P90X+: Round 3: Day 38: Total Body Plus / Abs-Core Plus

Total Body Plus

This workout, like Upper Plus, also still takes about 1h to complete. I tried breaking up the workout into three segments of 7 exercises each, which worked for a while, but I still had to take a pause after exercise 17 to catch my breath a bit. I didn't bother wearing a shirt today, which made for more comfortable exercising (not to mention infrequent glances into my tiny mirror to see my heart practically beating its way out of my chest -- not a comforting sight), and I didn't have to contend with the discomfort of a dripping wet shirt clinging to my body during the various moves. It's warm in the basement and I tend to sweat a lot, especially during these hot August days. Even the grips on the PowerStands are pretty much soaked by the end of the workout. It's not particularly fun to hang onto those grips during the Spiderman jumps. Squishy and yucky. Overall, a nice workout, although I could happily dispense with at least three of the moves. Perhaps I'll modify and insert a few toughies from Upper Plus, or Chest and Back, to liven things up. Of course, I say this from the comfort and distance of my keyboard. Let's see how things play out when the workout is in progress.

Abs / Core Plus

Later.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 31: Total Body Plus / Abs-Core Plus

Total Body Plus

Maybe I'm not in the shape I thought I was. I was expecting to crush Upper Plus today, but instead was crushed by it. I had to pause the DVD multiple times, sometimes to catch my breath, sometimes to catch up to the next exercise because I had insufficient time to record my results, sometimes to get my mind right, sometimes to stand near a window a hope for a passing breeze across my body, which now seems like more than 97% water.

There are still some exercises which don't really do it for me, mostly of the twisting, lunging, squatting variety. I don't have that much space in my tiny little basement, nor do I have a turquoise resistance band. I find the lack of space and the higher level of resistance hampers my form somewhat. I would love to have straight arms on Warrior Swim, but the maroon band has too much resistance. On the other hand, I know that my shoulders are working, and that there's room for improvement.

Like Upper Plus, I really enjoy the push-up exercises. I was able to bang out 30 standard pushups today near the end of the workout, and 28 of the wide arm variety during 1 and 1s. That was satisfying.

This workout still challenges. I (and my muscles) are more confused than ever about whether this is a superior workout to P90X. I'm starting to conclude that it's neither superior nor inferior, just different. I'm not seeing much on the weight-loss side of things, but my clothes are still fitting loosely and I feel well. I'm going to stick with this workout schedule until the entire round is over, with the modification of including Ab Ripper X twice a week, and Abs/Core Plus once a week.

Abs/Core Plus

Later.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 19: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

I keep toying with the idea of modifying the P90X Plus workout routine, as Upper Plus appears twice weekly. I find that a bit strange from a muscle confusion point of view, as P90X had different routines daily (with the exception of Ab Ripper X). I don't understand why Upper Plus is a twice-weekly routine. But, I'm not that brilliant regarding what's good for your body, and I'm not a personal trainer. At any rate, I was considering today doing Upper Plus once weekly (on Day 1 or Day 5) and substituting the other Upper Plus workout with a rotation of Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, Chest Shoulders & Triceps, Back and Biceps, and Legs and Back. That should still result in muscle confusion, and add a bit more variety to the program. We'll see whether that plan comes to fruition following Recovery Week.

Today's workout (now for the 6th time) was good. I'm now pretty conversant with the various moves and don't need much prompting from Tony. I mashed through the first 10 moves, then paused the DVD prior to Spiderman push-ups, which take a little more effort and mind-straightening. Then, ran through the next 9 moves, and paused before combat push-ups. I'd like to delete those pauses. That will probably happen within my next few workouts.

Again, my favourite moves are the push-ups. I'm really focussed on form, which is resulting in a rep or two fewer, but I'm feeling it in all the right places. The hand grips on my PowerStands get sweaty and a bit slippery. Tony probably didn't count on my palms being so sweaty when he designed these things. I'd like to see how they fare during Chest and Back. I'm substituting 10 lb dumbbells for some of the exercises where I was having difficulty using the maroon resistance band: 2-direction fly circles, shoulders everything, biceps everything. I'm not increasing the numbers of reps, like I thought I would, but my form is much better. I'm concentrating on improving the strength in my left shoulder, which these exercises soon identified as a weak part in my body. I'm looking forward to improvements.

Abs/Core Plus

Later.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 15: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

I woke up extra early today to ensure that I got in my workout prior to leaving to pick up my son at camp. The stress to complete the workout by a particular time provided plenty of motivation, and I only paused the disc twice: once just before Spiderman push-ups, and once just before combat push-ups.

I'm starting to enjoy most of the exercises comprising this workout, but overall, I don't always feel as though my body is being pounded to extinction the way some of the P90X strength workouts did. This isn't because I'm not Bringing It; it's because of the emphasis on time, rather than repetitions. In P90X, you could focus on increasing either weight (bulk) or repetitions (leanness), or both. I liked to pursue both: increase the weight and the number of repetitions. That option doesn't really seem to be available in this workout. As a result, I don't feel the burn I think I should be feeling. When I had completed Chest and Back in P90X, I was incapable of doing any more pushups. I couldn't even lift my arms above my head. I couldn't even wash up in the shower. That's not happening with P90X Plus, or at least Upper Plus. I still get a good sweat from the Plus workouts; just not the ridiculous body fatigue I'm used to.

Regardless, I still enjoy the workout. My favourites are the push-up moves; my least favourites are the 2 direction circle flys and the shoulder everything. Obviously, this has pointed out a deficiency in my shoulder strength, and that will be something to focus upon for improvement.

Abs/Core Plus

I enjoy this workout more than Ab Ripper X, likely for the sole reason that I find it easier than ARX. I would be happier if Tony instituted a fixed number of repetitions for each move, like ARX, as there isn't really sufficient time dedicated to each exercise to do more than what the kids are doing on-screen. That would also dispense with the requirement to write everything down, which is becoming a bit of an annoyance. That said, I enjoy the workout. Starting Day 3 of this week, I've decided to include good ol' ARX into the routine. I've been doing some Fifer Scissors in place of one of the pull-up bar moves, and felt some tightness in my hamstrings and some strain on my gut. I'm concerned that I'm losing some of the gains made during my last round of P90X. Adding ARX should (hopefully) ensure that I'm getting the ab workout I need.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 12: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

It took forever to get moving today. I was up at 6:15AM, but dragged my feet and didn't start the workout until 7:00AM. It seems that the summer is slowing me down. With the kids out of the house, I've lost my incentive to jump right into the workout. When fall comes, I'll be back on the clock, no doubt.

The workout is becoming more enjoyable as time goes on. I'm starting to get the hang of the individual exercises and am becoming less reliant on looking towards the TV for form. That said, my focus on form is resulting in fewer repetitions achieved. Not a bad thing, as I'm challenging myself by forcing isometric holds on some of the moves, which results in a deeper burn and a more intense exercise. Sometimes, it's not just about the numbers. Perhaps I'm maturing a bit.

I'm having difficulties with the shoulder exercises. I could probably do with a set of 8 lb weights. The maroon resistance band on the fly exercises is a little too stiff. On some exercises, I switched over to 10 lb weights. Clearly, there's work to be done. Patience. Do your best, and forget the rest. The fact that I find some of the exercises really difficult is good news to me, as it keeps me looking forward to the day when I'll be successful and increase my weight or repetitions. Until then, I sweat it out.

Abs/Core Plus

I rode home quickly and popped in the Abs/Core DVD. Again, I was on the clock, as I had to do my workout, eat supper, then head out to the theatre for Jersey Boys. So, no need for motivation. Increasing familiarity with the moves is aiding in working smoothly through this workout. Now, I no longer need to pause, watch, rewind, and replay. I still find that there is insufficient time to post my numbers prior to the next exercise commencing. At times, I felt as though I should just give up on writing down numbers; then, I realized that there is still some merit in logging information, as I noticed that my numbers have actually been improving. It's a love/hate relationship.

The workout went well. I find most of the standing exercises fairly easy, and spend my time doing those exercises with a specific focus on tightening my core ("engage the cage"). The exercise where you stand and tough opposite elbow to opposite knee is particularly easy, as is the similar one where you touch opposite hand to opposite toe, with a straight leg. Perhaps it's just me. The ease of the exercises is telling me that I should be doing additional ab work on Day 3, so I'll include Ab Ripper X on those days. It couldn't hurt from a muscle confusion viewpoint.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 8: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

I didn't need too much motivation required to get the workout going. It's amazing how you jump to it when other plans are pending, and you're on a deadline. I'm finding that I'm gaining some familiarity with the various exercises and am less reliant on the TV for form. I still find that there's too little time between exercises to write down results in the worksheet, but it does force you to keep up. I think that the producers could have added 5 minutes to the workout, for a longer warm-up and cool-down period, and to give sufficient time to write down your results. I'm guessing that there was a push to keep the entire workout to less than 45 minutes, and that overriding factor led to some shortcuts in other areas. I think P90X got it right; less so in P90X Plus.

I had a good workout nevertheless. I think I'll switch to using 2 chairs for Double Dip'll Do Ya, instead of the PowerStands, because I don't see myself mastering the leg move between pushups and dips any time soon. I've been substituting different types of pull-ups using resistance bands for all exercises done on the pull-up bar. This has been going reasonably well.

I absolutely love some of the exercises: spiderman push-ups and combat push-ups especially. I really feel a great burn after doing those. I'm also realizing that my left side is weaker than my right side, particularly in the shoulders and deltoids. The exercises which isolate that part of my body are really tough. I'm using the lightest resistance band I have (maroon) and still find it hard to extend my arms on Shoulders Everything. I might switch to 10 lb weights for those. This would be a good time for adjustable dumbbells.

Favourite move today: Spiderman push-ups.

Toughest move today: Shoulder Everything.

Abs/Core Plus

I seemed to be on the clock for this workout as well, having to complete it by a certain time, then pop into the shower to prepare for a social evening. I enjoy this workout, but again, find that there's not really sufficient time to write down results between exercises. I'm not really sure why there's a worksheet for this workout, as there aren't too many reps you can do in the time allocated, and in some cases, Tony's intent seems to be that you should work out with the group following each move verbatim. I'm sticking with the worksheets for now, but may drop them later. After all, there weren't worksheets with ARX, and I never missed them.

I find some of the moves really easy, like standing side crunches, and posing like an X and lifting opposite toe to opposite hand. Actually, I think that ARX is a more difficult ab routine, even though it is done entirely on the floor. The variety of body positions in Abs/Core is nice, but it doesn't result in a more challenging routine for me. I think I'll do Abs/Core on day 1 and day 5; ARX on day 3. That should provide some muscle confusion.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 5: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

Not that I'm the world's most buff guy, but I've been thinking throughout the week that perhaps P90X Plus isn't really for me. I've been thinking a lot about Shaun T's Insanity program (intensive cardio), released today, and about obtaining Tony Horton's One on One, volume 1 (12 discs). I suppose the idea is to make a commitment to daily exercise and to mix up the workouts in such a way as to keep encouraging muscle confusion, and, as long as that is adhered to, you can't really miss the mark too badly.

I approached Upper Plus with somewhat more zeal than previously, because I had done the workout once and was somewhat more familiar with the individual exercises. I still find the first exercise somewhat ridiculous (or humiliating, depending upon your point of view) because I cannot make my legs scoot between the PowerStands the way Mark Briggs does (or should I say, "I currently struggle with..."). Well, do your best and forget the rest. I end up doing a step move in both directions. I think I need longer arms to be successful. At any rate, the push-up part of the exercise is a nice way to start the workout.

Most of the exercises went well. It's surprising that I'm using the maroon(!) resistance band for many of the exercises. This is due to the elongated time frame of most exercises. This is a departure from P90X, which stressed 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 reps for lean. Most of the exercises in this workout seem designed to encourage lean muscle. Fine with me, as that is how I approached my last 2 rounds of P90X.

It was a good workout, and I think I'll improve over time.

Favourite move today: spiderman push-ups.

Toughest move today: 2-way flys.

Abs/Core Plus

I really stepped on the bike pedals on the way home, and, upon my arrival, immediately popped in the Abs/Core DVD and hit play. I was motivated to finish this workout without pausing the tape, and managed to succeed. In the process, I also succeeded in working up a good, dripping sweat.

I realized that there is a coordination issue between the Plus manual and the workout sheets. The manual calls for Abs/Core only twice a week: day 1 and day 5. The workout sheets show three slots per week. It did feel strange not to be doing ab work on day 3. I'll make sure to include that in future weeks. This week, I inadvertantly gave myself a break.

Favourite move today: banana masons.

Toughest move today: cherry bombs.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 1: Upper Plus/Abs-Core Plus

Upper Plus

Day 1 of the new program: P90X Plus. I was a bit apprehensive approaching this workout series, because I wasn't entirely sure whether my body would be able to take it. I recalled it was much the same feeling when I first started P90X last December. The first week of workouts was a killer, then, more familiar with the routines, I became much more comfortable. Commencing P90X Plus was similar. I had reviewed the discs prior to actually doing the workouts, so I had a basic idea of what to expect. Of course, doing the workouts is another story.

The P90X Plus workouts are shorter than the P90X workouts. The Plus workouts are about 40 to 45 minutes in length, including warm-up and cool-down. The stage is smaller, as there are only 2 people working out, Tracy Morrow (mother of 6) and Mark Briggs (law-enforcement officer). Tony acts more as a trainer than a participant; he spends much of his time introducing the first few reps of an exercise, then comments on form. He is still slightly goofy in the videos, but not as enthusiastic as he was during the P90X workouts. He looks slightly older (well, he is) but is more ripped than ever.

If there's one thing I've learned from two rounds of P90X, it's to do your best and forget the rest. I decided not to sweat it if I couldn't keep up with Tony and the kids, especially during week 1. That turned out to be a good approach. On exercise 1, Double Dip'll do Ya, I ended up tripping over my feet and falling down backwards several times. A good time was had by all. I'm pretty sure that over time, I'll be able to deal with the mechanics of this move. The difficulty is not in the push-ups or in in the dips, it's the transitional moves between them that caused me to stumble. Good times.

I didn't find the workout to be a killer. I thought it was good, but not a killer. We'll see how the others go. I was challenged by the pushups: spiderman pushups, and combat pushups.

Abs-Core Plus

Again, I was really intimidated by the length of this workout: 20 minutes. When it's broken down into chunks of time ranging from 30 seconds to 90 seconds, it's not too bad. Since I don't have a pull-up bar, I decided to substitute the pull-ups and hanging variations with exercises from Ab Ripper X (Fifer Scissors, In and Outs, Leg Climbs, VF Rollups and Cross Leg Situps). Overall, I didn't find this workout to be an ab killer. Actually, I thought ARX was tougher. Some of the moves were interesting, particularly Banana Mason and Cherry Bomb. I'll stick with this routine for awhile, attempting to focus on form, but if I don't feel challenged enough, I'll go back to ARX or perhaps try the ab exercise from Tony's One on One series.