and go back to plank...if my quads could talk they would say "Ohhh YESSSS!!! I don't have to support this bastards weight anymore!!" Relief...thy name is plank.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: 2 Wheat waffles with juice. Coffee black.

Snack: Wheat thins and an apple

Lunch: Chicken Burrito

Snack: No 2nd snack, I need to go grocery shopping again

Dinner: 2 slices of pizza. See above.

One more day of resistance for Phase 2 and then I get a break. Tomorrow is Legs/Back/ARX and I will be trying hard to get those rep counts as high as possible for the pull ups. Also I will let you know how jury duty went...civil service at it's finest. Later! 

Day 45...Back/Bi's/ARX

Alright...it's time to stop, take a deep breath, and take in the fact that I'm officially HALF WAY through P90X! 

And to mark this auspicious occasion I had to endure Back/Bi's/ARX again today, and boy do I hate those Corn Cob Pull ups! Considering this is the "Mastery" Week I was increasing my rep counts for the exercises when I could but this is one of the harder workouts so it's a challenge just getting through it. My first day of P90X I was using 20 lbs. for the Lawnmowers and I increased that to 40 today...and I will go higher the next time. The improvements are no longer subtle, it's like my body is really starting to adapt to these moves and **gasp** become Stronger! I've never had the muscles that I have now so needless to say I'm pretty happy with how things are going. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with turkey bacon, wheat toast, and juice.

Snack: PB&J Sandwich

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with Wheat thins

Snack: Protein shake and Accelerade after workout

Dinner: Salmon fillet with corn.

I only have a few more days and then I'm into the second recovery week. Then I get to do Chest/Back again! Diamond push up...I'm going to conquer you! Have a good night!

Day 44...Plyometrics

With my parents in town I had a very tight schedule yesterday after work. As soon as I got home from work I immediately started Plyo. It was a very tiring workout this time and I was surprised by that. I had been going through this workout pretty well for the last few weeks and I felt that I was passed the point of feeling like death during some of the exercises...but I was wrong. The Squat Stance pickups really kicked my ass this time and the MK Lunges...well those are never easy. Recovery drink was a must after so I chugged it down, hopped into the shower, and left the house for dinner. Barely any time to breathe!

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice. Coffee.
Snack: 1 piece of string cheese with a yogurt.
Lunch: Leftover smoked sausage with a orange.
Snack: Wheat thins and Accelerade after workout
Dinner: 3 Cheese Enchiladas with some nachos. Delicious!

Tonight I have Back/Bi's/ARX for the last time until Week 10, so I have to make it good! Pushing to fail every exercise and Bringing It! Later!

Day 43...Chest/Shoulders/Tri's/ARX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxL5AFzzMY

Click the link and take a gander at Jack Palance at the Oscars for a second. I'll wait................


.....So yeah, I had to do these again on Friday and trust me I can't hold a candle to Jack Palance. Of course who can? Palance was a man's man, old school Hollywood, and a helluva host for Ripley's Believe it or Not in the 80's. But I digress...

I went over Jason's for this workout and it definitely went better this time. I increased rep counts on a lot of the exercises and the one's that I didn't I increased my weight. The Pike Press was still a downer and the One Arm Push ups were almost impossible, but on most of the other exercises I made some improvements. There's just no getting around the fact that this workout is the most challenging because of the wide variety of hard ass push ups and shoulder exercises. Well, at least I have a three week break before I have to do it again.

Friday's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with turkey bacon. Juice and coffee black.
Snack: PB&J Sandwich
Lunch: Chicken pita with an apple
Snack: Protein shake and Accelerade after workout
Dinner: Grilled Smoked Sausage

Day 42...Rest Day

Not much to say about a rest day. I didn't wake up early enough for X Stretch so that's that. Tonight I have Chest/Shoulders/Tri's/ARX again and I am going to Jason's for this session...I figure I can use some motivation to overcome these exercises. 

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: 2 wheat waffles with light syrup. Juice and coffee

Snack: PB&J Sandwich

Lunch: Burrito and a apple.

Snack: Wheat Thins and applesauce

Dinner: I got home so late that I really didn't have one. 

Day 41...Kenpo X

Hmmm...not much to say today. I had Kenpo again and yeah...it's Kenpo...kicking and punching...pretty standard at this point. It's still a great workout, a real sweat-inducer and the biggest challenge is keeping your intensity level high. If you do that then this workout is very effective at burning calories, otherwise it can get a little tedious. I need to get some ankle weights asap, so that I can work a bit harder during the moves. 

All that said, I have completed another week (other than a possible X Stretch tomorrow) and that means I'm halfway through the second phase and almost halfway through the entire program itself. I feel like it's time to really start pushing myself and getting back on track with my nutrition. I want the best possible results and that means Bringing it every day.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Oatmeal with skim milk and a scoop of Whey Protein. Ugh...yeah that wasn't a good meal. I think I need to boil the oatmeal next time and add some fruit or something. It was bland and tasted like a shitty version of Co Co Wheat's...kind of like buying a Dollar Store knockoff version of Co Co Wheat's called Co Co Crap.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich with an orange

Snack: Carrots with Hummus and cinnamon apple sauce

Dinner: 5 cheese and potato pierogi with green beans. Glass of wine

X Stretch was pretty nice last week so I may do it again if I wake up early enough. I will talk to you tomorrow!

Day 40...Legs/Back/ARX

So today I had to sit at a work meeting for most of the day...I guess it was my penance for a Monday off. I didn't eat that well today because the corporate trainer supplied pizza for lunch and it looked a little more appetizing than my Turkey Sandwich. I need more self control. As the day went on a pretty bad headache formed and I just felt like going to bed when I got home. So that's what I did. I got home around four and took a 45 minute nap. When I woke up my headache was there to greet me! There is nothing worse than waking up with a f**king headache and I had two options for the rest of the day. I could take Excedrin and kill the headache fast and pretty much take a rest day because I can't workout on a diuretic, OR I could suck it up, push play, and BRING IT!!

I chose option two because....umm...I don't know why. I guess I would hate myself for missing my scheduled workout. My head was pounding for the warm up and the first 20 minutes of Legs/Back, but somewhere around the Sneaky Lunges and Single Leg Wall Squat my headache magically disappeared! The relief was AMAZING and I pushed hard through the rest of the workout...upping my rep counts on all the exercises including the pull ups. I ate an apple before the workout but I hadn't eaten a proper meal since noon and that was crap pizza, so I was feeling quite famished and a little dizzy when I started Ab Ripper. It went fast though and I was happy to finish all 25 reps on Crunchy Frog for the first time! So that leaves the reverse Bicycles and Fifer Scissors as the only two ARX exercises I have yet to complete in full...but I'm close!

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cinnamon Wheat Waffles with light syrup. Juice and coffee black.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Pizza...I need to get back in the Nutrition plan without these slip-ups. 

Snack: Apple and Accelerade after workout

Dinner: Turkey Sandwich

It's hard to believe that I'm almost half way done with the program! These first 40 days have gone by relatively quickly and I'm liking the results. I'm not going to toot my own horn here but I will say that today is proof to myself that no matter how terrible I feel, I still find the determination to push play and Bring It again! To anyone reading this I hope that if you're doing P90X as well, you continue to push play and stick with the program no matter what. The ends definitely justify the means...but the means are pretty damn rewarding as well! Later!

Day 39...Yoga X

I have to catch up on two days of posts here so bear with me. 

I was MUCH happier with my Yoga session yesterday compared to the previous week. When I last did Yoga I felt too rushed and my mind was not focused on the task at hand. Consequently I struggled through a lot of the first half, which is the toughest part. So yesterday I actually had a Monday off of work and I did my Yoga around noon. I made sure to set aside time for the session, with no immediate plans afterwards, and the results were much better! I held strong through all the Warriors and finally, after many weeks of trying, I held through the Right Angle pose...even with the grab! That was a great accomplishment for me because Yoga has been such a rewarding workout and I've felt improvements here and there but the Right Angle Pose and Half Moons still thwarted my best efforts. Well I conquered one hurdle but the Half Moons still defy me...but they won't forever!

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat Bagel with Peanut Butter and juice. Coffee.

Snack: Apple

Lunch: 2 PB&J sandwiches with skim milk

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Grilled chicken...I finally went grocery shopping.

I forgot to mention....I held Crane for about 15 seconds yesterday with no toes! Another small victory.

Day 38...Back/Bi's/ARX

Missed a post again...I apologize. After work, working out, then hauling the remaining parts of my fence into the dumpster, I was a bit whipped and not really wanting to jump on the computer for a blog post. But I'm here now soooo...

...Today was Back/Bi's/ARX and it was tough. The second week of these phases seems like it always a challenge and today was no exception. One of the main problems I run into is that my dumbell set is one that has removable plates and I hate having to spend extra time switching for every exercise. When I did this workout at Jason's last week he has the solid hexagonal dumbell's which are exactly what I want. Anyways, I matched or increased my rep counts this time for most of the exercises but as the workout progressed I really started to struggle with some of the curls. It was either muscle fatigue or the fact that I didn't have a protein bar before...I need to order another box. I struggled with the Crunchy Frog and Fifer scissors on ARX again but completed FULL reps on the rest! I'm very happy with my Ab Ripper progress over these weeks and I feel like 100% completion is much closer than I thought! 

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat Bagel with peanut butter. Juice and coffee.

Snack: Apple

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with Healthy Choice Garden Veggie soup. Yogurt.

Snack: Accelerade.

Dinner: Ground Sirloin burger with Grillin' Beans and a pickle.

I have a day off today! So I can do my Yoga without feeling rushed. Hopefully this will allow me to have a better session than last week. Later!

Day 37...Plyometrics

I have to say that it is tough to do Plyo after a late Friday night. I felt tired all day and the fact that I'm starting to run out of food doesn't help my energy levels either. However I still brought it tonight and that's that.

Tonight's Plyo went pretty well considering the amount of fatigue I've been dealing with. I only really struggled on the 180 Reach Squats and everything else I was pretty much settling into a nice groove. Somehow my body miraculously wakes up for these workouts even when I feel like I can't do another session. I guess I've grown used to the rigours of this program...or maybe it's just a slight case of masochism. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter and juice. Coffee black. If you notice that I'm eating very similar things lately it's because I need to go grocery shopping. We've been so busy with this fence thing that we haven't had time and my nutrition is suffering as a result.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Taco Bell...like I said I need to go shopping ASAP.

Snack: Apple and Accelerade.

Dinner: Salmon or chicken sounds good.

By the way, Recovery Drink is a must after Plyo. Even though I don't use the P90X one, my Accelerade is pretty similar and it's great both after a workout as well as during...which is what I used it for today. Plyo is challenging and the Accelerade gives me a nice boost throughout.

Tomorrow is Back/Bi's/ARX again. I did well last week so here's hoping that it goes smoothly again. Later!

Day 36...Chest/Shoulders/Tri's/ARX

Oops, forgot to post yesterday. Considering the amount of work I did you can't blame me.

As previously stated I am in the process of removing my old fence and putting up a new one. Yesterday our dumpster was delivered so Steph and I spent most of the day hauling heavy ass wooden fence panels...if it was a P90X workout it would be called "Fence X." We spent all afternoon doing that and then I had to go and do my workout, which I hate. This one kicked my ass again. I just cannot keep up the intensity and push for full reps on all of those push ups. My arms are completely wasted by the time I have to do the One Arm and Plyo push ups and I can barely do a full set. After all of the progress I have made in this program and the changes I've seen with my body, this F'N workout knocks me down a few pegs every time...and by "few" I mean it makes me look like a complete asshole. Seriously, there were a couple times yesterday where I just shook my head at the screen wondering what the hell was going on. Forget what I've said before about Plyo, Legs/Back, Core Syn.....Chest/Shoulders/Tri's is the HARDEST P90X workout! End of F'N story! I'm going to try to workout with Jason for next week's session, so hopefully that will motivate me.

Yesterday's Meals

Breakfast: 2 Wheat waffles with light syrup. Juicy juice and coffee black.
Snack: Protein Shake
Lunch: Sonic Popcorn chicken....oops...don't think that's in the Nutrition Guide. Sorry Tony.
Snack: Accelerade.
Dinner: Turkey Tom sub from Jimmy Johns. Once again subbed the Mayo for the Vinaigrette.

I have Plyo in about an hour or so and then I get to go outside and do more fence clearing! Yayyyy!! I'm going to be a zombie tonight! Later.

Day 35...X Stretch and Week 5 Recap

Steph and I went out last night for a friends birthday and we stayed out later than we expected. As a result I had absolutely no plans to do X Stretch this morning, but surprisingly I woke up early and with energy to spare. So I popped it in and it was nice to do the stretches after such a challenging week. The last time I did X Stretch as the optional choice was the final day of week 1 when my body was in complete shock. So it makes sense that I did X Stretch after doing these harder resistance workouts this week. The only snag I ran into was that my hamstrings were very tight and those particular stretches were quite the challenge. I wasn't able to keep a straight leg with holding my toes, which I normally do during Yoga. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juicy juice berry.

Snack: Protein shake

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with an apple

Snack: PB&J Sandwich. Pistachios.

Dinner: 3 Potato and Cheese pierogi and a bowl of peas.

So that completes Week 5! Time for the Recap:

Chest/Shoulders/Tri's- Considering I have to do this tomorrow I will just say that it is one of the most challenging P90X workouts and I hope I'm able improve a little bit this week. Those damn Pike Press' kicked my ass last time!

Plyo- What needs to be said about Plyo? It doesn't get easier. I improved on the MK Lunges; that is a victory in itself. The person who invented Plyo is evil.

Back/Bi's- I joined Jason for this workout and I felt MUCH better about it than the first day. All those curls suck but I was still able to do them...the push ups from the first day were very hard to keep up the rep counts.

Yoga X- I really struggled with Yoga this past week and that makes me angry. I love this workout and it's a shame that I performed so poorly this time. I don't think my head was in the right place...I just couldn't hold a lot of the moves this time, including the warriors. I will try to Bring It this week!

Legs/Back- I increased my pull up rep counts this time and did all the reps on the Sneaky Lunge. Overall I felt good about this one...but the day after my Glutes were hating me. 

Kenpo X- Rocked it! Released some anger, sweat a ton, had a really good workout! From this point on it's going to be about adding hand and ankle weights to increase the intensity.

Ab Ripper X- I can't end this recap without mentioning ARX! The only moves I cannot complete with full reps are Fifer Scissors, Backward Bicycles, Crunchy Frog, and V-Up combos. I am slowly conquering this workout and the definition it's creating on my stomach is all the proof I need to tell me it's working! As Tony says...."Get it up! This is AB RIPP-ER X!!"

Tomorrow begins Week 6...I'm about half way there! The dreaded Chest/Shoulder/Tri workout awaits me and I will try to kick its ass this time! Have a good night!

Day 34...Kenpo X

I figured out a great way to maintain intensity throughout Kenpo....think of a person that pissed you off in the past and proceed to beat the crap out of them in your workout room. 

So that's what I did and it helped for many of the moves, especially the later moves when I seem to slow down a little bit. The toughest sequence for me is the Jab/Cross with the foot switch followed by Hook/Uppercut foot switch. Otherwise Kenpo is more about fun and sweating your ass off rather than feeling like your going to pass out ala Plyometrics. I added 5 lb. hand weights for the Block/Punch combo and it was HARD! By that point it was late into the workout and I was already feeling a little drained. Kenpo may be one of the easier P90X workouts but it sure doesn't pull any punches...figuratively and literally.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with Peanut butter. Juice and coffee black.

Snack: Protein shake

Lunch: Chicken pita from the nutrition guide. The unfortunate thing about this meal was the fact that my brand new, unopened container of Feta Cheese was actually open and most of the cheese had gone a little fuzzy if you know what I mean. I'm talking science experiment here. I called the company and voiced my dissatisfaction and they are sending me a coupon for a free one. So that's nice.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese.

Dinner: Leftover vegetarian chili.

A couple side notes. P90X recommends their Multi-Vitamin pack but I think it's too expensive. So I bought a bottle of Nature Made Multi-Vitamins instead and they work just fine. After my physical a couple months ago the doctor said I had a high Vitamin D deficiency so they put me on a plan that had me taking two 5,000 mg pills a day for three weeks. Afterwards I took one until my bottle ran out. I cannot stress how much of a difference this has made on my general well-being. During the winter I was completely stressed out and was suffering from mild depressive swings and anxiety. After taking the Vitamin D for a couple days I noticed a major improvement in how I felt and went through my day. Now I take three 1,000 mg pills in the morning and I will continue this until it gets a little nicer outside and my body starts producing it more naturally. 

So I have the optional X Stretch tomorrow which I probably won't do, and that means week 5 is in the books! I'll post a recap. tomorrow and then it's a new week. Later!

Day 33...Legs/Back/ARX

This has been an exhausting day. I spent most of the day outside tearing down our decrepit fence. It is 30 years old and since we bought our house last year, it has been collapsing in a few places. It also doesn't help that the fence was being completely taken over by vines...not small little branches but HUGE, fuzzy, Prehistoric branches that in some places were the only things holding up the fence panels. Needless to say it was an eyesore that had to be removed. So Steph and I busted our asses ripping out all the panels and sawing away every vine. It's done and we are waiting on Waste Management to deliver our dumpster on Friday.

After such hard work it was not the most pleasant decision that I made when I willed myself into doing the workout tonight. I made sure I ate my protein bar before (my last one), and then I lunged and lunged for an hour. I kicked ass on the pull ups, upping my rep counts by 2-3 on every one. The ISO toe roll was still a very painful exercise but I was able to conquer the wall squats this week. Overall it was one of the better Legs/Back workouts. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: 2 Whole Wheat Waffles with light syrup. OJ and coffee black.

Snack: Protein shake

Lunch: Vegetarian Chili.

Snack: Protein Bar. Accelerade after workout.

Dinner: Tuna sandwich with a pickle.

Kenpo Kenpo Kenpo....tomorrow is another sweaty day of fighting imaginary people. Then it's another week down. Have a good night!

Day 32...Yoga X

As the days go on I find it harder to come up with witty and insightful comments to make on the same workouts I've been doing for the last 5 weeks. The only thing that differentiates some of these workouts are how I handle them...like the fact that Yoga was unusually hard last night. 

I guess my body is still feeling it from the last few days because I was struggling through a lot of the moves, including some of the warriors. Right Angle poses and Half Moons REALLY sucked yesterday...I just couldn't hold them for any long period of time. I held the Crane for about 5 seconds at a time which is the longest yet so I saw improvement there. Overall I just didn't feel entirely "there" for Yoga. This week is proving to be quite the challenge.

Today's Meal's

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice and coffee black.

Snack: Protein shake

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich with an orange

Snack: Baby carrots with hummus

Dinner: Chicken burrito

Even though this week has been tough I feel like I want to push myself more. I was toying with the idea of doing a week of Doubles during week 3 of this Phase. Week 3 of Phase 1 was a great week for me.....I had a lot of energy and I was plowing through my workouts with no problems. I want to see what the Cardio X option does to my energy for the regular workouts. Whether I do this or not, my next round of P90X will be intensified and the Doubles option may be the next step. We shall see. 

I missed posting yesterday because I was watching 24, so I shall talk to you later tonight after Legs/Back/ARX. Later!

Day 31...Back/Bi's/ARX

I went over Jason's tonight for this workout and after Friday's fiasco I was kind of worried. There was a lot of Bicep curls tonight...probably every style of bicep curl ever invented. The curls were not the biggest challenge tonight though, it was the Corn Cob Pull ups. Those suckers are one of the harder exercises I've done in P90X. The bad part was that I chose them as the Max Rep pull up at the end of the workout...when I was already way out of energy. I did a max count of 7. And I barely finished the last rep.

I am definitely improving on Ab Ripper. The only exercises I still struggle with are the reverse bicycles, crunchy frog, and Heels to the heavens. Otherwise I am able to complete most reps on the rest of the exercises. I'm getting better!

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese scrambler with turkey bacon and wheat toast. OJ and coffee black.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Leftover spaghetti

Snack: Protein Bar. Accelerade after workout

Dinner: Sirloin burger on wheat bun, with tomato, lettuce, ketchup, and mustard. Served with Grillin' Beans and a pickle.

More Yoga tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. That hour and a half has become very therapeutic for me and the challenge it presents makes for one hell of a workout! Have a good night!

Day 30...Plyometrics

Will this workout ever get easier? I think not.

Plyo was very Bestial tonight. I had a rough time with the second part of the twist combo because it was making me dizzy...I don't think I ate enough today. I did full reps on the MK Lunges but I still feel like I'm not going low enough. I plan on modifying over the next couple of weeks...concentrating on keeping lower to the ground to work on my quads more. I took Tony's advice and slipped a little Accelerade into my water tonight and that seemed to help me maintain my energy, but now that I'm done I feel famished. I need to eat!! 

I was tired all day today and I'm surprised I was able to do Plyo as well as I did tonight. Before I left work I truly felt like maybe I should take my rest day today. But somehow I found the energy. I guess I enjoy doing these workouts and my body recognizes that and finds the energy to grind on. Whatever the case may be I am still not a fan of Plyo, which is probably my least favorite workout now...it's just a killer. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Hot dog with fries and a pop. I haven't had pop in a long time so this was a nice treat.

Snack: Yogurt. Accelerade after workout.

Dinner: Pizza time!

I like taking some weekends off from the Nutrition plan...I don't go overboard with the bad food, but I need these little breaks for my soul. At least that's how I look at it.

Tomorrow is Back/Bi's/ARX. Brand new workout with brand new exercises that will probably bring brand new soreness to my body. I'm feeling it from yesterday's workout so tomorrow will probably be the same. Have a good night!

Day 29...Chest/Shoulders/Tri's/ARX

With Phase 2 starting today I felt it was a great time to gloat over my minor accomplishments...pat my back a little bit. After all, I just completed 28 days of really challenging workouts and I felt that I had taken the worst that P90X could throw at me...........and then I did today's workout....

Any thoughts of P90X being a piece of cake from this point on were thrown right out the window the minute I started the Chest/Shoulders/Tri's workout. Holy Shit!!!! THIS is a friggin' challenge! I was starting to struggle three exercises in and the nearest break was nine away...this wasn't good! And then came Pike Press. I did five reps....FIVE!! 

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?!"

...was what I yelled as I completely forgot about all of my Phase 1 triumphs and faced a sobering fact...I have 60 more days of this shit! All the push up exercises were harder in this workout, the triceps exercises were VERY challenging, and I was struggling every step of the way. This was not how I expected to begin Phase 2 but I guess this is how it is. It's like going back to Day 1. So I have resigned to the fact that this will continue to push me to my physical limits and I am glad for that...because that is what will yield the desired results. 

And today I welcomed the return of Ab Ripper! Woo hoo!! I busted out full reps on Bicycles, Hip Raise, Wide leg sit ups, Mason Twist, and ALMOST all of the V-Up's. Fifer scissors, Crunchy Frog, and the sit up/V-up combo's still elude my abilities...but I'm getting better! Recovery drink was a needed addition to today's festivities.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cheese Scrambler with Turkey Bacon. OJ and coffee black.

Snack: Protein Bar

Lunch: 2 PB&J sandwiches

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Chicken Burrito from the Nutrition Plan...which is delicious! I highly recommend it!

So tomorrow is the return of Plyometrics! And Sunday I will join Jason for the last new workout, Back/Bi's/ARX. This is going to be a tough week but I am looking forward to these new challenges.....still though.......

...F**k the Pike Press...

Day 28...Phase 1 Pictures

With Phase 1 Complete I can now post the first set of pictures. The link is to the right of the screen and displays pics from Day 1 to today. I'm actually surprised by how much of my belly fat I lost...this is very encouraging! I will add Day 60 and 90 pics once I get there. 

Take a gander and tell me what you think.......normally I'm not this narcissistic but I'm glad my $120 was well spent!

Day 27...Yoga X

Phase 1...complete!

I am very happy to have come this far...P90X is definitely one of the most challenging things I have ever done and with Phase 1 completed I can step back and admire the fact that I've come this far. But being 1/3 of the way is no real victory, so come Friday it is back to the grind. 

Today I had one hell of a trying day at work. I had to wake up at the butt crack of dawn for inventory, deal with a shit load of customer complaints, and deal with the stress of my first real wedding planning snag. Basically the cake place told us that they over booked for on our wedding day so they would not be able to deliver it. You would think that a place that SPECIALIZES in a particular wedding service would be able to pull their heads out of their asses to make a customer happy...but I guess I thought wrong. 

So after such a shit day it was great to come home, lock myself in my room, forget about the outside world for an hour and a half, and whip out some Vinyasa's and Downward Dogs. The first half an hour went better than any previous but I still struggled with the Right Angle Poses and Half Moons. One day I will overcome the challenge but they are so hard on the quads. I actually performed the Crane a little bit today...I figure that if I keep trying it I will eventually be able to hold it for 4 seconds. I loved the fact that during my Corpse pose as I was breathing deeply, the lovely smell of spaghetti and garlic bread was wafting into the room. Perfect timing after my workout! 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat Bagel with peanut butter

Snack: String Cheese

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Basil sauce and garlic bread...wonderful dinner!

So that's that! Tomorrow I will take my Phase 1 pictures and post my Phase 1 Recap...I may even post a video if I'm feeling sprite. Have a good night!  

Day 26...Core Synergistics

Final day of Core Syn. until the final week of Phase 2...thank God! This workout kicks my ass is every way imaginable! I have to admit, however, that I feel great at the end.

Still struggled with the ISO Plank/Chaturanga and Plank/Chaturanga Run, but at least I was able to do more than half of the reps on those this time. I couldn't even do the Chaturanga run on Saturday. I felt more energized today, probably due to my Protein bar I ate a 1/2 hour before the workout, so I was keeping up with Tony and the gang this time. Superman Banana was difficult again but I had more success with turning over without using my hands...the Tip of the Day is to ENGAGE your core in these workouts and I really tried to concentrate on that throughout. Very sweaty, very difficult, but ultimately a very rewarding workout today. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Cereal with skim milk. Coffee black. Protein Shake (Skim milk and Whey)

Snack: Protein Bar

Lunch: 2 PB&J sandwiches

Snack: String cheese

Dinner: Salmon with rice

Our wedding is now 81 days away! Invitations are going out in a week or two and most of our planning is done. So it's time for me to get my ass in gear and prepare for Phase 2, which starts on Friday. Tomorrow I have Yoga X and then rest day on Thursday. And then it's new workouts and new challenges to overcome. Later!

Day 25...X Stretch

Today was X Stretch so...yeah...exciting. X Stretch is the P90X equivalent of Delaware. If you've seen Wayne's World than you pretty much understand that statement.

The only issue I had today was with my X Stretch DVD...my PS2 was unable to read the disc at the 19 minutes left mark. And if you haven't noticed, there is no chapter select option so you have to skip each exercise manually...which is a pain in the ass. And once I got to where I was again, the PS2 crapped out on me again. There is a small scratch on the disc which I think is a result of the cardboard case that these discs are stored in. So I think I'm going to buy a CD case for them to avoid an future damage since I didn't pay for the stupid warranty. 

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice.

Snack: PB&J sandwich

Lunch: Turkey sandwich and Creamy Tomato soup from Panera Bread.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese and an apple

Dinner: Tuna Sandwich with Grillin' Beans

I have Core Synergistics again tomorrow so whoopee...it's time for more ISO Plank/Chaturanga! Have a good night!

Day 24...Kenpo X

The Recovery Week continued with Kenpo X today. I used 5 lb. weights for the first set of exercises and it was quite the challenge keeping the intensity going. 

I was feeling very fatigued all day today and I felt that my workout kind of suffered as a result. Steph is sick right now with the flu, as is my Dad, so I hope I'm not coming down with it. I've had a slight scratchy throat so I hope that isn't a harbinger for a sickness of some kind. The worst part about this time of year is the constant weather changes that occur. Hot, cold, rainy, hot again....it reeks havoc on my sinuses. The last thing I want to do right now is take days off my workout to nurse a cold or sinus infection. That would suck.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with peanut butter. Juice.

Snack: Protein Shake (Whey and skim milk)

Lunch: Chicken Salad

Snack: Accelerade

Dinner: Turkey Tom from Jimmy John's. No cheese or mayo so it's one of the healthiest subs they have on the menu.

Only a couple more days left in Phase 1! Tomorrow is X Stretch which is easy. I'm ready to get this week over with so I can jump head first into Phase 2 on Friday. Have a good night!

Day 23...Core Synergistics

It has been a busy weekend which explains why I missed posting yesterday. It's alright though, I'm here now and I will bring you up to speed.

Yesterday I did Core Synergistics for the first time and was caught off guard at the difficulty. I didn't expect it to be too bad but there were some exercises in there that I struggled with. The prison cell push up and Plank to Chaturanga run were definitely the most difficult for me. Really struggled with keeping my body off the floor during the Chaturanga. However, I enjoyed the new challenges this workout presented and I should be able to improve upon my effort on Tuesday.

Today's Meals

Breakfast: Wheat bagel with Peanut Butter. With Juice.

Snack: 2 pieces of string cheese

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with an orange.

Snack: Protein Bar.

Dinner: Pizza.......yep, I had pizza. It was tasty!