P90X: Day 47: Legs and Back

You want Legs and Back? I'll give you Legs and Back. How about 2 hours of shovelling deep snow? If I hadn't been doing Legs and Back, my legs and back would never have been able to handle the strain of shovelling. I tell you, that's a solid workout, and it was great being outside in the fresh air, playing classic rock on the iPod and feeling the crunch of fresh snow underfoot. That's one of the reasons for working out: so you'll be able to keep up with the outdoor stuff as you age. Working out is not an end in itself; it's a tool to enable you to lead a longer, healthier, active life.

P90X: Day 46: Yoga

Namaste, baby.

P90X: Day 45: Back and Biceps

Day 45: the mid-point of the program. Actually, the program is structured so that you spend more time in Phase 3 than in Phases 1 and 2, once you consider two recovery weeks  in addition to the 4 weeks of Phase 3.

Anyhow, it's a good time to review progress: weight is stable; energy level good, overall body strength improved, but more improvements are certainly possible; more lean muscle tone and decreased body fat, based on the non-empirical method of how my clothes feel; legs are really strong; left knee could use more conditioning; balance is improved; mental attitude is strong; breathing is good. Overall, things are progressing in the right direction, but there are opportunities for improvement.

Today I raced though Back and Biceps, improving on some exercises, but falling back on one, due to not taking a break when I likely should have. It's been kind of a rushed day, and I didn't have the luxury of time, so I gritted my teeth and ground through the workout. It was still a great burn and a strong workout.

P90X: Day 44: Plyometrics

Plyometrics is definitely getting easier. I wouldn't say that I'm breezing through it, or that I don't sweat or breathe hard, but it's definitely not the challenge at the half-way point through the program that it was at the start. The good news is that if I decide it's not challenging enough, I can change the program by substituting an Insanity workout instead. Tony does say that variety is the spice of fitness, after all. An who knows my body better than me? Anyhow, Plyo is still a good workout, and I'll consider making modifications for Phase 3 during the next recovery week. For now, I'm going to stick with the program.

P90X: Day 43: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

The start of Week 7 had me in the gym again, like last week. I had a very workmanlike approach to my workout, taking only 10 seconds between exercises. I was able to get in a really good workout in a short period of time. I noticed other guys in the gym walking around, chatting, checking out their cellphones, admiring themselves in the mirror, and generally wasting time. Im sure I was getting in 5 moves for every one set they were doing. It made me appreciate how quickly the P90X DVDs move, and I'm starting to understand the benefits of taking very little rest between exercises. I get fatigued, and stay in a slightly weakened state during my workout because I don't have very much recovery time, but I end up with nothing left in the tank and a super hard workout in the end.

P90X: Day 41: Kenpo / Cardio Plus

Sometimes during a workout you lose focus. This can result in injury if the workout involves lifting weights. In a workout like Kenpo, if you lose focus, you end up just going through the motions. I caught myself in that mode at an early part of the workout, where my arms and legs were moving, but without much grit or intensity. I'm glad I caught it early, because from then on, I was incredibly intense. The rest of the workout went well. Tip of the day: think about what you're doing, every move, every exercise. Stay focussed.

P90X: Day 40: Legs and Back

I had a lousy sleep last night,making up every few hours, so when I dragged myselfe out of bed this morning, I  really didn't feel like working out, especially my legs. Part of working out is developing a mental toughness to deal with situations like this. You have to get your mind right and work out, even when you're not in the mood. So I did.

It was a tough workout. I sweated profusely, did my share of huffing and puffing, and grunted and groaned throughout. But when it was over, I was really happy that I had exercised. Sometimes, I think that days like this are as important as days when everything goes well and you lift heavy. It's always a good day when you beat your excuses.

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.

P90X: Day 32: Yoga

I've been doing a ton of walking lately (trying to get in my 10,000 steps each day) and have been feeling some tightness in parts of my legs as a result. My hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendons could all use a bit of stretching out, and yoga is great for that, especially downward dog and warrior poses. While things aren't perfect, the stretches certainly help to improve my condition, and there's no need to restrict stretching to one or two days a week. They can be done daily, just like taking multiple vitamins.

As I've been taking my daily brisk walks, I remind myself to take deep breaths at stoplights, relax my neck and shoulders, let my arms hang, and turn off my mind (except to be mindful of traffic). The side effects of carrying principles of yoga into everyday life have been good. My body gets less tense, stays relaxed for longer periods of time, and my walking gait is quick, yet unencumbered by excess moving parts. It's a nice benefit.

P90X: Day 31: Back and Biceps

My triceps were still really sore from the Chest, Shoulders and Arms workout earlier this week, so I wasn't sure how my body was going to react to today's workout, which focuses on the arms. Like the other resistance workouts, I dug up my old worksheets for this routine so I would have some information on what weight to use and what repetitions I might expect to see. In retrospect, I must have been in decent shape to have lifted so heavy during this workout a couple of years ago. I wasn't able to keep up with my old self, so I lightened my weight by 5 lbs for most of the exercises and in some cases, also had to decrease my reps. In short, it was a somewhat humbling experience. But, it's good to be humble. I can now set new goals, and look to improve.

Interestingly, as I write this, my triceps are still sore, but I'm not feeling a similar discomfort in my biceps. Maybe a little yoga stretch will solve things tomorrow.

P90X: Day 30: Plyometrics

This is a milestone of sorts: day 30, one-third of the way through this round. At the one-third mark, it's an opportunity to step bac and take an objective evaluation of progress to date. My strength is about where I thought it would be, but it's less than it could be. Cardio endurance is good. Endurance during resistance workouts needs a bit of improvement. Body tone is moving in the right direction. My weight is about the same, but clothes are fitting looser, so I'd say that body composition has taken some positive steps. Morale and motivation is fair. At this point, I've decided and committed. Next, I hope to succeed. Overall, I'd say it's been a good start, but time to dial up the intensity and push harder.

Today's Plyometric workout was great. I felt I had a lot of strength and endurance. I was able to squat a little lower, jump a little higher, and leap a little farther. Nothing major, but positive progress in general.

P90X: Day 29: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

I had to dig up some old worksheets for this workout, because it's been a couple of years since I've done it. Thanks to the program, I had logged all my information. It's definitely a good idea to keep all your old worksheets in a binder where you can fin them. Otherwise, every time you do a workout, it's like starting the program all over again from scratch. Keeping track of your workout information is critical to progressing with your fitness in a positive way. There's no sense in staying the same and doing the same weights and repetitions every time; your body will merely adapt. You have to keep increasing weights, or reps, or both to keep your body guessing and challenged and growing.

So, armed with my old worksheets, I proceeded with the workout of the day. It's a monster, starting with the first move. By the end of the workout, my arms were actually shaking. I was able to match about half of my old numbers, but had to decrease in weight or reps on many of the moves. It's all quite humbling, but definitely gives me incentive to push harder and more vigorously next time.

P90X: Day 27: Yoga

What a pleasant way to end the week, with some relaxing Yoga. I really look forward to the Recovery Weeks and, like a highly anticipated vacation, they end too soon. At least the week finishes up with a good stretch and an opportunity to switch off the mind, especially on a Friday.

I'm always slightly fearful of how my body will react to resuming the intense workouts of the next Phase. Recovery Week is almost akin to taking time off. I know, there's a 'Bring It' advisory in front of Yoga and X-Stretch, but it's not the same as a resistance or cardio workout. This is a situation where you have to trust the designers of the program, turn off your mind, and proceed to give your maximum effort.

P90X: Day 26: Core Synergistics

Having done this workout earlier in the week, I was less intimidated and more prepared the second time around. While I wouldn't exactly say that I crushed it, I was definitely more satisfied with my effort today than on Monday. I was able to increase my weights on some of the exercises and, with greater focus, I could maintain my form for a longer period of time on others.

The one exercise that I always skip is the Dreya Roll. I've done it in the past and I feel that it puts too much stress on my spine. I feel as though the potential cost is greater than the benefit. It falls into the 'Forget the Rest' category for me. Overall, thought, this is a terrific workout.

P90X: Day 25: X-Stretch

Just what the doctor ordered: a glorious hour of stretching. It amazes me how many sore muscles I have that I didn't know about. The many different stretches dealt nicely with my calves, ankles, spine, glutes and shoulders. I should pay more attention to stretching; it's something I don't particularly focus on and I should spend more time doing them., seeing as it makes me feel so good. I'll try to be more diligent about this in the future.