I'm not ready to start bragging, but I'm lifting more weight than I have in as far as I know. Before, I hated how worn out I was at the end of the exercises. Now, I'm actually starting to enjoy the burn. Is that weird?
I know that, tomorrow, my arms are going to be burning and sore and I'm going to have a hard time straightening them (as I did last week), but I know it's for the greater good.
My ab ripper performance is also improving. Thanks to the back exercises I've been doing, it takes more effort to push my spine to that point where it sends that twinge of pain down it. Heck, I'm actually able to do some of the wide-leg sit-ups! Before, I couldn't manage a single one because my abs couldn't pull me up and my gut was too much weight for my legs to offset. I wonder how long before I can do the V-up/pulse-up combos. (Those still kill my back on the first try.)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Endurance +1!
While I'm having a hard time picturing my results (every time I look in the mirror, I still see my out-of-shape body), I am feeling them. Yesterday and today, I was able to complete all exercises without pausing. (Well, I did have to pause once yesterday, but that was because I had to add some weight to my bars.) I also don't need to drink as much water. During the first week, I'd drink almost two whole pints of water during a workout. Now, I can get away with one.
I'd still really like to get a heart rate monitor. Now that I'm at a point where I don't need to pause every three minutes, I feel like I might not be doing enough.
I have also made some changes to my diet. After talking with my coach, it has been discovered that I've only been taking in about 1100 calories. Good for weight loss, bad for training my body to keep it off. I've upped my caloric intake to be closer to 2000, as that should help me build and maintain muscle while still losing fat. I might not lose it as fast, but I'll still be losing it.
Speaking of losing weight, I weighed myself this morning. I've lost nearly five pounds and my body fat % has dropped to about 23.5%. Those numbers are great, but my measurements aren't changing. I still have a 40-ish inch gut. Maybe I'm building abs under the fat and it's still pressing out as a result. I don't know. I just know I'm coming up on my 30-day mark and, when I look at the 'before' picture compared with the 'milestone' picture, I'd like to see a change.
I'd still really like to get a heart rate monitor. Now that I'm at a point where I don't need to pause every three minutes, I feel like I might not be doing enough.
I have also made some changes to my diet. After talking with my coach, it has been discovered that I've only been taking in about 1100 calories. Good for weight loss, bad for training my body to keep it off. I've upped my caloric intake to be closer to 2000, as that should help me build and maintain muscle while still losing fat. I might not lose it as fast, but I'll still be losing it.
Speaking of losing weight, I weighed myself this morning. I've lost nearly five pounds and my body fat % has dropped to about 23.5%. Those numbers are great, but my measurements aren't changing. I still have a 40-ish inch gut. Maybe I'm building abs under the fat and it's still pressing out as a result. I don't know. I just know I'm coming up on my 30-day mark and, when I look at the 'before' picture compared with the 'milestone' picture, I'd like to see a change.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Final workout week before first recovery week
Today, it all starts again. Chest and Back. I feel kinda like Morgan Spurlock, but in reverse. I'm feeling healthier than I have and I know my endurance has gone up. Ashleigh keeps telling me I'm slimming down, but every time I look in the mirror, I see my old self. I've decided to wait until the end of my first 30 days before I look at my 'before' pictures again. August 11th. I'll post both sets then.
I still feel very weak in my chest and back. My performance today was better than my last two runs through this disc, but still not where I'd thought it'd be. Just need to stick with it. Tony says, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I say, "If there were a method to get that awesome body in 30 days, it'd be called P30X, wouldn't it?"
This time around, however, I did more of the push-up exercises in proper form than I did previously before falling to my knees. The inclined push-ups still kicked my ass, though. First set, I was able to do three. Second 'bring-it' set, I couldn't do one. I psyched myself up and everything, but my chest and shoulders just said 'Nope.' A valiant effort all the same. Just can't let it get to me.
I'm doing a lot better with the ab ripper portion of the workout days, however. I'm actually able to do more than half of most of the exercises! That's a HUGE step compared to where I started. I'm still a little soggy around the mid-section and, as a result, I can't do any sit-ups that use my legs as a counterbalance. (Just need to wedge my feet under the table to do them.) I'm also cautious about my lower back. I've thrown it out three times in my life and I'm not looking forward to another. If I feel a twinge after five sit-ups, I'm going to stop. Eventually, I'm hoping, my back will become strong enough that I won't feel any pain.
Now, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the support forums that Tony keeps bragging about in the videos. He says if you have any questions or need some motivation, to check out the forums.
Yeah... I've asked three questions, trying to get some motivation and, so far, nothing from the other members. Yesterday, I sent a direct message to my coach (I'm assuming that, when you sign up, you're assigned a random 'coach' who you can ask questions, etc.) asking her about how I should set my goals and what I could be doing differently as far as my diet. To my honest surprise, I got a response! Quickly! And not canned! Holy cow, there ARE people who care and are willing to answer questions from newbies. (Prior to sending my direct message, I had seen a few threads on the message boards from people looking for help because their coaches were nonexistent. That, and I got an unsolicited message from someone else asking to be my coach who only replied to my messages with canned responses. Sorry for doubting you, Vickie, and I thank you for your help.)
So, into week three, made contact with an actual coach and my hunger pangs are subsiding. I feel my motivation returning and confident that, by 90 days, I'll be lookin' sharp.
I still feel very weak in my chest and back. My performance today was better than my last two runs through this disc, but still not where I'd thought it'd be. Just need to stick with it. Tony says, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I say, "If there were a method to get that awesome body in 30 days, it'd be called P30X, wouldn't it?"
This time around, however, I did more of the push-up exercises in proper form than I did previously before falling to my knees. The inclined push-ups still kicked my ass, though. First set, I was able to do three. Second 'bring-it' set, I couldn't do one. I psyched myself up and everything, but my chest and shoulders just said 'Nope.' A valiant effort all the same. Just can't let it get to me.
I'm doing a lot better with the ab ripper portion of the workout days, however. I'm actually able to do more than half of most of the exercises! That's a HUGE step compared to where I started. I'm still a little soggy around the mid-section and, as a result, I can't do any sit-ups that use my legs as a counterbalance. (Just need to wedge my feet under the table to do them.) I'm also cautious about my lower back. I've thrown it out three times in my life and I'm not looking forward to another. If I feel a twinge after five sit-ups, I'm going to stop. Eventually, I'm hoping, my back will become strong enough that I won't feel any pain.
Now, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the support forums that Tony keeps bragging about in the videos. He says if you have any questions or need some motivation, to check out the forums.
Yeah... I've asked three questions, trying to get some motivation and, so far, nothing from the other members. Yesterday, I sent a direct message to my coach (I'm assuming that, when you sign up, you're assigned a random 'coach' who you can ask questions, etc.) asking her about how I should set my goals and what I could be doing differently as far as my diet. To my honest surprise, I got a response! Quickly! And not canned! Holy cow, there ARE people who care and are willing to answer questions from newbies. (Prior to sending my direct message, I had seen a few threads on the message boards from people looking for help because their coaches were nonexistent. That, and I got an unsolicited message from someone else asking to be my coach who only replied to my messages with canned responses. Sorry for doubting you, Vickie, and I thank you for your help.)
So, into week three, made contact with an actual coach and my hunger pangs are subsiding. I feel my motivation returning and confident that, by 90 days, I'll be lookin' sharp.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Two down, eleven to go.
Today ended week 2 for me. I was so tempted to skip the stretch exercises and just crawl back into bed. Sooo sleepy...
But I persevered. I did all the exercises (only had to pause a couple times due to mat problems) and finished in about an hour. I know these stretches are supposed to help, but my lower back is still feeling sore. Perhaps I'm trying to stretch too far and just overexerting myself?
Tomorrow starts the final week of the first rotation. I'm kinda excited, but a little disappointed at where exactly I stand. I can squeak out a single chin-up, but I still can't do one pull-up (at least without having my foot on something). I'm going to try to not let it bother me, though. I'm still right at the beginning, so I'm adjusting my goals accordingly. (I always hate to lower my goals. It makes it feel like I'm getting a trophy on 'Everyone-Gets-A-Trophy Day'.)
I did feel pretty good driving to work this morning. Usually, my belly hangs over my seat belt, almost completely covering it. Today, that wasn't the case. My appetite also seems to have adjusted to my new activity level. I'm craving more protein (chicken, pork, etc.) and less carbs (break, rice, etc.).
Damnit if I didn't forget to take my multivitamin AGAIN today. That makes three days in a row. I will have to carve it into my arm to take it tonight when I get home from work.
But I persevered. I did all the exercises (only had to pause a couple times due to mat problems) and finished in about an hour. I know these stretches are supposed to help, but my lower back is still feeling sore. Perhaps I'm trying to stretch too far and just overexerting myself?
Tomorrow starts the final week of the first rotation. I'm kinda excited, but a little disappointed at where exactly I stand. I can squeak out a single chin-up, but I still can't do one pull-up (at least without having my foot on something). I'm going to try to not let it bother me, though. I'm still right at the beginning, so I'm adjusting my goals accordingly. (I always hate to lower my goals. It makes it feel like I'm getting a trophy on 'Everyone-Gets-A-Trophy Day'.)
I did feel pretty good driving to work this morning. Usually, my belly hangs over my seat belt, almost completely covering it. Today, that wasn't the case. My appetite also seems to have adjusted to my new activity level. I'm craving more protein (chicken, pork, etc.) and less carbs (break, rice, etc.).
Damnit if I didn't forget to take my multivitamin AGAIN today. That makes three days in a row. I will have to carve it into my arm to take it tonight when I get home from work.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Return of the burn.
I realize it's been a couple days since my last post and I know I said I was going to post every day. I apologize.
I'm going to keep this short, as it is almost 10pm Sunday night and it's my own dumb fault for not posting sooner.
Friday was another round of Yoga. This time, I was expecting the intensity of the first half. That didn't make it any less rough, however... Overall, I still relished the feeling of completion at the end.
Saturday, I rocked the legs and back. Bitches don't know about my quads! (By 'bitches' I mean 'I'.) I totally rocked the wall-squat segments! Legs were on fire, but for only my second time through, my being able to power through a tough exercise like that was a triumph in and of itself. (Still having trouble with ab ripper, though.)
Finally, today was Kenpo. I had a moment of clarity when I realized I'm not doing this to learn martial arts. I'm doing it as an aerobic workout. After that, I was kinda lax on my form (still trying to make it look good, just not in a practical 'self-defense' kinda way) and concentrated on keeping the heart rate up.
As an added bonus, I went running with Ashleigh this evening. Almost made it the whole two miles before I had to break to walk. (Congratulations to Ashleigh for completing the whole circuit! Amazing job for being her first real run in a couple months!)
Tomorrow, Ashleigh starts her new job. Waking up earlier than I normally do (6:30 rather than 8), so I should have plenty of time to post immediately following my workout.
Until next time.
I'm going to keep this short, as it is almost 10pm Sunday night and it's my own dumb fault for not posting sooner.
Friday was another round of Yoga. This time, I was expecting the intensity of the first half. That didn't make it any less rough, however... Overall, I still relished the feeling of completion at the end.
Saturday, I rocked the legs and back. Bitches don't know about my quads! (By 'bitches' I mean 'I'.) I totally rocked the wall-squat segments! Legs were on fire, but for only my second time through, my being able to power through a tough exercise like that was a triumph in and of itself. (Still having trouble with ab ripper, though.)
Finally, today was Kenpo. I had a moment of clarity when I realized I'm not doing this to learn martial arts. I'm doing it as an aerobic workout. After that, I was kinda lax on my form (still trying to make it look good, just not in a practical 'self-defense' kinda way) and concentrated on keeping the heart rate up.
As an added bonus, I went running with Ashleigh this evening. Almost made it the whole two miles before I had to break to walk. (Congratulations to Ashleigh for completing the whole circuit! Amazing job for being her first real run in a couple months!)
Tomorrow, Ashleigh starts her new job. Waking up earlier than I normally do (6:30 rather than 8), so I should have plenty of time to post immediately following my workout.
Until next time.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
1/9th of the way through!
Today is my ten-day anniversary. To be perfectly honest, I'm really getting into it. Not to the point where I'm making the X with my arms and shouting "BRING IT!" but I'm really enjoying the whole workout in the morning. Yes, it wipes me and I feel sick at the end, but each day, I feel less and less sick. I can feel my energy level going up. Last night, I considered going for a run, but didn't because of Ashleigh's injury. (I didn't want to come home, say "Hi" to Ashleigh, then run back out of the house. When her foot starts feeling better, I'm going to try talking her into running in the evening with me while it's still a bit light.)
Today was arms and shoulders. I kinda fumbled around a lot on this one because I had to keep adjusting weights. I didn't know what I'd be able to do for a given exercise, so I'd have to pause and adjust for almost everything. I should have been done in about an hour, but with all my extra pauses, it took more like 90 minutes. However, I have a better idea what I can do now, so next time I'll have the weights setup and ready to go.
This particular program isn't as cripplingly intense as, say, chest and back. Granted, my arms are, in my opinion, better off than my chest and back at this point.
What's bonus is I was actually able to keep up with some of the ab ripper exercises! Sure, I had to wedge my feet under the table to do the sit-ups, but I was able to do some! My abs are probably my sorest part today.
Tomorrow is Yoga again. I know the first half is going to be hard-core and I'm mentally prepared for it. I'm really looking forward to the second part. I felt so relaxed last time, I can't wait to feel it again.
Today was arms and shoulders. I kinda fumbled around a lot on this one because I had to keep adjusting weights. I didn't know what I'd be able to do for a given exercise, so I'd have to pause and adjust for almost everything. I should have been done in about an hour, but with all my extra pauses, it took more like 90 minutes. However, I have a better idea what I can do now, so next time I'll have the weights setup and ready to go.
This particular program isn't as cripplingly intense as, say, chest and back. Granted, my arms are, in my opinion, better off than my chest and back at this point.
What's bonus is I was actually able to keep up with some of the ab ripper exercises! Sure, I had to wedge my feet under the table to do the sit-ups, but I was able to do some! My abs are probably my sorest part today.
Tomorrow is Yoga again. I know the first half is going to be hard-core and I'm mentally prepared for it. I'm really looking forward to the second part. I felt so relaxed last time, I can't wait to feel it again.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Plyo-my God, this is tough...
I felt better about this morning's program, despite having a hard time falling asleep last night. Ashleigh says I was asleep most of the night, but I kept feeling like I was in that weird space between asleep and awake.
Plyometrics (or 'jump-training') is pretty intense. Tony even says in the intro that this is the "X" in P90X. My heart was pounding through the entire disc, so I'd be inclined to agree.
Speaking of heart, it's recommended you have a heart-rate monitor for this. I really should invest in one. I'm pretty sure "the zone" happens before you hear your heart pounding in your ears.
This particular routine is mainly for burning calories. No real muscle training. Just sweating and moving. I seem to have master the former. Just need to work more on the latter. Unlike last week, I was able to finish this disk with only minor difficulties. Still felt nauseas afterward, but I finished it. (Near as I can tell, the sick feeling I was getting was from the cold water I was drinking from the fridge, because I didn't start feeling ill until after I refilled my bottle.) Maybe I overlooked that hint in the manual, but I think it should have been a bit more prominent.
I got a bit of a runner's high coming out of the routine, which is always awesome. But then I made the fatal mistake of stepping on the scale. It said I was three pounds lighter (Woo-hoo!), but it also said my body fat percent had gone up! I swear, that scale can't give a consistent reading for crap!
To purchase:
Heart rate monitor
New bathroom scale
Body fat measuring device
Plyometrics (or 'jump-training') is pretty intense. Tony even says in the intro that this is the "X" in P90X. My heart was pounding through the entire disc, so I'd be inclined to agree.
Speaking of heart, it's recommended you have a heart-rate monitor for this. I really should invest in one. I'm pretty sure "the zone" happens before you hear your heart pounding in your ears.
This particular routine is mainly for burning calories. No real muscle training. Just sweating and moving. I seem to have master the former. Just need to work more on the latter. Unlike last week, I was able to finish this disk with only minor difficulties. Still felt nauseas afterward, but I finished it. (Near as I can tell, the sick feeling I was getting was from the cold water I was drinking from the fridge, because I didn't start feeling ill until after I refilled my bottle.) Maybe I overlooked that hint in the manual, but I think it should have been a bit more prominent.
I got a bit of a runner's high coming out of the routine, which is always awesome. But then I made the fatal mistake of stepping on the scale. It said I was three pounds lighter (Woo-hoo!), but it also said my body fat percent had gone up! I swear, that scale can't give a consistent reading for crap!
To purchase:
Heart rate monitor
New bathroom scale
Body fat measuring device
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Round 2.
It's funny. I went to bed last night, thinking about how well I was going to do on this morning's program. When I woke up, however, it was a different story.
Flashbacks to last Tuesday assailed me. I kept thinking about how sick I felt and how I quit early. How easy it would be just to turn over, kill the alarm clock and fall back to sleep.
That didn't happen. I still had this tiny bit of drive in the back of my head telling me to do it, despite the overwhelming comfort of the bed. And I have to thank Ashleigh for that extra push. If I were still single, I probably would have 'skipped' today and never come back.
I will admit, I was a bit afraid of this disc. It was always in the back of my mind that I failed so horribly on this disc the first time around. How I felt like I was going to throw up. How I knew I wasn't going to do as well as I would like. All these little things setting me up for failure.
I'm glad Ashleigh has a resistance band, because if I had to rely on a chin-up bar, I'd never feel like I accomplished anything. And the fact I bought some weights the other day makes it doubly better. (I started with 10lbs on each and, while they seem heavy at first, 10lbs is nothing. I need to do it again with maybe 15 or better.)
This routine consists of a LOT of push-ups of varying style. I read somewhere that the key to doing push-ups is to maintain form. If you can't keep your back straight or you can't go down then up, it's called a 'catastrophic failure'. Rather ominous and probably a bit of an overkill, but that's what I think of when I'm trying to maintain my form.
The first run through, I found myself catastrophicly failing more than the first time I ran through. As a result, I did many of the push-up exercises on my knees. It made me feel really lame, but the important thing was that I kept working the muscles. Maybe it wasn't AS intense, but it still burned. Gotta start somewhere, right? Need to build the foundation before you can build that brick house.
There is one push-up exercise that you simply cannot do on your knees. The elevated push-up. Feet on a chair, hands on the floor. In the first rotation of the disc, I managed three. (That seems really lame, but by the time it came around, I had done so many other push-ups, my chest was just on fire and I couldn't eek out any more.) The second time was the test. On the DVD, Tony is going on and on about how, if you need a break, pause and take it. So I did. I paused the disc and tried to not think about the sick feeling churning in my stomach. I also TOLD myself I was going to do, at the very least, one. (Lame, yes. Especially when the people on the DVD were doing 20.) This was my goal. If I did this, I was going to be king.
I unpaused the video, took my position, breathed... And did it! Holy crap, was I surprised! I immediately thought, "Let's do another!" and started to go down, but my chest was all, "LOL NO!" and I just kept going down until my face was on the carpet. Oh well. I still did it!
When we started the cool down, I started thinking that I might skip the Ab Ripper portion because I was still feeling sick and wanted a break. Then I thought if I _didn't_ do it, I was quitting. So, I sucked it up and pressed on. Sure, my performance was sloppy, but I think I did a little better than last time. Maybe I am getting in better shape. If only my shoulder wasn't in so much pain.
I finished up, went upstairs and collapsed on the floor, trying to distract myself from the feeling in my stomach. Ashleigh proved more than able to distract me, and I love her for it.
I took my shower and, while drying my hair, Ashleigh said, "Holy crap! Is that an ab?" Sure enough, while my arms were up on my head, I could see some (very slight) muscle definition on my sides. When I flexed my lower back, I could even see some muscles showing through.
That restored my confidence. I still didn't dare step on the scale, but seeing something tangible like that is a real mood elevator.
I dare say I think this is starting to work.
Flashbacks to last Tuesday assailed me. I kept thinking about how sick I felt and how I quit early. How easy it would be just to turn over, kill the alarm clock and fall back to sleep.
That didn't happen. I still had this tiny bit of drive in the back of my head telling me to do it, despite the overwhelming comfort of the bed. And I have to thank Ashleigh for that extra push. If I were still single, I probably would have 'skipped' today and never come back.
I will admit, I was a bit afraid of this disc. It was always in the back of my mind that I failed so horribly on this disc the first time around. How I felt like I was going to throw up. How I knew I wasn't going to do as well as I would like. All these little things setting me up for failure.
I'm glad Ashleigh has a resistance band, because if I had to rely on a chin-up bar, I'd never feel like I accomplished anything. And the fact I bought some weights the other day makes it doubly better. (I started with 10lbs on each and, while they seem heavy at first, 10lbs is nothing. I need to do it again with maybe 15 or better.)
This routine consists of a LOT of push-ups of varying style. I read somewhere that the key to doing push-ups is to maintain form. If you can't keep your back straight or you can't go down then up, it's called a 'catastrophic failure'. Rather ominous and probably a bit of an overkill, but that's what I think of when I'm trying to maintain my form.
The first run through, I found myself catastrophicly failing more than the first time I ran through. As a result, I did many of the push-up exercises on my knees. It made me feel really lame, but the important thing was that I kept working the muscles. Maybe it wasn't AS intense, but it still burned. Gotta start somewhere, right? Need to build the foundation before you can build that brick house.
There is one push-up exercise that you simply cannot do on your knees. The elevated push-up. Feet on a chair, hands on the floor. In the first rotation of the disc, I managed three. (That seems really lame, but by the time it came around, I had done so many other push-ups, my chest was just on fire and I couldn't eek out any more.) The second time was the test. On the DVD, Tony is going on and on about how, if you need a break, pause and take it. So I did. I paused the disc and tried to not think about the sick feeling churning in my stomach. I also TOLD myself I was going to do, at the very least, one. (Lame, yes. Especially when the people on the DVD were doing 20.) This was my goal. If I did this, I was going to be king.
I unpaused the video, took my position, breathed... And did it! Holy crap, was I surprised! I immediately thought, "Let's do another!" and started to go down, but my chest was all, "LOL NO!" and I just kept going down until my face was on the carpet. Oh well. I still did it!
When we started the cool down, I started thinking that I might skip the Ab Ripper portion because I was still feeling sick and wanted a break. Then I thought if I _didn't_ do it, I was quitting. So, I sucked it up and pressed on. Sure, my performance was sloppy, but I think I did a little better than last time. Maybe I am getting in better shape. If only my shoulder wasn't in so much pain.
I finished up, went upstairs and collapsed on the floor, trying to distract myself from the feeling in my stomach. Ashleigh proved more than able to distract me, and I love her for it.
I took my shower and, while drying my hair, Ashleigh said, "Holy crap! Is that an ab?" Sure enough, while my arms were up on my head, I could see some (very slight) muscle definition on my sides. When I flexed my lower back, I could even see some muscles showing through.
That restored my confidence. I still didn't dare step on the scale, but seeing something tangible like that is a real mood elevator.
I dare say I think this is starting to work.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Rest or Stretch
Alright. So today I was given a choice: rest or stretch.
I should mention now that, after the bike ride yesterday, my left (and only left) calf has been KILLING me. To the point that I could only stand on my toes. It was this fact that I wanted to take advantage of the 'rest' option.
However...
Ashleigh brought up a point last night. If I take a day off, I might not start again come tomorrow. A compelling argument, indeed. I have a nasty habit of starting things and stopping the first day I take a break. (I still haven't picked up my Blender book after a week.) So, I vowed to do the stretching exercises. "Heck," I thought, "Maybe it'll straighten out my calf."
When I woke up this morning, I actually found myself looking forward to my workout! Weird! I _NEVER_ want to get up in the morning! Is this a change for the better? Is it a permanent change? Here's hoping!
At first, I was mildly afraid this DVD was going to turn into an intense workout the same way the Yoga faked me out, but I was thankfully wrong. Just stretching, reaching and flexing. I did sweat, but I didn't lose the gallon of water I did in the first part of the Yoga. My calf still aches (especially after I've been sitting for a while and first stand), but it isn't on fire like it was last night. It's bearable, not crippling. Of course, the Advil I took probably helped.
Tomorrow, I start the whole routine again. This time, however, I have proper free weights to do the arm exercises and I _WILL_ get through all of the discs. I may still perform poorly, but I know I'm feeling better about myself and I think a PMA is the most important part.
I should mention now that, after the bike ride yesterday, my left (and only left) calf has been KILLING me. To the point that I could only stand on my toes. It was this fact that I wanted to take advantage of the 'rest' option.
However...
Ashleigh brought up a point last night. If I take a day off, I might not start again come tomorrow. A compelling argument, indeed. I have a nasty habit of starting things and stopping the first day I take a break. (I still haven't picked up my Blender book after a week.) So, I vowed to do the stretching exercises. "Heck," I thought, "Maybe it'll straighten out my calf."
When I woke up this morning, I actually found myself looking forward to my workout! Weird! I _NEVER_ want to get up in the morning! Is this a change for the better? Is it a permanent change? Here's hoping!
At first, I was mildly afraid this DVD was going to turn into an intense workout the same way the Yoga faked me out, but I was thankfully wrong. Just stretching, reaching and flexing. I did sweat, but I didn't lose the gallon of water I did in the first part of the Yoga. My calf still aches (especially after I've been sitting for a while and first stand), but it isn't on fire like it was last night. It's bearable, not crippling. Of course, the Advil I took probably helped.
Tomorrow, I start the whole routine again. This time, however, I have proper free weights to do the arm exercises and I _WILL_ get through all of the discs. I may still perform poorly, but I know I'm feeling better about myself and I think a PMA is the most important part.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Week 1, days 1-6
I wish I had started this blog on the first day so I could have recorded everything while it was fresh in my mind. This is only a recap of the first week. From here on, I'll post daily of my experiences, pain, triumph and overall feeling about the program.
I started the program on July 13, 2010.
I almost quit the program on July 13, 2010.
The first three weeks go as follows:
Day 1: Chest and Back and Abripper
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Shoulders and Arms and Abripper
Day 4: Yoga
Day 5: Legs and Back and Abripper
Day 6: Kenpo
Day 7: Rest or Stretch
I started with Chest and Back and I made the foolish mistake of believing the people in the DVD were purposely trying to show me up. I tried to keep up with a pace I had no chance in matching. The end result: I didn't finish the first disc. I started to feel like I was going to be sick about 45 minutes into it, so I had to stop. There was no recovering from that mindset. Every time I lifted my arms, I felt sick.
I was crushed. I couldn't even do the exercises for a measly hour. I took my shower and went to work and couldn't stop thinking about how sore my shoulders were.
What made me continue to day two? My determination to step outside of my normal character and SUCK IT UP! Yes, I failed the first day. I was SUPPOSED to fail the first day! I'm pushing my body to do something it hasn't ever done: WORK! (I should also mention that my wife, Ashleigh, helped me realize that last part. If she hadn't brought it up, I probably wouldn't have gone on.)
The second day, I started plyometrics. (Fancy term for 'aerobic workout,' come to find out.) I didn't finish this disc, either. I did, however, get further in it than I did the first one, so I felt better about myself. Small victories.
Third day and we're back to physical exertion. I not only finished the Shoulders and Arms portion, I also completed the Abripper DVD. Well, completed is a strong word. "I gave a solid effort" would be more appropriate. There's a couple exercises on that disc that I simply cannot do in my current physical condition (both my gut and the fact I have a very weak lower back) and I was forced to sit them out. The important thing is I finished and didn't feel sick afterwords. (I believe I was feeling nauseous because 1) I was working out without a shirt and sweating like I was in a sauna and 2) there's an A/C vent right above where I was working out that came on and, combined with the sweat, possibly put my body into a form of shock what with the sudden temperature decrease.) For those of you trying this at home (or thinking about trying it), I highly recommend a running shirt. (The kind that wicks the sweat away from your body. Very light and breathable. Makes doing the exercises WAY more enjoyable.)
I had been looking forward to the fourth day. From what I understood, Yoga was supposed to be a nice, mellow exercise in calmness and serenity.
"Shucks-howdy, Paul! Ya'll couldn't be further from the truth!"
The first half of the Yoga disc (90 minutes long, as opposed to the 60 of the regular routines) was a rather intense workout. Not as bad as the Plyometrics disc, but still pretty rough. After that half-way point, however, things mellowed out and we started doing stretches and balancing exercises that were much easier. Heck, I'm more flexible than I thought I'd be at this point. (To all people who practice Yoga on a regular basis, I'm sorry I ever doubted it. It's a lot more hard-core than I thought. It whipped my ass.)
Fifth day, yesterday, was easier because I was expecting a workout and, after the Yoga, I was in a really positive mindset. I knew not to try and keep up with the people on the disc because I knew I wouldn't be able to and it's fine. In fact, that's one of the things Tony keeps saying in all of the discs. If you can't keep up or you need to take a break, HIT PAUSE AND TAKE IT. Don't try to kill yourself, especially if it's your first time. Believe me, you'll end up feeling ill and want to quit. Where would that leave you? Probably in a funk that'll lead to a bag of chips and dip. That won't help anything.
Finally, today I did the Kenpo DVD. Now, back when I was a wee lad, I took a year or so of Taekwondo and thought it might help me here. It would have, had it not been for the 20+ years in between. But, just like with yesterday's disc, I didn't try to keep up. I just did the best I could. It's my first week and it's going to be messy. Doubly so because I don't have an actual trainer to tell me just how wrong my form is.
As an added bonus, Ashleigh and I took a nice 20-something mile bike ride into downtown today. I felt great. I haven't had the energy I had today in a long time. Even if I don't get the ripped 6-pack abs and the massive biceps, I have a feeling I'll still have the energy to actually want to go out and do something. I'd like to go jogging with Ashleigh, too. I'm sure the added cardio won't hurt me.
Now the bad side. The diet.
I'm supposed to be on the first stage of the 'fatburner' plan. It shames me to say I haven't been true to it. Believe me, I've been trying to eat smarter, but it's not really in our budget right now to restock our pantry. The best I can do is cut down on what exactly I take in. I've eliminated soft drinks of all kinds and I've stopped snacking throughout the day. I eat three times; breakfast after my workout, lunch and dinner. I keep justifying it to myself by saying, "You haven't really gained any weight with your present lifestyle, so increasing your activity will be good. You can be a little lax on the diet rules." I need to stop doing that and do the diet if I want to have the whole P90X experience.
I started the program on July 13, 2010.
I almost quit the program on July 13, 2010.
The first three weeks go as follows:
Day 1: Chest and Back and Abripper
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Shoulders and Arms and Abripper
Day 4: Yoga
Day 5: Legs and Back and Abripper
Day 6: Kenpo
Day 7: Rest or Stretch
I started with Chest and Back and I made the foolish mistake of believing the people in the DVD were purposely trying to show me up. I tried to keep up with a pace I had no chance in matching. The end result: I didn't finish the first disc. I started to feel like I was going to be sick about 45 minutes into it, so I had to stop. There was no recovering from that mindset. Every time I lifted my arms, I felt sick.
I was crushed. I couldn't even do the exercises for a measly hour. I took my shower and went to work and couldn't stop thinking about how sore my shoulders were.
What made me continue to day two? My determination to step outside of my normal character and SUCK IT UP! Yes, I failed the first day. I was SUPPOSED to fail the first day! I'm pushing my body to do something it hasn't ever done: WORK! (I should also mention that my wife, Ashleigh, helped me realize that last part. If she hadn't brought it up, I probably wouldn't have gone on.)
The second day, I started plyometrics. (Fancy term for 'aerobic workout,' come to find out.) I didn't finish this disc, either. I did, however, get further in it than I did the first one, so I felt better about myself. Small victories.
Third day and we're back to physical exertion. I not only finished the Shoulders and Arms portion, I also completed the Abripper DVD. Well, completed is a strong word. "I gave a solid effort" would be more appropriate. There's a couple exercises on that disc that I simply cannot do in my current physical condition (both my gut and the fact I have a very weak lower back) and I was forced to sit them out. The important thing is I finished and didn't feel sick afterwords. (I believe I was feeling nauseous because 1) I was working out without a shirt and sweating like I was in a sauna and 2) there's an A/C vent right above where I was working out that came on and, combined with the sweat, possibly put my body into a form of shock what with the sudden temperature decrease.) For those of you trying this at home (or thinking about trying it), I highly recommend a running shirt. (The kind that wicks the sweat away from your body. Very light and breathable. Makes doing the exercises WAY more enjoyable.)
I had been looking forward to the fourth day. From what I understood, Yoga was supposed to be a nice, mellow exercise in calmness and serenity.
"Shucks-howdy, Paul! Ya'll couldn't be further from the truth!"
The first half of the Yoga disc (90 minutes long, as opposed to the 60 of the regular routines) was a rather intense workout. Not as bad as the Plyometrics disc, but still pretty rough. After that half-way point, however, things mellowed out and we started doing stretches and balancing exercises that were much easier. Heck, I'm more flexible than I thought I'd be at this point. (To all people who practice Yoga on a regular basis, I'm sorry I ever doubted it. It's a lot more hard-core than I thought. It whipped my ass.)
Fifth day, yesterday, was easier because I was expecting a workout and, after the Yoga, I was in a really positive mindset. I knew not to try and keep up with the people on the disc because I knew I wouldn't be able to and it's fine. In fact, that's one of the things Tony keeps saying in all of the discs. If you can't keep up or you need to take a break, HIT PAUSE AND TAKE IT. Don't try to kill yourself, especially if it's your first time. Believe me, you'll end up feeling ill and want to quit. Where would that leave you? Probably in a funk that'll lead to a bag of chips and dip. That won't help anything.
Finally, today I did the Kenpo DVD. Now, back when I was a wee lad, I took a year or so of Taekwondo and thought it might help me here. It would have, had it not been for the 20+ years in between. But, just like with yesterday's disc, I didn't try to keep up. I just did the best I could. It's my first week and it's going to be messy. Doubly so because I don't have an actual trainer to tell me just how wrong my form is.
As an added bonus, Ashleigh and I took a nice 20-something mile bike ride into downtown today. I felt great. I haven't had the energy I had today in a long time. Even if I don't get the ripped 6-pack abs and the massive biceps, I have a feeling I'll still have the energy to actually want to go out and do something. I'd like to go jogging with Ashleigh, too. I'm sure the added cardio won't hurt me.
Now the bad side. The diet.
I'm supposed to be on the first stage of the 'fatburner' plan. It shames me to say I haven't been true to it. Believe me, I've been trying to eat smarter, but it's not really in our budget right now to restock our pantry. The best I can do is cut down on what exactly I take in. I've eliminated soft drinks of all kinds and I've stopped snacking throughout the day. I eat three times; breakfast after my workout, lunch and dinner. I keep justifying it to myself by saying, "You haven't really gained any weight with your present lifestyle, so increasing your activity will be good. You can be a little lax on the diet rules." I need to stop doing that and do the diet if I want to have the whole P90X experience.
We've all seen the infomercials...
The people claiming how great it is. The people saying how easy it is. The people saying they're in the best shape of their lives.
I'm putting it to the test.
I'm talking about P90X.
From Wikipedia's P90X article:
"P90X, or Power 90 Extreme, is a home exercise system developed by Tony Horton in conjunction with Beachbody and director Mason Bendewald, which claims to improve physical fitness in 90 days through a rigorous periodized training program combined with a nutrition and dietary supplement plan."
In the infomercials, some of the people who use it claim you can't find any bad press about P90X. For the most part, that seems to be true. Some say it's the best thing out there to get fit, some say, "It's great, but not for everyone," and others (read: weight-lifters) say it's worthless. Granted, anyone who does a minimum of research into the product will realize it isn't for bulking up like endless weightlifting sets at your local gym. It's more of a general, overall fitness product. Yes, you (likely) will put on some muscle, but that's true of ANY workout regiment. ESPECIALLY if you come into it from a sedimentary lifestyle.
The program itself consists of a book about the program, a nutrition guide, a fitness guide, and calendar and log for tracking progress (as well as the DVDs). The first thing I did was RTFM. I didn't want to start this by just popping in the first disc and throwing my back out. Had that happened, you wouldn't be reading this. I also watched (read: skimmed) the DVDs to see what exercises were done in each to get a feel as to how intense (or eXtreme) the program is. (If anyone out there reading this is considering giving this a go, I very highly recommend you do this as well.) It seemed a bit daunting at first and, I'll admit, I wanted to pussy out. But I forged on and took that first step; the initial weigh-in.
*DUN DUN DUNNNN*
Let me give you a little background about myself. I'm 32, 5' 8"-ish, work behind a computer, enjoy playing games behind a computer and, generally speaking, hate to move. I know I'm overweight, but I've never in my life gone over 200lbs (I peaked at around 195).
Now, the prep section of the guide has spots for 'before' and 'after' figures. The idea being the 'after' should be better. These are my 'before' figures:
Body Fat %: ~25%
(We have a bathroom scale that, through the magic of electroconductivity, can calculate your body fat percentage. I don't know how accurate it really is, that's why I said ~.)
Weight: ~179lbs
(The same bathroom scale likes to give a different weight depending on what part of the floor it's sitting on. 179lbs came up most frequently in my moving it around, so that's the number I'm using as my starting weight.)
Chest: 41.5"
Waist: 40.25" (Yikes. I wear a 32" waist in jeans, for what it's worth.)
Hips: 37"
Thigh: 22"
Arm (at bicep in full flex): 13.75"
After that little bit of humiliation, they ask you to take a 'fit test'. Joy. They ask that you use a heart rate monitor, but we don't have one as yet, so the heart rates listed are approximate.
Resting: 80bpm
(Now, they wanted this from a first-thing-in-the-morning reading, but I cut a corner here and just sat on the couch until I felt relaxed and at ease.)
Pull-ups: Yeah... I haven't done a single pull-up since junior high.
Vertical leap: 15.5"
Push-ups: 15
Toe-touch: .75" shy of my toes
Wall squat: 48 seconds
Bicep curls: 10
(I didn't have a proper 20lb weight like the book calls for at the time, but I did have a shit-ton of 16.9oz bottles of water and a big grocery bag, so I kinda faked it.)
In & outs: 14
(I thought my abs were in better shape than that.)
Active heart rate: peak at 160 bpm, 104 bpm after four minutes
Now, each one of these exercises had a suggested minimum and, even though I failed on a few of them (Minimum of THREE pull-ups??), I decided to continue. Why? Because the target audience of this particular product isn't people who can do three pull-ups. If it were, they wouldn't show endless infomercials about it! You wouldn't see people on said infomercials who claim to have been depressed, out-of-shape lumps until Tony's miraculous program entered their lives. Despite the claims of the included guide, this program panders itself to the LCD who think they have the self-motivation to actually change their physical well-being.
Enter me. A self-proclaimed computer bum who probably spent a grand total of 24 hours in a gym in his life. Someone who sweats profusely on an evening walk with his wife.
My wife bought an ergometer a year or so ago and I used it religiously Monday through Friday. Sure, it was only for a half-hour a day, but that was a hella-lot more exercise than I was getting at the time. I actually lost a fair bit of weight. I don't remember when I stopped, but in retrospect, I feel bad about quitting. It was good exercise. Sitting on my ass isn't.
One of the buzz-words they throw around in the description of P90X is 'the plateau effect.' In a nutshell, it means if you do the same exercises over and over, your body eventually stops progressing. Whether this is true or not, I'll leave to the experts. I will admit, however, that while I was on the erg, I never really felt like I was progressing past the 30 minute mark. I didn't feel like my endurance was building or my weight was coming off the way I felt it should have.
I didn't get into it because of buzz-words, anyway. My initial interest came from one of the infomercials which included a Filipino-looking man who look kinda like me (in his 'before' photos). Then I started picturing myself with a flat stomach and no love handles. Then my wife says she wanted to see how I'd look with those cut lines that guys get when they're fit. (You know, the ones from the hips down to the... *ahem* You know what I'm talking about.) Well, those reasons and I got it for free (which was probably the most influencing factor).
Enough with the introduction. Let's get on with the blogging!
I'm putting it to the test.
I'm talking about P90X.
From Wikipedia's P90X article:
"P90X, or Power 90 Extreme, is a home exercise system developed by Tony Horton in conjunction with Beachbody and director Mason Bendewald, which claims to improve physical fitness in 90 days through a rigorous periodized training program combined with a nutrition and dietary supplement plan."
In the infomercials, some of the people who use it claim you can't find any bad press about P90X. For the most part, that seems to be true. Some say it's the best thing out there to get fit, some say, "It's great, but not for everyone," and others (read: weight-lifters) say it's worthless. Granted, anyone who does a minimum of research into the product will realize it isn't for bulking up like endless weightlifting sets at your local gym. It's more of a general, overall fitness product. Yes, you (likely) will put on some muscle, but that's true of ANY workout regiment. ESPECIALLY if you come into it from a sedimentary lifestyle.
The program itself consists of a book about the program, a nutrition guide, a fitness guide, and calendar and log for tracking progress (as well as the DVDs). The first thing I did was RTFM. I didn't want to start this by just popping in the first disc and throwing my back out. Had that happened, you wouldn't be reading this. I also watched (read: skimmed) the DVDs to see what exercises were done in each to get a feel as to how intense (or eXtreme) the program is. (If anyone out there reading this is considering giving this a go, I very highly recommend you do this as well.) It seemed a bit daunting at first and, I'll admit, I wanted to pussy out. But I forged on and took that first step; the initial weigh-in.
*DUN DUN DUNNNN*
Let me give you a little background about myself. I'm 32, 5' 8"-ish, work behind a computer, enjoy playing games behind a computer and, generally speaking, hate to move. I know I'm overweight, but I've never in my life gone over 200lbs (I peaked at around 195).
Now, the prep section of the guide has spots for 'before' and 'after' figures. The idea being the 'after' should be better. These are my 'before' figures:
Body Fat %: ~25%
(We have a bathroom scale that, through the magic of electroconductivity, can calculate your body fat percentage. I don't know how accurate it really is, that's why I said ~.)
Weight: ~179lbs
(The same bathroom scale likes to give a different weight depending on what part of the floor it's sitting on. 179lbs came up most frequently in my moving it around, so that's the number I'm using as my starting weight.)
Chest: 41.5"
Waist: 40.25" (Yikes. I wear a 32" waist in jeans, for what it's worth.)
Hips: 37"
Thigh: 22"
Arm (at bicep in full flex): 13.75"
After that little bit of humiliation, they ask you to take a 'fit test'. Joy. They ask that you use a heart rate monitor, but we don't have one as yet, so the heart rates listed are approximate.
Resting: 80bpm
(Now, they wanted this from a first-thing-in-the-morning reading, but I cut a corner here and just sat on the couch until I felt relaxed and at ease.)
Pull-ups: Yeah... I haven't done a single pull-up since junior high.
Vertical leap: 15.5"
Push-ups: 15
Toe-touch: .75" shy of my toes
Wall squat: 48 seconds
Bicep curls: 10
(I didn't have a proper 20lb weight like the book calls for at the time, but I did have a shit-ton of 16.9oz bottles of water and a big grocery bag, so I kinda faked it.)
In & outs: 14
(I thought my abs were in better shape than that.)
Active heart rate: peak at 160 bpm, 104 bpm after four minutes
Now, each one of these exercises had a suggested minimum and, even though I failed on a few of them (Minimum of THREE pull-ups??), I decided to continue. Why? Because the target audience of this particular product isn't people who can do three pull-ups. If it were, they wouldn't show endless infomercials about it! You wouldn't see people on said infomercials who claim to have been depressed, out-of-shape lumps until Tony's miraculous program entered their lives. Despite the claims of the included guide, this program panders itself to the LCD who think they have the self-motivation to actually change their physical well-being.
Enter me. A self-proclaimed computer bum who probably spent a grand total of 24 hours in a gym in his life. Someone who sweats profusely on an evening walk with his wife.
My wife bought an ergometer a year or so ago and I used it religiously Monday through Friday. Sure, it was only for a half-hour a day, but that was a hella-lot more exercise than I was getting at the time. I actually lost a fair bit of weight. I don't remember when I stopped, but in retrospect, I feel bad about quitting. It was good exercise. Sitting on my ass isn't.
One of the buzz-words they throw around in the description of P90X is 'the plateau effect.' In a nutshell, it means if you do the same exercises over and over, your body eventually stops progressing. Whether this is true or not, I'll leave to the experts. I will admit, however, that while I was on the erg, I never really felt like I was progressing past the 30 minute mark. I didn't feel like my endurance was building or my weight was coming off the way I felt it should have.
I didn't get into it because of buzz-words, anyway. My initial interest came from one of the infomercials which included a Filipino-looking man who look kinda like me (in his 'before' photos). Then I started picturing myself with a flat stomach and no love handles. Then my wife says she wanted to see how I'd look with those cut lines that guys get when they're fit. (You know, the ones from the hips down to the... *ahem* You know what I'm talking about.) Well, those reasons and I got it for free (which was probably the most influencing factor).
Enough with the introduction. Let's get on with the blogging!
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