Round 4: Day 50: Yoga / Ab Ripper X

Day 50 has a nice sound to it. After a week of mediocre performance, I was looking forward to a stronger attitude this week. Unfortunately, this week is Recovery Week, and, although the DVDs have the "Bring It" reminder, yoga doesn't really fall into that category, as I am mostly contemplative, and focussed on stretching, clearing my mind and breathing. Nevertheless, it was a good workout. I felt a little tight in my lower back on my left side yesterday, and, as a result, was looking forward to today's stretches, hoping for some small measure of relief. Wish granted. Following yoga, and to this point in the day, my back feels completely fine, with no traces of residual soreness or pain remaining.

Since I missed my ab workouts last week, I decided to make them up this week, in spite of Recovery Week. Last Friday (Day 48) I did Killer Abs upon my return home from the office; today, I just completed Ab Ripper X, done in concert to classic rock tunes playing from my nearby computer. There's a great way to take your mind off your stomach. With two make-up workouts now complete, I only have one remaining, which I'll take care of on Tuesday.

Namaste.

Round 4: Day 38: Diamond Delts / Ab Ripper X

Diamond Delts

Today was the first time I did this workout. Thanks to Lee Lichlyter on the P90X Facebook site, who set me up with workout log sheets for the One on One series. I found the log sheets to be invaluable during P90X, as they show the number of repetitions completed with a particular weight or resistance band. There's nothing more effective than tracking your progress. Otherwise, you won't remember what you did, so you won't know what adjustments to make to improve the quality of your workout.

As with Just Arms, I was excited to do this workout because it meant using the new dumbbell kit again. My shoulders, and particularly my left shoulder, are about the weakest part of my body. It seems that during Shoulders and Arms, and Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, the shoulder exercises are the ones which give me the most trouble. So, I was grateful for the opportunity to focus exclusively on a weakness today.

The workout is structured as circuit training: 3 groups of 3 exercises. Do one set of three, then repeat. One exercise, Pike Presses, is part of the first two groups. Pike Presses don't really bother me. I initially found them to be tremendously difficult during CST, but now I'm more used to them and enjoyed the variety introduced on this DVD. Tony slings his legs up high on the top rail of his dumbbell rack, then proceeds to drop his head between the PowerStands, so his head is going almost vertically, up and down. I used a fairly high chair for the first round. In the second round, I dropped down to a lower level of elevation, using a couch. These exercises really bring it to the shoulders.

Other exercises I enjoyed were the Shoulder Presses (seated position, pressing the dumbbells straight up), Arnold presses (a half-curl leading to a press, while corkscrewing the dumbbell), Side Presses (lying down on one side and lifting the dumbbell). Overall, it's a nice workout and, although I felt my arms and shoulders grow tired, I never really sweated that much. Lee left three blank spaces at the bottom of the page to encourage the user to do a bonus round and, as I wasn't completely exhausted, I did another set of three exercises (and repeated). After the final set of Pike Presses, I was pretty worn out.

As I write this, my shoulders feel a little tired, and I'm pretty sure I'll feel it in my neck later on. It's difficult to keep the neck relaxed when pressing weights. We'll see how things go over the next few days.

Ab Ripper X

Ripped out ARX after work. Great workout. I'm almost back to where I want to be with this workout.

Round 4: Day 31: Just Arms / Ab Ripper X

Just Arms

I purchased a set of PowerBlocks the other day, and today was the first opportunity I had to use them. This was also the inauguration of the Just Arms DVD from the One on One with Tony Horton series, so I was twice as pumped for this workout.

I don't think that you can really successfully do this workout using resistance bands. It might technically be possible, but you'd have to be pretty creative in positioning the bands for some of the exercises. It really helped to have a set of dumbbells. An adjustable bench would have been a bonus, but I managed to get by without using one. Tony advises that it's possible to use a chair in lieu of a bench, and that's what I did.

The structure of this workout is a little strange. It starts with a series of exercises, all of which are repeated; however, the last 5 exercises are not. I don't know whether this is due to poor time management, or Tony becoming fatigued, bad planning, or a combination of those, but it seemed to me that something was a bit off. At any rate, the focus of the workout is exclusively on the arms: biceps, forearms and triceps. Nothing else is exercised: not chest, shoulders or deltoids. And, it is a fabulous workout.

It's been years since I worked out with weights. I don't think I've done any weightlifting for over 20 years. All of the muscular gains I've achieved over the last year have been achieved using resistance bands and, in limited situations, a pair of 10 lb dumbbells. It was interesting, informative and humbling to use heavier dumbbells today, to see exactly what my body was capable of lifting and to realize that parts of my body aren't as strong as I thought they were (I'm talking to you, left arm!).

Tony starts out with simple curls, using 55 lbs in each hand. That's more than the entire stack of my PowerBlocks. I started with 30 lbs, and found that manageable. Each exercise broke new ground, because I wasn't sure which weight to use, so there was a lot of trial and error going on in weight selection, along with a bit of pausing the DVD to view form and to listen to instruction. Next time, this workout will go faster and smoother. I'd also like to try doubling up on the last 5 exercises so that they match the format of the initial exercises.

It was a reasonably good start today, and I at least managed to establish a benchmark for future workouts and for other workouts where similar exercises are done. I definitely think that dumbbells will make a big difference for me, and I'm really looking forward to incorporating them more fully into my overall fitness routine. I can still feel a bit of soreness in my arms and some overall tiredness. It feels great.

Ab Ripper X

My arms were still sore when I settled in to do ARX after work. I'm not looking forward to seeing what they'll feel like tomorrow, but I'm already thankful in advance that tomorrow is Yoga.

I did ARX in a different setting today. Normally, I work out in my little space in the basement, but upon my return home from the office, my son was occupying my space, and I was advised, in no uncertain terms, that my presence was not wanted. He was in the midst of playing a computer game and, if you know anything about teenage children, did not want to be displaced. So, I grabbed my discs and my mat and headed into another room where, thankfully, we have another DVD player.

It feels a little strange doing a workout in a different place. I had the volume down low, because recently, I've been doing ARX to my iTunes music. I'm just no longer in the mood to hear the chatter during this workout. My wife had the radio volume turned up, so I was reasonably distracted; she was also cooking, so there was an olefactory distraction in addition to an auditory one. And, dinner smelled great.

I had pretty good energy during the workout; nothing posed any particular difficulty for me. I'm getting used to ARX all over again, and enjoying it. Rotating this workout with Killer Abs seems to be just enough to keep things reasonably fresh, for now. I heard that there's a new One on One workout, Butt and Belly, which might be worth investigating as well. For now, I'm going to stick with my ab sandwich: Killer Abs twice a week, with ARX thrown in the middle.

Round 4: Day 19: Bun Shaper / Ab Ripper X

Bun Shaper

Bun Shaper is from the One on One series. I previewed the DVD yesterday to determine what props or equipment I would need, and found the workout somewhat intimidating. I usually get that feeling prior to doing a workout for the first time. This workout consists of a series of 9 moves, repeated for two rounds. Some of the individual exercises are found elsewhere in the P90X or P90X+ series; others are new to me. Some of the moves are Plyo-like, some Kenpo-like, some Yoga-like, but they are reasonably varied and sufficiently well-paced to keep the workout interesting and challenging.

The warm-up is insufficient. We find Tony at the start of the DVD completing 5 minutes of skipping rope out on his porch. He stops his skipping, hangs up the rope on a purpose-made peg, enters the workout studio and does a very short series of limited stretches. This is one of the few DVDs where I felt that the warmup stretch wasn't enough for me. Having previewed the tape, I was prepared in advance to do my own stretching, so I did so for about 6 minutes (running in place, jacks, lunges, bent-over stretches, hamstring stretches, etc.). Then, on to the individual exercises.

The first exercise, a side-to-side squat, was challenging, as my legs weren't quite warm enough to really get into the squat. Note to self to lunge more during the warm-up. The exercises moved a bit slowly, which I liked, because it offered an opportunity to watch for form and to ensure that the buttocks are being effectively targeted. The repeat round moved much faster, due to the time consumed during the first round and Tony was in danger of running out the clock. This made the second round even more challenging, as a fair amount of energy was expended during the first round. There are some leg extensions done when bracing against a chair, which drained my energy and zapped my glutes. That hit the spot.

Overall, I enjoyed this workout and, as I'm writing this, don't feel immobilized due to gluteal pain; however, we'll see what tomorrow brings. My initial reaction following the workout was that I was rubber-legged. That brought thoughts of not doing Kenpo Cardio tomorrow, but substituting Medicine Ball Core Cardio instead. I'll see how I feel tomorrow morning. I am pleased to have this workout in my collection, and look forward to doing it again.

Ab Ripper X

Again, I did this workout to my own musical selections. The workout didn't go as well today as it did yesterday; perhaps due to some fatigue because I had done the workout two days in a row. In the future, I'll be more conscious of doing this workout on schedule, so I have the necessary day's rest between ab days. I managed to survive the workout, and actually had a pretty strong showing throughout the exercises, but flagged during Mason Twists. Funny thing, though, I noticed that The Four Seasons' "Rag Doll" has almost the perfect beat for doing Mason Twists, nearly matching Tony's moves.

Round 4: Day 18: Yoga / Ab Ripper X

Yoga

A brief aside before getting into yoga: I had the opportunity to attend a real, live yoga class on Monday evening. My daughter attends a weekly class and had to skip a week and was unable to attend a make-up class; I was fortunate to be considered a stand-in for her. The instructor grilled me over the phone for about 10 minutes, inquiring into my yoga background, concerned that I had insufficient training to participate in the advanced class and might suffer an injury or hold up the class, or both. I advised her that I've been doing yoga for about 10 months, and reluctantly revealed to her that I've been practising using P90X. She had heard of it! When I advised her that I could complete the entire 90 minutes of Yoga X, she told me that I would have no problem with her class.

I really enjoyed the yoga class. The practise is Iyengar yoga, which is markedly different from the Astanga yoga demonstrated in Yoga X. Iyengar focuses more on holding a pose and breathing through it, rather than the constant flow of vinyasas. It was a really pleasant change for me, and I found it was much easier to clear my mind and maintain focus, because there was no constant changing of positions. Just you, with your leg in some strange position, and your mind. Some of the poses were initially difficult, but suddenly balance would come and I felt a strange sense of inner peace. No shaking, no movement, just perfect balance of the body and a clear mind. What a wonderful moment. I was also introduced to the yoga belt, which was employed on a number of moves to get a greater stretch. By the end of the class, I was really relaxed and mellow.

The other participants in the class were not in very good shape, and I was surprised how relatively inflexible they were, considering the class was advanced. Yoga X was very reasonable preparation for this class. I might consider taking the class in the future. I enjoyed the lengthy relaxation prior to the start of the class, lying with a bolster under my spine to open my chest, followed by ohms in a seated meditation pose. It was the mind trip that I enjoyed the most.

Yoga this morning was a bit of a contrast. I found Tony to be unusually chatty (more than normal!). The moves were quick, and I found myself thinking that perhaps a live yoga class would be better. On the other hand, I was able to focus more on my form, having received some tips from the class instructor this week, and was able to Bring It more effectively. The session flew by, and I realized in retrospect that I did actually manage to clear my mind. It's all positive.

Namaste.

Ab Ripper X

Well, another day of ARX. Today, I tried something new: I made an ARX playlist and played tunes at random from iTunes (yes, I'm a Mac fanboy). Nice variations, from Baba O'Reily to Tammy Wynette. I was starting to get a bit tired of listening to Tony count and the music drone on. I've done this workout over 60 times and have pretty much memorized every single nuance there could possibly be. Time for a change.

The music worked. I was pleasantly distracted while I cranked out the exercises, didn't miss Tony counting, didn't miss the canned muzac, didn't miss the joking, and occasionally watched the TV to make sure I was in sync on the key exercises, such as Fifer Scissors. I actually felt as though I had more energy than usual, especially in Mason Twists, which were rendered to a heartfelt Phil Collins tune (You'll Be In My Heart, the theme song from the animated movie, Tarzan). The workout was so successful, I may just have to do this again.

Round 4: Day 12: Plyo Legs / Ab Ripper X

Plyo Legs

Ouch. I have a pain in the rear. And it's all Tony's fault. OK, perhaps not all Tony's fault. I suppose I had something to do with it.

Today was my first day of Plyo Legs, the first instalment of One on One with Tony Horton (series 1, disc 1). It consists of 20 exercises targeting, you guessed it, the legs. Well, not every part of the legs. It seems to me that calves have been left out of the equation, although they get some exercise due to being in motion. They're not specifically targeted like calf raises in P90X.

The workout commences with Tony completing a 5-minute jump rope warmup. He then enters his home gym (beautifully exposed with generous amounts of glazing to the California hills) which is neatly arranged and well-equipped (hey, it's Tony, and he is a personal trainer and fitness guru) with a full-length mirror covering the entire wall surface opposite the windows. I'd personally kill for a workout studio like that. Well, maybe not kill, but seriously maim.

The warmup stretches were insufficient for my aging body, so I paused the disc for a few more minutes while I did split-leg hamstring stretches (you know them, and you love them!) and quad stretches. I also did a little running in place just to get my body warm overall and to raise my heart rate a little bit. Tony doesn't wear a heart monitor for this workout, and it's not specifically a cardio workout, but your heart rate definitely becomes elevated at times. It's important to make sure that your body is generally warmed up before getting into this routine.

The workout lasts approximately 1 hour. Tony takes breaks between the various exercises. At first, I thought that the breaks weren't really warranted, but after some time, I was really glad to have them. This workout was pretty intense. There were some familiar moves from P90X and P90X+, with a few new moves thrown in (just for fun) and some modifications of moves I've seen before. Groucho Walk became a monster, requiring you to lift your legs up high in the air, like giant tires, before resuming a low squat pose. Leapfrog squats had you lifting a weight to your chest as you leapt forwards (or backwards) and touching that weight to the ground. This was a glute killer. Wacky Jacks are straightforward, but 100 on each side?!! Also, a more intense version of the Debbi Sievers 80-20 Speed Squat. All the weight on one leg (eliminate the 20, except for a toe touch) and leap vertically as high as possible. This was the 2nd last move. Tony is evil.

I found myself breathing really hard at several points throughout the workout. This is not only a great leg workout, but it's also a reasonable cardio workout. It's definitely a keeper.

Ab Ripper X

You know how Tony advises that you shouldn't do ARX every day? He's right. You shouldn't. I did ARX upon returning home from the office and again, was faced with timing issues, so I had to really crank it out. It was a little harder than yesterday, because my abs would have liked to have had the extra day's rest, but one must push on with the program. No breaks for me this round.

There was a breakthrough, however. Yesterday, I managed to raise my arms in the air for the first and part of the second exercises. Today, I had my hands up for the first three exercises, right to the end of reverse bicycles. My form towards the end of the reverse bicycles suffered a little bit, and I definitely felt it in my thighs and hip flexors, but managed to breathe through the pain and suffering. Now, I've got a new benchmark for this workout.

The balance of the workout was slightly more difficult to complete, due to the added intensity during the first three moves and the fact that I was doing the workout two days in a row. The last 10 Mason Twists were still hard, and I was leaning back a little more than I ought to have done. I'm still waiting for that aspect of the workout to improve. Still, two weeks into the new Round, I'm pleased with my abdominal progress to date and am excited about further improvements.

Round 4: Day 11: Yoga / Ab Ripper X

Yoga

I didn't get around to doing ARX yesterday. I returned home from a meeting at a late hour, and was just too tired to start. So, I'll make it up today, instead.

Yoga was good today. I popped in Fountain of Youth, because I didn't have time this morning for a full Yoga X workout, as I had to attend an early morning meeting. What a great way to start the day: stretching and clearing the mind. It's all good. I paid specific attention to my posture during the Crescent and Warrior 1 poses, obtaining a good stretch through my upper body and shoulders as well as my legs. I also tried to go deep into my lunge posture in those poses, and tried to maintain my hips square so that my torso faced forward. Also, watch out for the front knee collapsing inwards. I find myself making numerous minor adjustments during the poses, and have noticed that as my form improves, so does my strength and flexibility.

I really look forward to Yoga days, not only as a break from the cardio and resistance workouts, but as a terrific workout in its own right.

Ab Ripper X

Make-up time for ARX. Again, I was on the clock, so there was little time for getting your mind right. I skipped the intro and moved right into the workout. I was energetic and pumped. For the first time, I raised my hands in the air during the In and Outs, and for 20 of the 25 Forward Bicycles. After 20, I had balance issues, so I reverted to the familiar and more comfortable hands-on-the-floor position. I was excited to have done some of the exercises with hands up, though, and will try to make that part of the regimen in the future.

I've been reading internet posts recently about the timing and pacing of ARX. There is an opinion that the slower the exercises are done, the better burn you get in your abs. With this in mind, I tried to slow down the pace a bit and really focus on tightening up my abdominal area during the workout. With some exceptions (my mind tends to wander during particularly painful portions) I found this approach to be fairly successful in developing a good burn. I'll try this approach again.

The workout was good, perhaps with the exception of Mason Twists, where I experienced some balance issues between 40 and 50. I still managed to crank out all the repetitions, but the last 10 were somewhat ugly. This will improve over time. Already, I've noticed a nice improvement this week over last week. The abs are coming along. I'm optimistic. If only I could be a little more disciplined in the kitchen.

Round 4: Day 5: Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X

Legs and Back

Ouch. It's the first time I've done Legs and Back in quite some time, and I'm feeling it. Thanks to the cardio workouts in P90X+, my legs haven't been totally neglected; however, this is a workout which definitely has its place in any exercise program.

I didn't experience any specific difficulties during the workout; it's just that this workout is pretty intense. As usual, I found the standard and single-leg wall squats the most challenging, followed closely by toe-roll-iso-lunges and Groucho walk. The seemingly innocuous Groucho walk is deceiving; the lower you go, the more difficult it becomes. Staying low for the 45 second duration of the exercise is quite a challenge.

I did notice that I struggled a bit during calf raises. I haven't done any specific calf exercises for the last few months, other than the benefits that the cardio routines would bring. As a result, I found my calves burning. That's a sensation I didn't have when I was doing this workout on a weekly basis during the first two rounds of P90X. Again, it just points to the need for including leg exercises in a workout program on a consistent basis. I've tried to accommodate that requirement as part of Round 4. If I feel that legs are being neglected, I'll modify the program accordingly. It's still a work in progress.

Ab Ripper X

As usual, I jumped into ARX immediately upon my arrival home from the office. I really like doing this workout at this time; I'm usually energized, ready to blow off the extra stress and steam accumulated during the work day, and fully recovered from the morning workout. All good things.

The workout was definitely an improvement over Tuesday's workout. I was no longer sore in the abdominal area, as my body is becoming used to the exercises again, so it was basically an issue of mind over matter. I experienced some difficulties and discomfort during the first four moves (actually making me look forward to Fifer Scissors), and the last 10 Mason Twists found me starting to lose my balance a bit, but overall, I'm improving. I'll likely be back in form towards the end of next week, when I'll have had the opportunity to complete a few more ab workouts.

Round 4: Day 4: Yoga

Before getting into Yoga, a brief word about yesterday's afternoon ARX:

Upon returning home from the office, I jumped into my shorts and did a round of ARX. My abdomen was still rather sore from Sunday's Killer Ab routine, and I probably should have done some preliminary stretching before playing the DVD, but didn't bother, thinking that within a short period of time, my abs would stretch out and be just fine. I did experience some pain during the routine. I expect this to dissipate over time, as my body becomes accustomed to the workout regimen.

The workout went reasonably well. I struggled a bit on crunchy frog, as my hip flexors were feeling rather worked over by that time, and had some form issues during oblique V-ups when laying on my left side, as well as a small stamina problem during Mason Twists, struggling to complete the final 10 twists during the bonus round. All of these issues are minor and will disappear.

This morning, I was up bright and early for Yoga X. I haven't done this workout since I discovered Fountain of Youth from Tony's One on One series some months ago (about 4 months ago, I believe) and I discarded Yoga X in favour of the shorter FOY disc. I decided to bring back Yoga X into Round 4 on a regular basis, because there are moves in Yoga X which have been expunged from FOY: right-angle pose with hand grab, balance postures, bridge, plough to shoulder stand, and an extended Yoga belly 7. All these moves are, no doubt, good for me and I felt that I would benefit from the 90 minute Yoga X workout occasionally, to complement the more convenient but necessarily less complete 48 minute FOY.

It's nice to get back to a workout with which one is intimately familiar. I rarely had to look at the screen to perform a move; everything came back from memory. I was anticipating that some of the moves would prove difficult, because I had not assumed some poses for a long time, but surprisingly, moves which had given me fits (right angle pose with hand grab) were really easy. I'm really pleased that my body is still so flexible, in spite of the fact that I've been skimping on Yoga time. Perhaps I'll look into Tony's new One on One disc, Patience, Hummingbird.

Namaste.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 52: Shoulders & Arms / Ab Ripper

Oooh, it was tough waking up today. I was up around 5:30AM, concerned that I had to complete my workout early, shower, and attend an early morning meeting out of town. There's motivation for you.

I haven't done this workout in months, and was really looking forward to it. Similar to Chest and Back (earlier this week), I was slightly nervous that I would have difficulty with the workout, as I hadn't done it recently. Again, there weren't any serious problems. I never had to pause the disc, and I enjoyed the extra time Tony gives you to write down your results. I used the Round 2 numbers as a benchmark, and managed to match all of them. I increased the difficulty level in the curls by standing on the resistance band with both feet, rather than on one foot, as Daniel Haas demonstrates. That puts added tension into the band by stretching it out farther, before the curling action starts. That's something I remembered Tim doing in the Back and Biceps workout.

Tonight, I'm really going to try to get to Ab Ripper X.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 50: Chest & Back / Ab Ripper X

Chest & Back

I'm back.

I was away for awhile, enjoying some time off with the family during these waning days of summer. Whilst away, I was denied access to a DVD player and equipment for some time. During that time, I exercised outside, using some routines that I picked up from Mark Briggs' website (www.markbriggsfitness.com) which completely crushed my body (but not my spirit) and were as tough as any P90X routine. It took me about an hour to destroy myself, including warm-up and cool-down, and I ended up losing weight while away. That was quite a shock.

Upon my return, I had access to my discs and player, and completed the standard schedule for week 7 of P90X Plus. That brings me up to date, with the exception of day 1 of week 8, which I missed yesterday due to driving home from a wonderful weekend in Detroit. So, I'm a day off my regular schedule, but will try to make up an extra workout sometime this week by doing doubles.

I considered today as day 1 for week eight and didn't count my Mark Briggs workout week at all; hence, Day 50 on the schedule. Today brought Chest and Back, which I consider to be one of my favourite P90X routines. I haven't been feeling too well for the last couple of days, with a little sniffle and some congestion, but that wasn't enough for me to consider cancelling the workout. I was a little nervous about performance, because I was concerned that I've been losing some muscle and strength while doing the P90X Plus workouts. No need to have worried. I was able to match my numbers from the end of P90X Round 2 for push-ups and increase them slightly for pull-ups. I also had more energy, and was able to jump from one exercise to the next without taking breaks or pausing the DVD. Further, all push-ups (when possible) were done using the PowerStands, whereas previously, I did them without the benefit of stands. I guess that all the different varieties of push-ups from P90X Plus have been keeping my upper body in shape after all, which is a nice testament for the program.

Ab Ripper X

Later.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 40: Upper Plus / Ab Ripper X

Upper Plus

This is about the closest I've come to crushing this workout. I'm improving in stamina, pausing the DVD only once, after 10 exercises. I took a short, extended break (is that an oxymoron?) of about 2 minutes, rather than 30 seconds, before commencing the final 10 exercises. I ran through the last 10 without pausing, so, this was the shortest time I've taken to complete the workout. In addition, I improved my numbers on some of the exercises. The next thing to do is increase the resistance band level.

I'm starting to focus more on maintaining good form throughout each individual exercise. I'm concentrating on which part of my body is supposed to be working, and isolating that part to ensure that it's getting its maximum pounding. On several exercises, I'm struggling mightily as the time clock is running out (most of the shoulder exercises) but I am seeing some small improvements and am reluctant to switch to a lower level resistance band (in some cases, I'm using the lightest band I have) or lighter weights, because I only have a pair of 10 lb dumbbells. I'm sticking with what I have. This workout in particular is identifying my weaknesses: shoulders, specifically, left shoulder. No problems with any form of push-up or pull-up, but I really notice it when doing the flys in the lunge position, and circle flys.

Ab Ripper X

A funny thing happened on the way to ARX: I was supposed to pick up my daughter on her return from camp, and received a call from her that the bus would be about 45 minutes late. I was in a parking lot which was bisected by a stream, with trees, shade and landscaping along the perimeter. What better place to get down and do ARX in the great outdoors? So, I emptied my pockets, pulled up a level piece of ground, and cranked out the workout. It was fantastic. The shade was sufficiently cool, there was a nice little breeze blowing, the ground wasn't particularly hard-baked, and 6 Canada geese nestled into the grass nearby, bemusedly looking on as I wrestled with Mason Twists. I felt so good upon completing the workout, that I launched into 50 pushups, followed by some upward and downward dog, side stretches and child's pose. Who says you need a DVD and a mat? Get outside, people!

P90X+: Round 3: Day 36: Upper Plus / Ab Ripper X

Upper Plus

I'm still not able to complete this workout without pausing the DVD. I'm getting through the first half, but am gassed before engaging in Spiderman push-ups, so I've been taking a longer break. Overall, it's taking me about 1h to complete the entire workout.

Ab Ripper X

I did this later in the day, and was not at all in the mood. Still, I managed to push through the exercises. Completing the workout felt like a minor victory. I like when I'm able to stick with the schedule, work out whether I want to or not, and finish up. It's a good mindset to have.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 33: Upper Plus / Ab Ripper X

Upper Plus

I'm improving at this workout. I managed to make it through the first 10 exercises without pausing the disc (well, just one pause after the first exercise, to move chairs out of my way, but that was for utilitarian purposes, not to catch my breath, so I'm not going to count it). I paused the disc immediately prior to Spiderman push-ups, then another pause before combat push-ups. It's interesting how Tony says the last three reps should burn; I find the last three exercises in this workout to burn. The combination of Shoulder Everything, Arms Everything and Combat Push-ups is tough on my body. I've been using 10 lb weights for the Shoulder and Arms Everything, which pretty well burns out my upper body. Then, jumping immediately into Combat Push-ups is strenuous. I guess it's supposed to be.

I'm starting to notice minor improvements in my left shoulder, which has always been the weaker of the two. What I haven't noticed is any significant change in my weight. I'm pretty much where I started. Weight fluctuates a few pounds here and there, up and down, but I was really hoping to shed about 8 more pounds this round. So far, not impressive. However, my clothes are still fitting loosely, and I'm wearing my "goal" pants, which makes me feel pretty good about myself. Looking at myself in the mirror, I don't think I'm putting on any bulk. I'd say I might even be getting a bit leaner. But, there's a bit more definition in my arms, so, perhaps, some fat is still coming off, and some muscle is still being gained. I don't have fat measuring calipers, so I'm not sure about my percentage of body fat. I'll have to pick those up, perhaps on my next Amazon purchase.

Until I completely crush this workout, I'm not going to poo-poo it. It has still been getting the better of me, so there's still work to be done.

Ab Ripper X

Totally ripped it. I think I made a good decision to return to ARX instead of pursuing Abs/Core Plus. Live and learn. I'm going to go to Child's Pose now...

P90X+: Round 3: Day 29: Upper Plus/Ab Ripper X

Upper Plus

Perhaps I was too quick to malign this workout. Every time I do it, it seems as though it's a huge challenge. In thinking about it afterwards, it always seems not to be challenging enough. I just can't quite get my head around that.

Anyhow, back to the workout. I woke up late today, and didn't start the workout until around 11:00AM. I don't like working out so late. Early morning workouts are always more motivating, because I have to complete them by a certain time, in order to get ready for work. On a Sunday, there's no pressure to get anything done. So, I sat in front of the TV for awhile, checking out the baseball scores, before I finally got down to the business of the workout.

I used 2 chairs for Double Dip'll Do Ya, because my feet just weren't moving through properly when using the PowerStands. This was definitely more accommodating, because my trunk was higher off the floor. I don't think the exercise was more difficult from this position, but I was able to significantly increase the number of repetitions. Perhaps there's not as much stress on the core, but I think the increased number of reps made up for the decreased stress on the core. Anyway, the exercise felt more successful overall.

The push-ups are the most interesting and the most strenuous portions of this workout, especially spiderman and combat push-ups. I struggled with both moves today, recording fewer reps in each than last week, but they were still enjoyable. The feeling I get with these moves is similar to the P90X chest and back workout. Burn the arms out until you can't do any more.

Ab Ripper X

This was tough. I felt depleted of energy when I started, and things never really improved. This was a day to grit your teeth and soldier on. Nothing went particularly well, although I did manage to match all the moves and complete the workout. Note to self: eat more!

P90X+: Round 3: Day 26: Legs & Back / Ab Ripper X

Legs and Back

Again, it's been about 6 weeks since I last did this workout, and I admit to being a bit nervous about it. I suppose it didn't help that I was on a bit of a tight schedule, having to leave the house by a certain time to attend some meetings. It further didn't help when the disc froze several times during the warm-up sequence. I was left to stretch out on my own, and managed to start the disc at the first exercise in the workout. I am a bit concerned about the condition of my disc; perhaps I'll have to take it to my friend's house for a good cleaning and polishing.

The workout went really well. I managed to keep up with Tony and the kids throughout, and didn't feel fatigued on some of the more difficult exercises. Wall squats went by really well. Single-leg wall squats were still a killer, starting with the first one. Major leg shake. I wasn't sure I would even manage to complete the exercise. They actually got better as the minute wore on, although I did have my eye on the clock every second, just waiting for the signal to change legs. Also, 80-20 speed squats were rather punishing today. Perhaps my legs are in decent shape due to all the bicycle riding I've been doing lately. I really enjoyed all the lunge exercises, because I've been experiencing some tightness in my left hip flexor, and lunges are great to stretch out that part of my body.

The sweat was really pouring off me by the end of the workout. Again, it's giving me second thoughts about the effectiveness of P90X Plus. The standard P90X workouts are still challenging, moreso than P90X Plus. Time for a change in routine? I'm still undecided. I don't really want to give up on P90X Plus; I'm just concerned that I could be doing more.

Ab Ripper X

I got to ARX upon my return home from the office. It took me about 10 minutes to get going. For awhile, I was just sitting in front of the TV, psyching myself up, getting mentally ready for the challenge. This was just one of those days where you don't really feel motivated to work out. That's when the challenge really starts: mental preparation, slip in the DVD, and just press play. I managed to do so.

The workout, once started, actually went rather well. There wasn't any particular exercise which really caused any sort of struggle. I think that I'm almost back to where I used to be, doing the entire DVD and focussing on form. Today, my main focus was on Fifer Scissors and on Leg Climbs. Fifer Scissors are, and likely always will be, challenging. I'm always focussed on keeping my leg straight and vertical, with a flexed foot. My hamstrings are a bit tight, and keeping my leg straight is my main difficulty. Leg Climbs have puzzled me for the longest time, and I don't think they're the greatest ab move. Today, I was concentrating on engaging my core, keeping my leg absolutely still, and going straight up to my foot. That was harder, and it gives me another goal to work towards when I next do the workout.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 24: Back and Biceps / Ab Ripper X

Back and Biceps

I must be improving somewhat in upper body strength, due (I hope) to Upper Plus. I ripped through Back and Biceps today, easily matching the numbers I last posted about 6 weeks ago. I wasn't feeling that great when I started the workout, and was actually considering decreasing the resistance band level on the exercises, but by the time the warmup was completed, my mind was in a good place, and out came the competitor in me. There's something about that page of numbers, especially seeing the numbers increasing, or the weight increasing, that gives you that extra push to be your best. I know, it's not all about the numbers, its about form...but really, now. It's about being your best. It's about finding out what's inside of you. It's about pushing yourself to your limit. It's about bringing the intensity on the last three reps. It's about X-ing it up. And besides, this isn't P90X. It's P90X Plus.

So, back to the workout. This isn't really one of my favourites, but I do get a fantastic bicep pump out of it. By the end of the workout, my arms are huge and tired. Did I mention sweaty? And sweaty. I must have had extra energy, because I found myself often fast-forwarding to the next exercise. I wasn't writing down my results; I used the Round 2 worksheet as a guide. The additional rest time, although it's really only a matter of seconds, made a difference. I was ready to jump from exercise to exercise, no stopping, no break. Look at me! I'm loose in the cage!

I ran out of time today before I ran out of energy, even on strip set curls. Terrific workout.

Ab Ripper X

I last did this workout this past Friday. I felt terrible for having missed my ab workout on Thursday of last week, due to a complete mental lapse, so I made up for it on Friday. I made it through all the moves, but it was more difficult than I recalled, again, creating a bit of angst that my prowess in the ab department was slipping a bit. Then, last Sunday, I was too bagged to do ARX. Not good. Today, no excuses.

ARX was somewhat easier today than last Friday. I wasn't as sweaty, nor as short of breath; however, I did have some difficulty on Mason Twists (it took me about 30 twists before I really caught my rhythm) and I lost form on the last 3 or 4 Crunchy Frogs. Obviously, there's a relationship between the two exercises: both require you to sit upright with legs and feet off the floor. They're both working the same portion of the abdomen, and I'm getting the feeling that I've lost a bit of toughness. At least I know now what I have to do to improve, and I'll take the necessary steps to do so.

P90X: Round 2: Day 82: Legs & Back / Ab Ripper X

Legs and Back

Another day, another farewell to a friend. Today was the final day of Legs and Back (for now). I've been approaching the week's workouts with the desire to finish up with a bang. I wanted to crush the exercises, to prove to myself that I'm ready to leave P90X behind and move onto P90X Plus.

Last night I was really excited about Legs and Back. This morning, upon awakening, my enthusiasm was greatly muted. I had a lousy sleep and was really tired. It took me some time (about 30 minutes) to get up, to get moving, and to get my friggin' knees up. By the time the warmup was over, I was ready to go, and pounded on my nemsis, balance lunges, cranking them out just before Tony and the kids started. My mental approach has become tougher over this Round: don't wait for the exercise to start, just go and do it already. That gives more time for either more reps, or slightly more rest between exercises.

Previously, I have found myself gasping for breath several times during this workout. Today, I decided to focus more on my breathing, to assist in controlling the exercise and in maintaining form. That helped. My breaths are coming regularly, deeply and fully from lower in my diaphragm, which seems to conserve my overall energy level, versus shallow, rapid breathing from the upper chest. This approach works well for the types of exercises in Legs and Back, which, for the most part, are slow and methodical (unlike Plyometrics).

I had a great workout today, once I finally got the engine going. I had a good mindset and was able to focus nicely on the various parts of the body during each exercise: straight back leg on lunges, keeping the knee from drifting over the toe, getting really deep into the lunges. My left leg is slightly weaker than my right, but over time, that has improved. I've come a long way in Legs and Back. It's been a good trip.

Favourite move today: step-back lunges.

Toughest move today: single-leg wall squats (what else? I hate it...but...)

Tony line of the day: "Find your intensity level."

Ab Ripper X

How exciting: the last ARX, for a while. No nostalgia here, as I won't be missing this workout in the near future. To commemorate the last time, I did listen to the full introduction. It's always nice to hear Tony finish with "I hate it...but I love it."

The workout went well. Not the best ever, but not bad. I struggled a bit with the reverse bicycles. For some time now, I've had a bit of a coordination issue with this move. Occasionally, my heels will scrape the top of the mat. Solution: get your knees up! Problem solved. As always, still a good workout. I may resort to using this workout every now and then during my round of P90X Plus, depending on how the Plus Ab workout is, especially with its reliance on the pull-up bar. We'll see. I'll have to conduct a close review of the DVD in order to make my decision.

Favourite move today: mason twists. Finished up strong with the Mason Twist.

Toughest move today: reverse bicycles.

Tony line of the day: "BREATHE, people now." True, but not always obvious. Sometimes it's tempting to hold your breath to push through an exercise. Ultimately, that doesn't help. Controlled, deep breathing is the way to maintain your focus and improve your energy level.

P90X: Round 2: Day 80: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

Back & Biceps

I'm getting nostalgic for these workouts, knowing that this is the last week prior to Recovery Week. It's almost like saying goodbye to an old friend. I've been thinking about completing Round 2 and commencing P90X Plus. Every now and then, I think about doing Round 3 of P90X, but I am growing a bit tired of the videos (although I only see some of them 5 times during the 90 day cycle). I have gotten to the point where I've memorized many of the lines, and it's starting to wear on me a bit. I find the thought of P90X Plus a bit daunting, but I had that feeling with P90X initially, and I managed to get over it once I had become a bit familiar with the workouts. Besides, I'm looking forward to a 45 minute workout instead of an hour.

Back & Biceps went well today. I blew out a handle on the blue resistance band part way through the workout. Fortunately, I had recently purchased a spare set of handles, and was able to make a quick replacement. I was surprised that the stitching through the cloth had unravelled. The handle itself is in good condition. Perhaps I can repair it.

I ran through the workout without pausing the tape. There are many exercises which can be done out of sync with Tony and the kids, so as soon as I finished one exercise, I immediately went on to the next. This allows me to do a few more reps than what's being done on the tape. My numbers didn't change from week 10, but form was good and I got a very good burn. I'm still pushing for maximum reps on most exercises, but conscious of the need to be able to complete the workout.

Favourite move today: Twenty-ones. Solid arms. Good horizontal hold on the forearm while working the opposite arm.

Toughest move today: Hammer curls. Barely squeezed out 12 using the blue resistance band. 13 was an impossibility. I really liked going to failure.

Tony line of the day: "I think I blew out my esophagus."

Ab Ripper X

This is the second-to-last time for ARX during this Round. I'm at the point where I love it, rather than hate it. Well, maybe not love, but definitely not hate. It's more like flossing your teeth: you may not particularly feel like doing it, but you know it's good for you, it doesn't take too much time, and it won't kill you. Besides, it makes for less pain later at the dentist.

Had a really strong workout today. I was tired at the end (like always) but this isn't the killer workout for me that it once was.

Favourite move today: heels to heaven. Got the legs going straight up, very little front-to-back wobble, heels up high, toes aimed slightly towards my head, good concentration, great burn.

Toughest move today: VF rollups.

Tony line of the day: "I can't believe it's almost over...makes me sad." Indeed.

P90X: Round 2: Day 78: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps / Ab Ripper

Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Last day for CST, so I wanted to be Johnny Intense like nobody's business. I decided to use the bars for all applicable push-up exercises. From the start, I realized that I was in for trouble. Like last week during Chest and Back, the bars brought the difficulty up a few notches. As a result, most of my numbers were down from previous weeks when using the bars, but the same or higher for the bar-less exercises. I don't find that particularly disappointing or depressing; I know that the bars give me a much greater range of motion and, as a result, a better burn. That's what it's all about anyway, getting the burn on the last 3 reps.

Overall, I find this workout to be the toughest in P90X. Say what you will about Plyometrics; at least I can do Plyo without pausing the tape. There's no way (yet) I can do that with CST. This tape still takes about 1h20m for me to complete. There's a bit of pausing going on every few exercises. Still, with the pauses, my numbers don't crash through the ceiling, and I have a major burn at the end of the workout. I can barely lift my arms above my shoulders by the time I'm through.

Favourite move today: side-to-side push-ups.

Toughest move today: weighted circles. I could really use less weight here. If only I had 8lb weights.

Tony line of the day: "Arrrrrrrrr" (after airborne pushups)

Ab Ripper X

Again, I had a certain intensity for ARX. I had to be out of the house by a certain time, and barely had time to fit in the workout. As a result, I burned through the exercises with extra grit. I've done this workout so many times (64) that I've basically memorized every move, every line, every second. It still gives me a good workout; not the incredible burner it once was, but still a nice sweat. I'm still tired at the end, and really appreciate upward dog to stretch out my abs. I am looking forward to P90X+ for the ab routines there.

Favourite move today: mason twist.

Toughest move today: reverse bicycles.

Tony line of the day: "Adam's gotta be a hotshot, puttin' his hands in the air."