It took me about 6 times through P90X's Plyometrics before I was able to do the entire workout without pausing the tape. Today, engaging in Insanity's Plyometric Cardio Circuit, I had a P90X mindset: do your best and forget the rest.
This is a 42 minute workout. I got through about 30 minutes before I had to pause. I paused again during the final sequence. This is a strenuous workout, but I'll be able to complete it without pausing before long.
Individually, the moves in this workout aren't particularly difficult. Several of the exercises are reminiscent of those found in P90X Plyometrics. There are three levels of intensity: low, medium and high. When the moves are strung back-to-back-to-back without pause, the workout becomes challenging. Where the real challenge lies is in maintaining form and pace during the high intensity sequences. During the high intensity sequence, Shaun T. also throws in a bonus move or two, to see what you're really made of.
The most difficult moves for me involved the core. I don't exactly remember the names, but one exercise was to be in plank position with your legs extended (like the "up" position when doing standard pushups), then leap forward with your legs together towards the left, then back to plank, then bent legs towards the right, then centre, then repeat for a minute. Following that, there's a similar plank exercise, but with legs just going in, then out, in a straight line. My core was really stressed during these two exercises. Clearly, there are improvements to be made.
This was a terrific substitute for the P90X or One on One cardio routines I've been doing over the past few rounds. I have no doubt that I'll improve as time goes on, and I'm looking forward to seeing the resultant changes in my stamina, strength and physique.
It's been a difficult first week. I didn't seem to have the full lung capacity I normally enjoy, but I'm working my way back into things. I'm really looking forward to Bringing It during Week 2.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Round 5: Day 5: Mammoth UML
Today's UML workout almost seemed like a rest day. While some of the individual exercises gave me a bit of a burn, the totality of the workout didn't crush me as I had hoped. I'm definitely going to review this Round's schedule and make some adjustments.
I did manage to put some stress on my chest, shoulders and arms through the various "U" moves: standard pushups, pike presses, side arm balance, chair dips and staggered arm pushups. The core moves were pretty straightforward, as were the leg exercises. I think I placed this workout on Day 5 because I didn't want to do a strenuous leg workout the day before an Insanity cardio workout. Perhaps this approach should be reviewed, or an alternative may be to use Day 5 to really blast abs. This schedule is still in flux.
I did manage to put some stress on my chest, shoulders and arms through the various "U" moves: standard pushups, pike presses, side arm balance, chair dips and staggered arm pushups. The core moves were pretty straightforward, as were the leg exercises. I think I placed this workout on Day 5 because I didn't want to do a strenuous leg workout the day before an Insanity cardio workout. Perhaps this approach should be reviewed, or an alternative may be to use Day 5 to really blast abs. This schedule is still in flux.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Round 5: Day 4: Yoga
It's been about three weeks since I've done yoga, having missed some sessions due to a recent illness. I decided to try out a new workout, Patience Hummingbird, part of Tony Horton's One on One series.
This is a 36 minute yoga routine which is yoga stripped down to a bare minimum. The focus is on stretching and fluidity of motion. It seems to me that at times, a pose is held longer than usual, causing some mild discomfort, but I was able to maintain focus and breath through it. The poses are very basic: crescent pose, warrior 1, 2 and 3, half-moon, triangle pose and one-arm balance. There are a short series of upper body stretches prior to the poses, and a short series of hamstring stretches at the end of the workout.
Although the workout is not what I would call strenuous by any means, it can still result in a decent stretch if you are mindful of breathing and of what the parts of the body are supposed to be doing. One inclusion I particularly enjoyed was shavasana at the end of the program: just lying on the back, breathing and clearing the mind.
I don't think that the addition of a countdown clock in the lower left-hand corner of the screen is a particularly useful device in a yoga workout. It serves as a distraction, and considering that the mind is supposed to be clear, adding something to think about is not helpful.
This was a fair program. I don't think that I'll do it often during this round. At 36 minutes, it is short enough to fit into a hectic schedule; however, it doesn't result in the peace of mind and total body stretch that comes from Yoga X or Fountain of Youth.
Namaste.
This is a 36 minute yoga routine which is yoga stripped down to a bare minimum. The focus is on stretching and fluidity of motion. It seems to me that at times, a pose is held longer than usual, causing some mild discomfort, but I was able to maintain focus and breath through it. The poses are very basic: crescent pose, warrior 1, 2 and 3, half-moon, triangle pose and one-arm balance. There are a short series of upper body stretches prior to the poses, and a short series of hamstring stretches at the end of the workout.
Although the workout is not what I would call strenuous by any means, it can still result in a decent stretch if you are mindful of breathing and of what the parts of the body are supposed to be doing. One inclusion I particularly enjoyed was shavasana at the end of the program: just lying on the back, breathing and clearing the mind.
I don't think that the addition of a countdown clock in the lower left-hand corner of the screen is a particularly useful device in a yoga workout. It serves as a distraction, and considering that the mind is supposed to be clear, adding something to think about is not helpful.
This was a fair program. I don't think that I'll do it often during this round. At 36 minutes, it is short enough to fit into a hectic schedule; however, it doesn't result in the peace of mind and total body stretch that comes from Yoga X or Fountain of Youth.
Namaste.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Round 5: Day 3: On One Leg
On One Leg is the newest instalment of Tony Horton's One on One series. The workout, approximately 36 minutes in length, consists of 13 strength moves all conducted (you guessed it) on one leg. The strength moves are intended to target the shoulders, the biceps and the triceps; however, because all exercises are done on one leg, it's difficult to use substantial weights, as balance becomes an issue.
This was a really enjoyable workout. Tony is back to his usual zaniness and the individual exercises are straightforward. What they are NOT, is easy. This is one of those workouts which identifies your weaknesses. Mine is my left leg. I find it more difficult to balance and maintain body control when standing on my left leg versus my right. Using weights while balancing on one leg forces you to squeeze your glutes and contract your core. Virtually every exercise involves the tightening of the abdominal muscles. Further, there are constant micro-adjustments made in the leg in order to maintain posture and balance.
The easiest move for me was bridge extensions. Lying on the back, supporting your weight on your shoulders and one leg, with the other leg in the air, you lift dumbbells from behind your head to an overhead position (tip of the day: don't smash your face!). As this isn't really a challenging balance move, it is one of the few exercises where I felt I could increase my weights.
One of the more difficult moves was Alternating Leg Pike Spikes. They're pike presses with one leg on a raised platform (I used a chair) and the other leg up in the air. These are the second last move of the day, by which time my shoulders were pretty toasty. Maintaining good form at this point in the workout was a challenge.
This workout will continue to challenge. As I improve in balance, I'll try to increase the weights. Overall, it wasn't the abdominal workout I thought it would be (in spite of my thoughts above), so I'll likely include an additional ab workout on days when this workout is scheduled. My shoulders and arms got a reasonable workout. In every case, I had to lighten my load over what I would normally use for a similar exercise conducted on two feet. Nevertheless, I still felt that my arms were reasonably tired following the workout. That's likely due to the residual pain, stiffness and soreness I've been feeling since last Sunday's 30-15 workout.
Overall, a keeper. Looking forward to yoga tomorrow, to stretch out the kinks.
This was a really enjoyable workout. Tony is back to his usual zaniness and the individual exercises are straightforward. What they are NOT, is easy. This is one of those workouts which identifies your weaknesses. Mine is my left leg. I find it more difficult to balance and maintain body control when standing on my left leg versus my right. Using weights while balancing on one leg forces you to squeeze your glutes and contract your core. Virtually every exercise involves the tightening of the abdominal muscles. Further, there are constant micro-adjustments made in the leg in order to maintain posture and balance.
The easiest move for me was bridge extensions. Lying on the back, supporting your weight on your shoulders and one leg, with the other leg in the air, you lift dumbbells from behind your head to an overhead position (tip of the day: don't smash your face!). As this isn't really a challenging balance move, it is one of the few exercises where I felt I could increase my weights.
One of the more difficult moves was Alternating Leg Pike Spikes. They're pike presses with one leg on a raised platform (I used a chair) and the other leg up in the air. These are the second last move of the day, by which time my shoulders were pretty toasty. Maintaining good form at this point in the workout was a challenge.
This workout will continue to challenge. As I improve in balance, I'll try to increase the weights. Overall, it wasn't the abdominal workout I thought it would be (in spite of my thoughts above), so I'll likely include an additional ab workout on days when this workout is scheduled. My shoulders and arms got a reasonable workout. In every case, I had to lighten my load over what I would normally use for a similar exercise conducted on two feet. Nevertheless, I still felt that my arms were reasonably tired following the workout. That's likely due to the residual pain, stiffness and soreness I've been feeling since last Sunday's 30-15 workout.
Overall, a keeper. Looking forward to yoga tomorrow, to stretch out the kinks.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Round 5: Day 2: Insanity: Fit Test
I've been looking forward to this day with mixed emotions: excitement and dread. During the last Round, I felt that the cardio component was not challenging enough. I resorted to doubling up some of the cardio exercises, which did give me the burn I was looking for, but not in the timeframe I wanted. Plyometrics, while still challenging, was becoming a bit boring because I had done it so frequently. I realized that cardio is a weakness of mine and understood that I needed to do more cardio to improve; therefore, I purchased Shaun T's Insanity.
I had read over the Internet that Insanity is like P90X's Plyometrics times three, and that it would be the most difficult workout I've ever done. Those reviews were sufficient to scare me away from Insanity for 6 months. I felt that my cardio abilities would not be sufficiently developed to take on that program. Following the last round, I realized that in order to improve, one must face one's shortcomings. In order to change your body, break through plateaus and continue muscle confusion, you have to do what you don't like, or what you're not good at doing. For me, that's cardio. That meant that even though my body likely isn't ready for Insanity, I'm going to try it anyway.
Today was the Fit Test. There's a fairly brief warmup prior to engaging in 8 fitness exercises. The warmup wasn't particularly strenuous; however, the 8 fitness exercises were challenging (some more than others). The most difficult of the batch was an exercise similar to Plyometrics' Jump Knee Tuck, except that you're in more of a squat position, leaping into the air with knees wide apart. That got the heart pumping.
Overall, I managed to survive the Fit Test. In many cases, I matched, or was close to the numbers originally posted by the two Fit Test participants. There was a measure of satisfaction in that for me, as the participants seem like they're in the 20's or early 30's, while here I am, an old fart nearing 50. Besides, I only intend to make improvements from here, even though I'll only be doing Insanity workouts twice a week, excluding abdominal workouts.
I'm looking forward to the challenge.
A postscript to today's post:
Pain and discomfort. That's what I'm feeling right now, and that mean's that something good is happening. I'm not experiencing pain due to an injury; just the kind of soreness you get when you've pushed yourself slightly out of your comfort zone. I haven't felt that in awhile, likely due to my time off. In addition, my little Insanity introduction left me in a state of jelly-leggedness, which I also haven't experienced in some time. If the Fit Test is sufficient to give me some leg-shake, then I can hardly wait to see what happens following this week's full-blown, genuine Insanity workout.
I had read over the Internet that Insanity is like P90X's Plyometrics times three, and that it would be the most difficult workout I've ever done. Those reviews were sufficient to scare me away from Insanity for 6 months. I felt that my cardio abilities would not be sufficiently developed to take on that program. Following the last round, I realized that in order to improve, one must face one's shortcomings. In order to change your body, break through plateaus and continue muscle confusion, you have to do what you don't like, or what you're not good at doing. For me, that's cardio. That meant that even though my body likely isn't ready for Insanity, I'm going to try it anyway.
Today was the Fit Test. There's a fairly brief warmup prior to engaging in 8 fitness exercises. The warmup wasn't particularly strenuous; however, the 8 fitness exercises were challenging (some more than others). The most difficult of the batch was an exercise similar to Plyometrics' Jump Knee Tuck, except that you're in more of a squat position, leaping into the air with knees wide apart. That got the heart pumping.
Overall, I managed to survive the Fit Test. In many cases, I matched, or was close to the numbers originally posted by the two Fit Test participants. There was a measure of satisfaction in that for me, as the participants seem like they're in the 20's or early 30's, while here I am, an old fart nearing 50. Besides, I only intend to make improvements from here, even though I'll only be doing Insanity workouts twice a week, excluding abdominal workouts.
I'm looking forward to the challenge.
A postscript to today's post:
Pain and discomfort. That's what I'm feeling right now, and that mean's that something good is happening. I'm not experiencing pain due to an injury; just the kind of soreness you get when you've pushed yourself slightly out of your comfort zone. I haven't felt that in awhile, likely due to my time off. In addition, my little Insanity introduction left me in a state of jelly-leggedness, which I also haven't experienced in some time. If the Fit Test is sufficient to give me some leg-shake, then I can hardly wait to see what happens following this week's full-blown, genuine Insanity workout.
Round 5: Day 1: 30-15
It's a little difficult getting back into working out after having taken 10 days off. My body felt weak, not only from having been sick, but also from not having moved too much during my time off. Also, I found it more difficult to establish a P90X attitude. I now understand how people give up on the P90X program after a short period of time. It's easy to quit; it's hard to continue.
I was of the opinion that I would just do what I could, and I would listen to my body. I even felt that if I was incapable of doing 30 pushups and 15 pullups, I would decrease my numerical objectives, just to complete the workout. There didn't seem to be a point in burning out over the first few exercises, only to abandon the remainder of the workout. It's a similar attitude to lifting lighter weights but doing more repetitions. Just keep at it.
Surprisingly, I felt quite capable during the first few rounds of the workout. My body felt strong and, although I did still have a remnant of a cough, it wasn't significant enough to prevent me from working out. As the workout moved along, I naturally felt my strength draining away, which is completely normal for this workout, but I managed to push through (no pun intended) and finished with numbers which matched my previous efforts. The final exercise, where I did two pushups on the PowerStands, then two in chataranga position, was a killer. My form was questionable, and my butt likely was piking into the air. Not pretty, no doubt, but I was pleased to see that I was able to conjure up some willpower, grit my teeth and force out some final repetitions. Those last few reps were on fumes alone. My arms were completely burnt out.
It's going to take a week or so to regain my strength and build up some lung power, but I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. It's a great feeling to be active again, and I'm looking forward to seeing some good results this round.
I was of the opinion that I would just do what I could, and I would listen to my body. I even felt that if I was incapable of doing 30 pushups and 15 pullups, I would decrease my numerical objectives, just to complete the workout. There didn't seem to be a point in burning out over the first few exercises, only to abandon the remainder of the workout. It's a similar attitude to lifting lighter weights but doing more repetitions. Just keep at it.
Surprisingly, I felt quite capable during the first few rounds of the workout. My body felt strong and, although I did still have a remnant of a cough, it wasn't significant enough to prevent me from working out. As the workout moved along, I naturally felt my strength draining away, which is completely normal for this workout, but I managed to push through (no pun intended) and finished with numbers which matched my previous efforts. The final exercise, where I did two pushups on the PowerStands, then two in chataranga position, was a killer. My form was questionable, and my butt likely was piking into the air. Not pretty, no doubt, but I was pleased to see that I was able to conjure up some willpower, grit my teeth and force out some final repetitions. Those last few reps were on fumes alone. My arms were completely burnt out.
It's going to take a week or so to regain my strength and build up some lung power, but I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. It's a great feeling to be active again, and I'm looking forward to seeing some good results this round.
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