P90X: Day 39: Yoga

Who knew that today would be a stressful day? I suppose that you never really know how a day is going to turn out. Even if you know it's going to be a tough day, you may still no necessarily be prepared for what's to come. That's why I'm glad yoga is part of my weekly routine. If you can relax your muscles, breathe deeply and calm your mind, you have methods at your disposal to counteract stresses. Namaste.

P90X: Day 38: Back and Biceps

I had a bit of a late start this morning, so I contemplated moving the workout to the evening or even skipping it entirely. But, I put in the DVD, promised not to take any breaks or pauses, and hit play.

Bicep exercises are not my specialty. I'm better at pushing exercises, like pushups, than pulling exercises, like curls. Keeping previous worksheets adjacent to my current worksheet, I was able to help fine-tune my goals for weight and for repetitions, and managed to make modest improvements over last week's efforts. The workout moves very quickly, and I sometimes only barely have time to record my results from the previous exercise and select the appropriate weight for the next exercise before finding that Tony has already started the next move. The workout keeps you on your toes and there's never really time to catch your breath unless you pause the DVD. It made for a good sweat and a great muscle burn.

P90X: Day 37: Plyometrics

After today's workout, I'm back to flip-flopping on the idea of my body becoming accustomed to the stresses imposed by the P90X regimen. Plyo is definitely becoming easier and, while I think I'm in decent shape, I don't think that I'm improving that much. rather, it's more likely that my body is adapting to the routines. It's like running: improvements can be attributed to developing a more minimal and economical running style through practice and repetition. I'm not putting down the program; on the contrary, I'm marveling at the human body.

Anyhow, Plyometrics today was a joy. I've been playing the DVD with the music off, so I only listen to Tony, and I've been finding the experience to be more enjoyable, as I didn't really find the music to that motivational. I seem to go into some sort of a trance, tuning out any sense of fatigue or pain, and just focus on breathing, squatting low and doing the moves. As its really early in the morning when I exercise and my mind is mushy anyway, this approach seems to work. Just shut off your mind and do as you're told. So far, so good.

P90X: Day 36: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

It's amazing what rest can do for the body. I was completely wiped on Friday, barely making it through the workday, walking home (40 minute walk), entertaining guests for supper, then crashing into bed. I was completely knocked out and slept for a solid 11 hours. Then on Saturday night, I managed to squeeze in 9 hours of sleep. Waking up this morning, I felt really refreshed and ready to attack my workout.

My wife has a nice, fully equipped gym at her office and she suggested we work out there this morning. I don't often have the opportunity to take my workouts out of my house, so I welcomed the change of scenery. There weren't many people in the gym, and they were all quiet and serious, so there wasn't any waiting for equipment or any distractions. I took my workout sheet, made a promise to myself not to rest between moves, and headed into the workout.

It went pretty well. I was able to increase my weights on some exercises, but decreased my reps. By the end of the workout, I couldn't lift my arms. I'd call that a successful start to the week.

P90X: Day 34: Kenpo / Cardio Plus

I take back way I said about my body adapting to the workouts. When I woke up this morning, my body was a knotted mess of aching muscles, especially my legs. It took a supreme effort to convince my legs to walk, never mind kick. I managed to work my way through the routine, and even got into it mentally (less so, physically) but by the end, it was a great workout. And, a good time for a rest day.

P90X: Day 33: Legs and Back

It's amazing how the body has the ability to adapt. What seemed difficult a few short weeks ago now seems easier. I don't think that I've made tremendous strides in my level of fitness, so I assume that my body is starting to adapt to the rigours of the workouts and that it is darling more efficiently with the stresses placed on it.

I'm not as tired from this workout as I used to be. It's still challenging and enjoyable, with the exception of single leg raises, which are just evil and deserving of some form of government intervention.