P90X+: Round 3: Day 83: Kenpo / Cardio Plus

Great X-citement Plus here today, as this officially completes Round 3. I now head into the next phase of my life, into Round 4, with a recovery week in-between as a buffer. I'm looking forward to a little stretchy time next week to allow my body a chance to mend. Something about micro-tears in the muscles needing healing, I understand.

It's been an interesting journey. I've certainly felt challenged by the P90X+ program, and would not say that I conquered it; rather, it's like the feeling I had upon completing my first round of P90X. I did reasonably well, but did not master it. This week was testament to that: I still found Upper Plus and Total Body Plus quite challenging, even in Week 12. Not as challenging as in Week 1, but difficult nevertheless. I like the way the program continues to challenge you, or perhaps, you challenge the program. As your level of fitness improves, you can achieve more, so you strive for more. It never becomes easy.

I doubt I'd repeat this program as-is. I feel that the program could have benefitted from greater variety, and that doing Upper Plus twice each week became slightly boring and repetitive, although the workout is enjoyable. I'd rather have seen a legs or lower body workout substituted. In that vein, I've been toying with the idea of creating a custom workout schedule for Round 4, consisting of P90X, P90X+ and 1 on 1 with Tony Horton. That should keep the mind sharp and the muscles confused.

Today was Kenpo Cardio Plus and, like yesterday, I didn't get sufficient sleep due to another late baseball game (the Angels beat the hated and despised Red Sox in L.A.) and my wife's all-night coughing (the poor thing). I still felt reasonable energized during the workout and never felt that I was going to crash. Perhaps that is due to my increased water intake yesterday and a new insistence that I eat a good breakfast, in addition to my recovery drink. I really like this workout, especially the high arm block burnout at the end. This workout will definitely make its way into the cardio section of Round 4.

To anyone out there listening, thanks for reading. And if there's no-one out there, writing these almost-daily notes has been a great motivator for me. It's served as an opportunity for me to consider my highs and lows, successes and failures, and to keep my on my personal path to living a healthier life, in all respects.