P90X: Day 15: Chest and Back

Looking forward in the program, this is the last week of these workouts before Recovery Week. The first two weeks have served as a sort of warmup, to re-acclimatize my body to the rhythms of the program and to prevent shocking my body and possible injury by trying to do too much, too soon. This week, that changes.

Today, I tried to increase my repetitions and increase my weight. The increase in weight tired me out, so I had to pause the DVD a couple of times to recover sufficiently to carry on with the next exercise. I wasn't too happy with that approach, but I've learned that it's important to listen to your body and do what is necessary to put yourself in a position to succeed. This should be an interesting week.

P90X: Day 8: Chest and Back

On to Week 2, starting with Chest and Back. Last week, I lightened the load on a few exercises, and didn't manage to reach the number of reps I'd have liked to attain on some others, so there were some goals in front of me for this workout.

I like to hit 30 reps on all pushup exercises (except the downward dog type), both rounds. Towards the end of the second round, this gets a bit challenging for the decline and heart-to-heart pushups, but I know it's a goal that can be achieved and I really stretch for it.

This is still a workout that kicks my butt. It moves at a fast pace (I had to pause twice to catch my breath and carry on with the next exercise) and gives a great pump at the end of it. It's probably one of my favourites in this series.

P90X: Day 1: Chest & Back

Reboot. I realize that it's been over 2 years since I last posted, but I haven't been idle during that time. I've continued to exercise during that time, usually six days each week, mixing up workout routines and trying to maintain an overall high level of fitness and general health. For the most part, I've been successful. There have been occasional lapses, such as getting sick (once in the last 2 years!) and sometimes lacking in motivation, and sometimes not eating as well as I ought to. But overall, two years later, I'm still in good shape, still in good health, and still feeling energetic.

Recently I spotted a P90X group assembling for a round starting on November 12, 2012, and I thought it might be a good idea to join. I haven't done this program in several years, so what's old may seem new again, and it would offer a break in my current workout regimen, which has been limited to strictly bodyweight exercises. It will be nice to re-introduce some weights into my routines. Restarting this blog will help keep me accountable to myself.

I'm getting a head start on the group, as my workout week typically runs from Sunday through Friday, with Saturday as a rest day. So today, I dusted off Chest and Back. Pushups aren't really a problem, as I'm able to crank out 30 reps without much difficulty. Weightlifting worked some muscles I haven't felt in some time. Also, I'm not really used to the fast pace of the workout, which now seems more like a cardio routine than I recall. I'm feeling a nice, warm burn as I write this, and I'm looking forward to getting into the program. Bring on Plyo!

Round 7: Day 15: Chest and Back

Back to the tried and true to commence Week 3. I'm still enjoying this workout, even though I've been doing it for almost two years.

No major gains today, but my numbers were at least holding steady from previous weeks. Decline pushups seem to be getting more difficult, which is surprising, considering all the pushups I can do, and that I've really improved in Pike Presses (from Diamond Delts). I realize that a Pike Press is different from a Decline pushup, but I would think that if I'm capable of a Pike Press, the Decline should come with relative ease. Apparently not.

A friend of mine recently recommended expanding my collection of workouts, so I've recently received additional DVDs to bring me up to date in the One on One collection. I'm looking forward to the new workouts, and will use them to add more variety into the workout schedule.

Round 6: Day 89: Chest and Back

Sticking with the theme of making this an extended workout week instead of a Recovery Week, I returned to my old friend, Chest and Back. No problems here, except occasionally running a bit short of breath (it tends to move rapidly, making it not only a strength workout, but also a bit of a cardio exercise for me). Every now and then, I think I should be increasing the intensity of the workout by adding some reps, but during the repeat round, I only seem to be able to barely match what I did in the first round. The key, as Tony notes, is to pace yourself. Thirty decline pushups is tough during the 2nd round, as are diamond and dive-bomber pushups. It's tough to keep up with myself, sometimes.

Still one of my favourite workouts, Chest and Back remains interesting and motivating. As I improve, it continues to challenge. I still enjoy the banter. There are always improvements to be made: can you go deeper into your pushup? Are you maintaining a strong plank form? Are you locking out your arms at the top? Can you do more? Yes to all.

Round 6: Day 75: Chest and Back

I don't recall ever having done this workout mid-week. I've always reserved it for a Sunday morning, the day after my rest day, when I can awake in a leisurely way, start the workout when I feel like it, and pause to my heart's content. Not today. I was up at 6:15, and on a schedule. I practically ran through the first round of exercises, moving faster than Tony and the kids, not taking any significant breaks between exercises, and skipping the rest periods that follow every set of 4 exercises. That was tough, but satisfying. The second time through the sequence was tougher, as Tony had warned. I had probably put a little too much energy into the first round, and didn't throw any caution to the wind by conserving for the second time through. Tip of the day: don't do that.

This remains as tough an upper body workout as I have. My pushup numbers are pretty high now, and I'm not sure how many more I can do and still remain consistent through both rounds; however, it seems as if I'm bumping up against a self-imposed ceiling now, and there is an opportunity to squeeze out another 5 here and there. No matter how much one improves, there are still opportunities to do better. Occasionally, over the past few weeks, I've felt that my motivation wasn't as high as I'd like it to be; today, that certainly wasn't an issue. I feel like I've turned a corner, realizing that I haven't hit a plateau, and can still realize positive changes.

I'm looking forward to working harder than ever to make those changes happen.

Round 6: Day 57: Chest and Back

It's been awhile since I visited this blog, but never fear: I'm still motivated to work out. The balance of Recovery Week slipped by without incident (there just didn't seem to be much to report on), but it consisted of stretching, yoga, a little core work, some light cardio, and more stretching. There usually isn't too much to say during Recovery Week, so I took a mini-vacation from blogging my daily strains and decided to give my digits a few days off to recover as well.

Now, it's back to the grind, with a vengeance. This is the start of Phase 3, where the intensity gets dialled up to an 11 (which is 1 past 10), and major changes are supposed to ensue. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues, I couldn't get my first workout in on Day 1 of the week, as I had to travel out of town for the day, so I'm going to try to make it up sometime during the week. Today, I did start Day 1 (preferring to start that way, rather than skipping it and commencing with Day 2) and launched into Chest and Back. I was supposed to have done this workout a couple of weeks ago, but substituted 30-15 at the time, again, due to being out of town. Now that I think of it, the summertime is the hardest time for me to adhere to a workout schedule because I tend to travel more on weekends and take more time away from home, which can make it tough to stick to a routine. The important thing is to make sure that you get some activity in, to make sure that your body is moving. Going off-routine sometimes can help you break through a plateau: it is, after all, the very definition of muscle confusion. As long as you're challenging your body, it all seems good to me.

I still love Chest and Back, no matter how many pushups I can do. I've really improved in my pushup abilities, probably because of the 30-15 workout, and I really look forward to crushing Chest and Back as a result. Today, however, I fell a bit short in Decline Pushups, managing only 25 each time, where I've been used to doing 30. The last 5 in each set were really tough, and ended with a minor collapse on the floor. I was surprised, because they're a distant cousin of the Pike Press, which I'm pretty good at, and, until today, had been competent in this move. Not to say that 25 is incompetent; I just had expectations of myself. Well, it makes for a challenge for next time.

Now, I'll have to find a way to get in an extra workout this week to make up for delaying Day 1. That should be interesting.

Round 6: Day 15: Chest and Back

An off-topic comment first: last Friday afternoon, I went for a run with my daughter for the first time ever. She's now 18 and has told me frequently that she hates running. For someone who hates running, she exhibited nice form and admirable endurance. She chalked up the form to her gym teacher, who sports a Gillian Michaels-like intensity for all things athletic; endurance, she attributed to me. It's nice to know that the old man can still push the young punks. To top it off, I was running wearing my Vibram Five Fingers. This was the first time I've run in those minimalist shoes, and it was pure joy. I've been wearing minimalist shoes at the office for months now, and my walking gait has adjusted to ensure that I have a mid-foot or fore-foot strike each step I take. Running in a similar manner required very little adjustment. I'm going to try to make our run a weekly event.

On-topic now, I tackled P90X's Chest and Back workout. I may have said this before (I don't make it a habit to read my archived posts, so please forgive me if I'm repeating myself) but I have a real fondness for this workout for several reasons: it's the first P90X workout I ever did; and it's a workout where I've perhaps shown the greatest amount of improvement.

I felt really energetic during the workout, and increased the number of reps on standard pushups from 30 each round to 35. I also increased my weight on heavy pants and lawnmowers. It's a great feeling knowing that there's still room for improvement. I'll likely increase my reps on military pushups next time around, having reached 30 each round and still feeling that there's gas left in the tank.

Great start to Week 3.

Round 5: Day 71: Chest and Back

I still have a huge crush on this workout, and opened Week 11 with a strong Bring It attitude. I increased my weight on the weightlifting exercises, and hit good numbers on the pushups, managing to match the first round numbers during the repeat round. The next goal is to increase the number of pushups again, to push my goals a little further out of reach and to put me slightly out of my comfort zone. There's still room for improvement.

On the other hand, while the workout went really well, my nutrition messed up a little. For some reason, I was really hungry, and ate like a pig most of the day. Not that my food choices were bad (they weren't); I just was a little out of control in terms of portion sizes. No matter how much I ate, I was still hungry. I should have had a ton of water to drink, which might have quelled feelings of hunger, but at the end of the day, I just chalked it up to being an off-day, and promised myself that I'd improve in my nutrition plan starting tomorrow.

Everyone's entitled to a little slip-up now and then. It's not going to make a difference overall.

Round 5: Day 43: Chest and Back

I have a fondness for this workout, as it was the first workout I encountered when I first started P90X, about 15 months ago. I remember struggling mightily through the workout, barely squeezing out 15 standard pushups, and maybe 7 decline pushups and 8 diamonds. I remember thinking that I was severely out of shape, and how much I had to do before I could start to come close to Bobby Stephenson and Scott Fifer.

Fast forward to now, and it's a completely different story. Now, not only am I equalling the kids' efforts, in many cases, I'm surpassing them. All it takes is time, patience, and effort. Keep showing up, as Tony says. Also, it's true that Rome wasn't built in a day.

Today's major improvement was in Decline Push-ups. I had made a note to myself to increase the number over the last time I did this workout, and I managed to crank out 30 in both rounds. While that was a nice achievement, I suffered a bit in the 2nd round of Diamond pushups, hitting only 20, whereas I had done 25 previously. Take a little, give some back, it seems.

Overall, it's still a great workout and, even after 15 months, there are still opportunities for improvement. That's what I like about this program: the stronger you get, the more you're capable of. When your target comes within range, you can push it out just far enough to keep you hungering for improvements.

Good start to Week 7.

Round 5: Day 15: Chest and Back

This was a fantastic workout today. I felt really strong, and, for the first time, I'd say that I crushed it today. I made some notes to myself to increase the number of repetitions for next time. The only disappointment was Decline Pushups. I limited myself to 25 during the first round, expecting to run out of gas. During the second round, I pumped out 25 again, and stopped. I should have kept going. I stopped because again, I was afraid of running out of gas and of not being able to complete the workout. A note to myself will correct that situation the next time I do this workout.

I matched my previous bests in every category, improved in some exercises, and increased my weights during dumbbell exercises. I felt fabulous following the workout, and am really looking forward to doing this workout again. It's definitely one of my favourites.

Round 4: Day 71: Chest & Back

The last time I did this workout, it was near the end of the day, and I didn't have very much energy. So little, that I was only able to do the first half of the workout and ran out of gas for the second round. So, I was looking forward to this workout again to prove to myself that I was, indeed, capable and that the last time was just an aberration.

I challenged myself by paying careful attention to the weights I was using, did an honest assessment of whether I was capable of lifting more, and did so when possible. I also tried to do push-ups to failure. That occurred when I was doing Diamond Push-ups during the second round, had some serious arm shake, then collapsed on the floor. No injury, just the realization and the satisfaction that I had done as many as I could.

I was really pleased with the workout. I have not been getting too much sleep over the last few evenings, as we've been entertaining an out-of-town guest and trying to do my workouts in-between attending family events and visiting various friends. In spite of my lack of sleep and general doziness, I was still able to focus and enjoy a good workout.

During the last week, I've been paying attention as well to my nutrition, making sure that I'm eating clean, getting enough to eat, and staying away from alcohol and sugary treats. I'm getting some strange looks, but it's worth it.

Round 4: Day 43/44: Interval X Plus / Chest & Back

Week 7 has not commenced as planned; on the other hand, sometimes life doesn't move as planned. Due to a death in the family, I was unable to do Chest & Back on Day 43, instead, circumstances dictated that I take another day off. The back-up plan was to do doubles today, making up Chest & Back and Intervals X Plus. This morning went as planned: up bright and early for Intervals X Plus. The workout was acceptable, but not spectacular. I was a bit drained from a stressful Sunday, and just happy to push play and grind out the workout.

I was more optimistic for Chest and Back, planned for the mid- to late afternoon. I got to the workout around 5:15PM, and recognized that I was in for some trouble when my body gave me some resistance during the first set of 30 standard pushups. I'm not sure whether it was a factor of not having eaten sufficiently over the past two days, stress, the time of day, or my mind getting the better of my body, but the workout ended in disaster. Not an injury, but I retired after one round. I really struggled with the workout during the first round, posting numbers which were well below my expectations. I just didn't have sufficient energy to do this workout. I took a brief pause before starting the second round, but when I started to do the pullups, I knew that my body wasn't up to it. Rather than push through and risk injury, I decided to stop. I'm going to ensure that over the course of the next week, I'm eating properly, getting sufficient rest (I'm one to talk, as it's 12:08AM as I'm writing this post) and try to recentre and refocus.

Tomorrow, instead of pursuing an upper body exercise, I'm going to make a switch and do Bun Shaper, originally scheduled for Thursday (Day 5). Shoulders and Arms will now move to Day 5, with Yoga as a separator. Hopefully, that will help me get back on track. I've missed my ab workout this week as well, and will try to make that up. What a mess. Sometimes, life is like that. I'm going to try to maintain my discipline and continue to work out during this week. It should help dispel stress and assist in maintaining some sense of mental balance. Let's hope it all works out.

Round 4: Day 15: Chest & Back / Killer Abs

Chest and Back

I was really looking forward to this workout because I wanted to make a direct comparison between this and One on One's 30-15. What I found was surprising in two ways: this is a tougher workout than I recalled, and I was able to push out more repetitions of push-ups than ever before.

My repetitions really increased in Military Push-ups, Wide Arm, Decline, and Diamond. I wasn't listening too much to Tony when he advised that I hold back a little bit so that I would be able to attack Round 2. That wasn't particularly smart, because half-way through Round 2, I felt myself running out of energy. With 5 exercises remaining, I paused the disc for about 3 minutes to give my body a mini-break, then jumped back in for the remaining exercises. The most pleasant surprise of the day came during Decline push-ups. I put a goal in mind, and wasn't paying particular attention when, at failure, I realize I had surpassed my goal by 3. I really crushed the workout today, and felt really proud of myself. I love this workout.

Killer Abs

Today, my daughter decided to suffer through Killer Abs, whereas last week, it was my son. She managed to complete the Ab Ripper portion, but tanked a little bit during Ab Ripper X. I was really proud of her, because she doesn't get too much direct abdominal exercise, and had a really good mindset during the workout.

I love this workout. The first portion, Ab Ripper, is really tough for me, especially the oblique moves, which burn like crazy. I actually find this portion of the workout more difficult than the second portion, Ab Ripper X. I enjoy the ARX bit, but I don't like when Tony pauses momentarily during the workout to count, which throws me off my rhythm. Never mind, I just do a few extra reps of the exercise, just for fun. I'm toying with the idea of doing this workout twice weekly, instead of once. Perhaps this will be the week.

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 2: Day 71: Chest & Back / Ab Ripper X

I'm back. I've decided to stop hitting my own personal pause button and restart Week 11. Yesterday I somewhat gingerly approached Chest & Back and ARX. I decided to use the newly purchased PowerStands for all applicable push-ups. Wow. What a difference. The elevation of the stands allow you to lower your body about 150mm deeper than when your hands are just on the floor. My numbers dropped in almost every category. I started strong, and finished up a whimpering pile of blubber. Just when I thought I was catching up to the kids...WRONG! Clearly, there's more work to be done.

P90X: Round 2: Day 71: Chest & Back / Ab Ripper X

Chest & Back

I was really looking forward to this workout, because the last time I did it, I was able to match my round 1 exercise numbers in round 2. I promised myself that I would increase my numbers in round 1, to make round 2 even more challenging. Today, I got my chance.

I had additional motivation today also, because this would be the last time for Chest and Back during Round 2 of P90X. There's no tomorrow, so Bring It today.

Everything on pull-ups was 24 reps, using the black resistance band. Round 1 pushups mostly exceeded all previous numbers. Round 2 pushups were a desperate attempt to match round 1 numbers. All exercises were push to failure. I set new personal records in most categories. By the end of the workout, I could barely lift my arms above my head.

Favourite move today: dive-bomber push-ups. A new personal best, both rounds.

Toughest move today: 2nd round of diamond push-ups. Had to take mid-set breaks.

Tony line of the day: (to Scott) "You didn't look like this when you started." (Scott): "No, I looked like Bobby." (Tony): "All soft and gooey."

Ab Ripper X

ARX came at 5:30PM. I was tired, because I went into the office for a few hours to work on a stressful presentation, then returned home for ARX, supper and relaxation. Again, the first few exercises make my thighs and hip flexors sore. I would have thought that by now, my body would be well conditioned for this workout. I suppose that if you increase your intensity level, it's possible to keep from plateauing.

ARX always becomes easier for me following Heels to Heaven. It's like reaching the pinnacle of a hill, then coasting down. Not to say that I don't find the remaining exercises challenging; I think I enjoy these more, so the time goes faster and I feel more accomplished. It's all in your mind. Like most of P90X.

Favourite move today: oblique V-ups.

Toughest move today: reverse bicycles.

Tony line of the day: "He's making contact elbow-thigh!" (oblique V-ups)

P90X Round 2, Day 57: Chest & Back / Ab Ripper X

Chest and Back

The start of week 9 saw the return of an old friend, Chest & Back. I really enjoy this workout and have a special affinity with it, likely because it was my introduction to the P90X program. I'm always a bit tentative about starting Phase 3 of the program and doing Chest & Back in particular, because I haven't been doing this routine for 4 weeks. I'm always concerned about my number slipping and about whether I have been successful in strengthening my body during Phase 2.

I reviewed my information sheet carefully prior to commencing the workout, and noticed that my second round numbers never matched up to my first. That indicated that my first round numbers were reasonable, and there was extra work to be done during the second round. I breezed through the first round and was surprised at how easy it seemed to do the exercises. Significantly, I felt absolutely no discomfort during the Dive Bombers, which to date, have brought twinges to my hip flexors. I was really excited about repeating the exercises, and decided to challenge myself to match the round 1 numbers, especially since I felt so good during round 1.

I managed to match all of my round 1 numbers during my second round. In fact, I felt that I could have exceeded my round numbers in several exercises, but was afraid of burning out early and not being able to complete the workout. Now I have a new goal: increase my round 1 numbers by about 5 push-ups for each exercise, and then continue to try to match the round 1 results during round 2.

Overall, probably the best workout I've had to date. I can't wait until week 11.

Favourite move today: standard push-ups. All day long.

Toughest move today: diamond push-ups. Improvements were seen here, but I'd like to increase the numbers. I think that's possible.

Tony line of the day: "Make it X-like...not Ex-Lax."

Ab Ripper X

As much as I enjoyed seeing Chest and Back like an old friend, seeing Ab Ripper X was like dancing with your cousin. You're forced to do it, so you grin and bear it. And as much as Chest and Back was crushed, I was crushed by Ab Ripper X. Taking a week off Ab Ripper really has an impact on my body. When I'm doing it 3 times weekly, I can get through it, sometimes rather easily. When I'm off for a week, the first week back is a challenge.

I managed to work my way through the routine. I think my mind drifted and went elsewhere, because it seemed as though the workout went quickly, and without much fanfare. Overall, a pretty good workout, broke a sweat, engaged the core, and had a pretty good time. A great time, now that it's over.

Favourite move today: oblique V-ups on the right side. Felt strong.

Toughest move today: Reverse bicycles. Still having a bit of trouble keeping my feet from brushing against the floor.

Tony line of the day: "Scissors...get it?" (Fifer Scissors)

P90X: Round 2: Day 15: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper

Chest and Back

Today was the last time I'll see this routine for some time, so I felt really motivated to do my best. I decided to focus more on pushups than pull-ups. As a result, I was content to match my pull-up numbers from last week, but really wanted to increase the pushups. Specifically, my goal was to maximize my repetitions both times through the exercises, or, at least try to get the second round as close as possible to the first.

I felt rather energetic through the first round of exercises and definitely did a few reps short of my maximum, in an attempt to adhere to the tip of the day (pace yourself). I don't really like holding back, since I'm not sure how well the saved energy is going to be expended; however, I think this strategy worked, as the second round numbers rose a bit from last week. I was able to improve my second round numbers on all pushups from previous weeks, except for Dive-Bombers. Big disappointment there, as I had a number in my head but gave up on it too soon. In retrospect, I could have done more. That's a lesson I'll carry with me for this, and other, workouts in the future.

Favourite move today: Military Push-Ups (especially the second round). Really able to crank them out today. Also, the second round of Diamond Push-Ups.

Hardest move today: Dive-Bomber Push-Ups. This is still hurting my right hip flexor and limiting the numbers as a result. I'm going to work harder at Yoga and Stretching to try to gain a little more flexibility and movement in this part of my body.

Tony line of the day: "What's your goal?"

Ab Ripper X

I got to this workout about 5 hours after completing Chest and Back. I didn't have as much energy during this workout as I'd like, but a little mental toughness overcame the lack of energy and compensated nicely. By the time Crunchy Frog came around, I felt well.

Now that I'm focussing more on form, I'm forgetting about counting out all the repetitions during the exercises. I'm just thinking about straightening my legs, flexing my feet, bringing my legs higher, pulsing up higher, engaging the core, and the numbers and repetitions just seem to be taking care of themselves. This workout is starting to become much more of a mental exercise than ever before. It almost seems as though my head is getting into another space during the workout time. That's great for me, because I still find ARX to be a challenge. It's almost like a runner's high, where the body and the mind seem to act independently.

Favourite move today: VF rollups. Improved height on the pulse-up.

Hardest move today: Mason twists, especially the final 10 during the bonus round.

Tony line of the day: "Abbbbb Ripppppperrrrr XXXXXX" (sauntering towards the camera like a gunslinger)

P90X: Round 2: Day 8: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X

Chest and Back

It was a great day for Chest and Back. I was able to repeat the pull-up exercises of last week, all with the black resistance band and increased the number of pushups. In total, I did 207 pushups, a huge increase over Round 1, week 1 (a total of 132). My goal is to increase the number of exercises during the repetition. I'd like the numbers during the repeats to match the numbers the first time through the exercises, without having to decrease the numbers during the first round. I am trying to pace myself, but don't want to dog it starting off. There's room for improvement in the decline pushups, diamonds and dive-bombers. Also, I did lawnmowers using the black band for the repeat round. I find there's a big difference in resistance between the blue and black bands. The last three reps with the black bands were tough.

Favourite move today: wide-fly pushups. I made a note to myself last week to do more, as my mind quit before my body did. Today I improved on both rounds.

Most difficult move: Dive-bomber push-ups. This move puts a bit of a strain on my right hip flexor, so I can't do too many of them without experiencing some pain. That number is creeping up a bit, but there's definitely room for improvement. The last pushup in both rounds showed some shaky form.

Ab Ripper X 

Although I felt great during Chest and Back, I felt that my body really lacked energy today. I was not looking forward to ARX. This is not a great state of mind to take into a workout. As a result of my poor attitude, the first four exercises were not great. During Fifer Scissors, I found my second wind and put a solid effort into the back end of the workout. I'm going to pay more attention to my diet, as I didn't eat enough today and my body crashed a bit as a result. It's important to keep eating all those small meals throughout the day. I was out for much of the day today and should have brought some snacks. Note to self: make sure to eat every 3 hours or so.

Favourite move today: Fifer Scissors. Legs are straightening out, heels are really close to the floor, worked hard to pull my leg up as high as possible.

Most difficult move: crunchy frog. Had balance issues, difficulty keeping my chest up and on a couple of occasions, my feet scraped the mat. Improve that form!

Looking forward to Plyo tomorrow.