Round 4: Day 69: Medicine Ball Core Cardio / Cardio Intervals

Somewhere in the history of this blog lies a promise (threat?) that I wouldn't do Cardio Intervals in isolation anymore, but would pair it with another cardio workout. Today, I made good on that promise. I started off with a typical P90X warm-up, something like a Plyometric warm-up crossed with an Upper Plus warm-up. That got my heart rate up, limbered up my upper body (anticipating those torso twists) and stretched out my quads, hamstrings and calves. This was done prior to my starting the disc, as I've found that I'm not particularly enamoured with Tony's stretches. Truthfully, I'm not crazy about vinyasas and upward dogs for a cardio workout, although I do love doing that during Yoga. I did my own stretches while watching the "Plays of the decade" on the local sports station. It's nice to see baseball again, even in the winter. What can I say: I'm a hard-core baseball fan.

I used several weights for the Medicine Ball workout: 5- and 10-lb. I don't have a 6 lb medicine ball, which really looks ideal for this workout, but I have dumbbells [insert joke here] which serve the purpose. I used the 10 lb dumbbell to start, but I found it a bit too heavy after awhile, and switched to the 5 lb weight, which is a bit too light. It's like the 3 Bears: I need something in-between. I don't really see myself going off to the store to pick up an 8 lb dumbbell, so I'll likely just make do with what I have.

I don't find the Medicine Ball Core Cardio workout too exerting. There are a few moves which I enjoy, but nothing I find particularly challenging. Looking back to the P90X workouts, there are moves which I found impossible at first, then manageable; some are still impossible (airborne pushups, anyone?). This workout just breezes by in comparison. That's why I found it necessary to pair this workout with Cardio Intervals. In essence, doing Medicine Ball Core Cardio is just an extended warm-up for Cardio Intervals.

While I really enjoy Tony hamming it up at the start of the Cardio Intervals DVD, I didn't want my body to become too cool, so I fast-forwarded immediately to the workout. Again, like Medicine Ball Core Cardio, I don't find this workout to be a killer. There are a couple of moves I find challenging. In the half-moon sequence, I find it difficult to raise my free leg parallel to the floor in the time allocated. The jumping side-kicks are difficult for me due to balance issues. I'm just not the greatest kicker around, and although I can certainly Bring It during Kenpo Cardio Plus, I wouldn't say that I'm a strong candidate for Mr. Miyagi's dojo any time soon.

It's a good thing that the entire workout sequence is repeated, because I needed the extra work. By the time the entire workout is over, I had a pleasant, warm feeling. I wasn't exhausted, I wasn't sweating buckets, I wasn't huffing and puffing or grabbing my knees. I just felt that I had enjoyed a reasonable cardio workout which offered a good full body range of motion. It was a good, fairly light cardio combination to end Week 10.

Bring on Week 11!