Round 7: Day 44: Diamond Delts

Back to resistance today, with Diamond Delts. It's been about a month since I last did this workout. The last time, I recall, I slightly tweaked a muscle in my neck when doing the two direction shoulder flys, so I had a bit of fear about re-injuring myself. There's always that moment of fear and hesitation when reconnecting with something that gave you some pain. I felt that way about taking up running again, following my calf injury in June of this year. I suppose that it's only natural that your brain gives you a warning about something when that thing has hurt you before. It's a bit like entering into another personal relationship after you've had a particularly painful breakup. You move with caution.

Psychology aside, I think there's another reason that I've been distanced from Diamond Delts for awhile: I didn't particularly feel like doing resistance workouts. There always seems to be a clear reason for things: I don't want to. It's not really a good reason, but it dogs each of us at some point in our lives, and it applies to so many aspects of life, not just physical exercise. But, like other aspects of life, you have to throw out the "I won'ts or I can'ts, and change them to "I wills". Not easy, but ultimately, it's the right thing to do if you want to achieve in your particular endeavour.

Today's workout was challenging. My right shoulder was bothering me, the lingering effects of a rotator cuff injury I suffered while playing baseball as a young boy. My right shoulder always clicks and cracks when I rotate my arm around my shoulder. It's not that painful; it just results in a slightly restrictive movement which normally doesn't bother me when doing pushups, but is noticeable when doing pike presses, because they more fully engage the shoulders, rather than the pecs.

So, I put on a brave face and did the best I could. And, I would say that today's workout was pretty successful, as a result. The next time will be easier, as I get my way back into resistance workouts.

Round 7: Day 12: Diamond Delts

Sorry for the late posts, but better late than never. My goal this year is to utter a cliché a day, and so far, I'm on track.

It seems that my strength is slowly returning, as my numbers were slightly increased from the last time I did this workout (only a week ago), but I'm still marginally below where I'd ideally like to be. Patience.

Towards the end of the workout, I developed a slight neck strain while doing shoulder flys. How annoying, especially when the tweak came on the second last rep. It's something that's been bothering me now for a few days, but my range of motion is returning, and the pain has significantly decreased. It's just another reminder of how you need to keep on top of form and to concentrate on your work.

Round 7: Day 5: Diamond Delts

In spite of the restful and calming effect yoga had on me yesterday, coupled with an excellent sleep last night (I slept in this morning!) I still felt stiff and sore from the week's workouts. Obviously, it's going to take more than a couple of days to settle into my new exercise regimen. I was hopeful and optimistic that soreness would dissipate within a few days, but it seems like I should face up to the possibility that this could last a week or longer. C'est la vie.

As in my workouts earlier this week, I reduced the weight on several exercises, due to general body fatigue and an awareness of protecting my lower back from sustaining any injury. It still amazes me how much strength my body has lost over the past few weeks, as even with the reduced weight, in several exercises my number of repetitions still decreased. I had thought that a weight reduction would result in a repetition increase. Not so, at least for today. This was just one of those days where you Do Your Best and Forget the Rest. Occasionally, there will be days like this. I just haven't experienced too many of them (thankfully) and hope that they remain few, and far between.

The weather this week has taken a turn for the worse, and it looks like September is going to be a cool month. I'm still optimistic that I'll have numerous opportunities to run outdoors and, it appears, that tomorrow will temporarily banish the cloud and rain, and afford us a sunny day. I'm already looking forward to the end of Week 1 and a one day recovery on Saturday.

Round 6: Day 82: Diamond Delts

I had some excitement riding my bike to work today: the bolt that holds my seat to my bike frame sheared in half, and my seat would have fallen off, had it not been secured to the bike by a little canvas tool bag that's strapped to the seat post. I was lucky not to have fallen off the bike, and managed to get into the office (standing up on my pedals the rest of the way). I picked up another bolt during lunchtime, and, quickly secured the seat back in place for the ride home. Good times; really good times. I will say that standing up on the pedals over a good distance will test both your arms and your core. Thankfully, both held up for the duration.

This morning's fun (prior to the seat incident) was Diamond Delts. I've been somewhat static in this workout for some time, not being able to lift heavier weights (or mentally unprepared to do so) and also stuck somewhat in the rep count. Today, I managed to squeeze out an extra rep or two on one exercise (the second round of Deep Arnold Presses) which was a major psychological victory; however, I doubt I'll be increasing weights or reps the next time around as a result. This workout is really challenging for me, and I find that at my current level, it's all I can do to match my results of the previous time. I'm managing to keep up to myself, but I'd still like to improve.

My right elbow was still a bit sore from the duffel bag lifting incident earlier this week, and I felt it when I was in the down position during pike presses. During my last pike press, my arm didn't want to respond and push me up to the start position; I had a moment of sheer terror and blind panic when I realized that I was on the verge of landing on my head. It's amazing what a little jolt of adrenalin can do for you; my right arm found a reserve of strength and pushed me back up. Mind over matter, I suppose. If only I could harness that mental energy for the rest of the exercises in the workout. That would make for some nice improvements.

Round 6: Day 66: Diamond Delts

It's been some time since I posted, but it's summertime, and truth be told, I'd rather be outside enjoying myself than sitting in front of a computer typing away. After all, this fitness work is supposed to enable me to enjoy real life. Real life for me involves things other than the pursuit of fitness, believe it or not.

However, in the absence of writing, I want to assure readers (is there anybody out there?) that although I've been outside frolicking in the fields, I've still been keeping at my fitness regimen. This pursuit becomes more difficult for me during the summertime, when the regular schedule of life gets interrupted by long weekends, trips out of town, local festivals, and so on, but I've tried to keep up with things by waking up earlier in the morning to get in a workout, or by doubling up workouts.

So, over the last while, I've done some yoga, run several times, 30-15, and Diamond Delts.

Running has become intriguing for me recently, so I want to direct some specific attention to it. I've been teaching myself the Pose Method of Running, from the book of the same name by Nicholas Romanov. I've heard through numerous sources that this method allows you to run faster, without pain, and with greater efficiency. Who wouldn't want that? So I purchased the book and have been trying to implement the lessons. I've found that at first, it's difficult to un-learn everything that you've been doing naturally since you've been able to walk. It's a strange feeling to consciously think about what your arms, legs and torso are doing when you're doing something as "natural" as running. The point that Dr. Romanov makes is that running, like any other skill, has specific elements which must be learned to be executed effectively. So far, I'm convinced that I look somewhat foolish when I run, but I am now able to run longer distances with greater vigour, greater speed, and without any pain. So far, so good. I'm going to stick with it, and hope to improve my technique.

Train hard, and have fun!

Round 6: Day 45: Diamond Delts

Halfway through the Round already, back from sunny (and stifling hot) Detroit, and ready to continue working out in sunny (and stifling hot) Toronto. The only reasonably cool place in the house is in my basement, precisely the location where I was working out this morning. I also have a small fan in the corner of the room to blow air in my general direction, which lends some relief from the heat.

Extreme heat like this (36°C) really drains my body of energy, so working out early in the morning is the best thing I can do. There's no way I'll have the energy necessary for a workout in the afternoon, following work. Even riding my bike into the office following the workout today was draining, and it's going to be a daunting task dealing with the all-uphill ride on the way home. Major water consumption will be the theme of the day today, and likely, over the course of the week, as we're expected to ride this heat wave for another few days.

The workout was tough to start with, but became a bit easier as it went on. I wasn't really in the proper frame of mind to start, but soon snapped to it, and moved quickly from one exercise to another. I even managed to complete my self-imposed bonus round of six exercises at the end.

Now, all I need to do is to find a friend with a pool, and to cozy up to an air conditioner. Stay cool, my friends!

Round 6: Day 33: Diamond Delts

Has anyone noticed that I tend to start each post with "I"? No doubt, due to my massive ego and my "it's all about me" attitude, and my understanding that the universe revolves around me. Or, it could be that I'm just not the best writer, at least when it comes to making personal log entries. You should see my business correspondence: short, concise, accurate and sweet; completely unlike my writing here.

I (there I go again) had a major breakthrough with today's workout: several exercises saw an increase in weight. Perusing the log sheet prior to engaging in the workout, I noticed that for several workouts, several exercises were stuck on 12 reps. I decided to challenge myself by pushing heavier weights and accepting a corresponding decrease in repetitions. Surprisingly, my repetitions didn't decrease too dramatically, usually dropping from 12 down to 9 or 10. I'm going to stick with the new weight for a few workouts, try to increase the repetitions, and then run through the whole sequence of events again, with even heavier weights. I'm hoping that this approach will help to break through a plateau and stimulate more muscle growth.

Oddly enough, prior to starting the workout, my energy level was really low, and there were a few minutes where I was seriously considering not even working out at all. When I finally got my mind right and decided to work out, I thought that I would only run through 18 exercises and skip my self-imposed bonus round of an additional 6 exercises. When I got to my bonus round, my attitude had completely changed, and I was really excited (well, as excited as one can get doing Pike Presses with their legs elevated) about the extra work. By the time the workout was over, I felt great: energized, exhausted, sweaty -- all things good. Then, I hopped on my bicycle and pedalled into work, for a little heart-pumping cardio.

Tomorrow, I'll see how my calf feels before my cardio routine. I have an Insanity workout schedule, but may have to change that if my leg requires some extra rest. I'll listen to my body and see.

Round 6: Day 17: Diamond Delts

My strength is improving as this new Round rolls along. I felt strong this morning when I commenced the Diamond Delts workout, and decided to increase my weight on several exercises, and to increase my repetitions on others. In addition, I still did my personal bonus round (two each of pike presses with legs on a couch, military press and side flys) and I still felt like I had some gas left in the tank. I topped out in military press with 14 reps during the second round (one more rep and I would have had the weight land on my face). So the point is made: there's room to be more aggressive in weight selection.

I really enjoy this workout, especially the start, when Tony is doing the shout-outs. Even though I've heard it all before, I still grin when Tony mentions Richard Bell's name, and mimics a bell clapper with his head wobbling side to side. The guy is just naturally funny, or at least we share a similar sense of humour. This workout seems relaxed in tone and while you're working hard, Tony really makes it fun and entertaining. The time passes quickly as a result.

I've noticed that on some exercises, I'm lifting as much as Tony, which has always been a goal of mine. He's only a couple of years older than I am, but (of course) so much more accomplished, so when I can approach the weight that he's handling, it feels like a significant achievement to me. I've always tried to be competitive with myself, but still, I can't just sit back and not notice what others are lifting. It's my nature, I guess.

My shoulders, which used to be a weak part of my body, have definitely made improvements over the past few months. I've made some notes to lift heavier during the next Diamond Delts workout, as I feel that there's still more opportunity for improvement. That's the great thing about this program. Once you've achieved a goal, move the goal posts, and go for the next goal. Build on your successes. Eventually, you'll achieve a state of fitness (mental and physical) that you've never before enjoyed.

The more I exercise, the more I come to realize that the mental benefit is as powerful as the physical.

Round 6: Day 3: Diamond Delts

My shoulders and chest were still sore from the 30-15 workout I did two days ago, and I was wondering whether to pursue this workout or Just Arms. I didn't really feel like spending an hour doing curls, so I thought I would suck up some minor pain and get on with Diamond Delts. The warmup to this workout was really helpful, as it included a few shoulder warming exercises like arm circles and stirring the pot. The rotation of the arms from the shoulders really helped to dissipate the pain and to prepare me for the exercises.

I'm still adding additional exercises to the end of the workout, for a total of 12 exercises, each done twice. By the end of the workout, I can barely lift my arms at all. I've made some notes to myself to increase the weights for the next workout, as I've now reached 12 repetitions on some of the exercises, and don't really want to do more than 10, in order to add a little more bulk.

Round 5: Day 80: Diamond Delts

Today's workout was difficult. My shoulders were a little sore from Sunday's 30-15 massacre, so pike presses weren't particularly welcome during the workout. I had serious mental issues to overcome, as my head wasn't really into the workout from the start. I recalled during one of the P90X workouts that Tony said that you quit way before you should because your mind tells you to stop, and that you're capable of doing more if you tune out your head and work towards the number you want to achieve. That's good advice, but easier said than done.

Looking back in my workout log sheet, I saw that at the end of Round 4, I didn't do my typical bonus round. I didn't want this Round to end that way so, even though I was pretty tired by the time the DVD ended, I soldiered on with my self-imposed bonus round (actually, 2 rounds of each) consisting of pike presses (legs raised up on a couch), military press, and side press. The repetition of the bonus round was tough, but it's those last few reps that break you down and build you up. Besides, in addition to building muscle, it builds character. At least until you drop the weight on your face.

My shoulders have come a long way during this Round. I'm lifting heavier than ever before, and my left side has caught up with my right side in terms of endurance and capability. Only when I'm nearing the end of my lifting ability does my left arm start to flag a little. There's still an opportunity for improvement, but I'm pleased with the gains made thus far.

Next time, I'll be looking to increase the weights a bit, decrease the reps a bit, and build up again from there.

Round 5: Day 64: Diamond Delts

I made a last minute substitution today, moving Chest, Shoulders and Triceps to Thursday, and worked out using Diamond Delts today instead. Location was the driving issue. I was unable to work out in my usual room today, so the change of venue necessitated a change in workout. This won't be a major issue, unless it takes me longer than normal to get through the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps workout later this week.

I had good intensity today, possibly because my son was in the room while I worked out, and he kept staring back and forth between me and Tony, comparing our shoulders and arms. Unfortunately, I don't stack up to Tony (in his opinion), but I was given sufficient motivation when he kept calling Tony "buff". The fall of a hero isn't a pretty thing to watch.

The workout went well. My left arm has been able to keep up with my right for a few workouts now, and it's nice to have made that improvement. I'm also lifting consistently heavy weights for the last few workouts, and have made some minor improvements in repetitions. The next time I do this workout, I'll increase the weight on several exercises, as that is the next step I take when I've successfully lifted the same weight for the same number of repetitions over the past few workouts.

I still give myself six extra bonus moves to do after the video workout is over, just to give my shoulders extra work. That in itself is likely indicative that I should be lifting heavier or with higher reps. Perhaps increasing the weight next time will result in cutting back on the extra moves.

It's been a good start to Week 10.

Round 5: Day 45: Diamond Delts

Well, 45 days went by quickly. Today marks the half-way point in this Round, and what better way to celebrate it than by working your deltoids. I've extended this workout by adding three additional exercises at the end, each exercise repeated twice: pike presses (off a couch), military press, and lying-down-shoulder rolls (the exercise at the end of the workout where Tony lies down on either a bench or the floor and raises a dumbbell with his arm in a 90° angle position). I added these extra moves because I felt that the workout wasn't strenuous enough as it was. I suppose I could try increasing my weight or rep count during the normal workout, but for now, I'm satisfied with my current adaptation.

Thus far, I'm pleased with the schedule revisions I made during this Phase (adding another day of resistance training). I'm feeling a little stronger and somewhat more energetic. As well, I noticed today that my left arm and shoulder have improved in strength and endurance, as they are now keeping up with the right side of my body. I'm not yet sure whether or not this is just due to how I felt today (felt great, by the way) or whether it represents a real improvement, but I'm optimistic that this gain will carry through to future workouts.

Today, I was able to do more military presses at a higher weight than before, even with the additional move at the end of the workout. I had a really good mental approach to lifting weights today. I only focussed on my goal, and steadfastly lifted the weights until I reached my number. During one exercise, I felt stronger than normal, and surpassed my goal by a couple of repetitions. Satisfaction guaranteed.

I'm looking forward to yoga tomorrow, appearing in its regularly scheduled slot. Stretching and relaxing would suit me fine.

Round 5: Day 33: Diamond Delts

This is the first Day 5 since I modified the Round 5 schedule. The modifications were to intensify the Day 5 workouts and to tweak Recovery Week. To accomplish that, I have made Day 5 a resistance day, and thus have a full rotation of P90X resistance workouts and One on One resistance workouts liberally sprinkled throughout the schedule. The change in Recovery Week was to put P90X Plyometrics on Day 2, whereas before there was a slightly less intensive routine in place. I'm not particularly worried about Plyometrics during a Recovery Week, having done it previously during the P90X+ cycle in Round 2, and I don't really find Plyometrics to be a more intensive workout than Core Synergistics, which is typically scheduled twice during a regular P90X Recovery Week. I'm a little tired of Core Synergistics, which is why I've eliminated it from the schedule this Round. Perhaps I'll pick it up again during the next round.

The addition of another resistance day means that Legs have been eliminated from this Round. While I was somewhat concerned about that, I'm not terribly worried, as I think that Insanity workouts twice a week should take care of Legs, in addition to beating me up with cardio. Further, I still have Kenpo Cardio Plus in the schedule, albeit not frequently, which will give some attention to the legs as well. I'll monitor my progress to check that my legs aren't subject to atrophy, and make further adjustments as required.

Today's workout was Diamond Delts, which I find both challenging and enjoyable. I like Tony's wackiness at the beginning of the workout as he's naming the shout-outs and, even though I've heard him before on this routine, I still laugh out loud. Laughter is a great way to relax and loosen up, both of which are required prior to engaging in this workout.

What I like about this workout, and resistance workouts in general, is that they're grunt routines. Just get down, do the work, try to burn out doing the task, pick yourself up off the ground, mark down your progress, and move on to the next item on the list. It's basic, it's simple, there's not much thought involved, and it's satisfying. I try to clear my head of any interference, focus on my objective, watch my form, and execute to the best of my abilities. Time passes, the sheet fills up with numbers and notes, and then: it's over. I really like this routine because it focusses on just one body part (similar to Just Arms). It doesn't get much simpler than that.

I throw in 6 extra bonus moves at the end, as I find that the workout doesn't fatigue me completely (3 moves times 2 repetitions). By the time those are over, I'm really wiped. What a great feeling. I'd say that making Day 5 a resistance day has been, so far, a success. On the other hand, I may not be so thrilled tomorrow, when I can't raise my arms to put on my shirt. But then, tomorrow is Insanity: no shirt required (or recommended). We'll see how things pan out.

Round 5: Day 17: Diamond Delts

It's been a long time since I did this workout, and I'm not quite sure why. My shoulders are definitely one of my weaknesses, so it makes sense that I focus a little more on shoulder workouts to improve that area. I suppose that many of the resistance workouts incorporate some shoulder work into them, along with other body parts, so I've felt that it's important not to neglect the other body parts to focus specifically and exclusively on the shoulders. That's probably a reasonable compromise.

This workout is difficult in that it targets only the deltoids, to the exclusion of the other muscles in the arm. There is a little pump in the biceps and triceps, but that's really just a side benefit from working the shoulders, and not the point of the workout. Since only one body part is primarily worked, the shoulders get fatigued early and often, and I find it necessary to take mini-breaks to allow time for some recovery during the workout.

I like the pace of the workout, and today, I had a good attitude and good intensity. I was able to increase my weight, or repetitions, or both, on most exercises. I have a worksheet for this project, developed by a FaceBook friend, and have been using it to write down my results. The workout consists of 9 exercises, each exercise repeated, for a total of 18 exercises. My FaceBook friend included three additional blanks for 3 bonus exercises of my choosing. I'm a competitive person by nature, and am especially competitive with myself. When I arrived at the bonus moves, Tony was already in his cool-down stretches. Not me. I still had some gas left in the tank and decided to push out some additional pike presses, military presses, and side flys. Following two rounds of bonus moves, I felt sufficiently bagged to join Tony for a brief Shavasana, followed by some cool-down stretches. Needless to say, my shoulders are still burnt out at the time of writing this.

Great workout, and so far, it's been a terrific week. I'm really looking forward to Yoga tomorrow.

Round 4: Day 66: Diamond Delts

It soon became evident this morning that there was very little gas in the tank. It's a shame, too, because I was really looking forward to this workout. I noticed fatigue during the first three exercises, which obviously is not a good sign. I really felt it during the exercises where you press the dumbbells over your head. My numbers today were not matching those of a few weeks ago, so I made an adjustment and decreased the weight, in order to squeeze out a few more repetitions. At least I'm learning something. If you can't do the weight, do more repetitions.

The workout actually went pretty well overall. I was not up to completing the bonus round I had established for myself the last time out, but I did manage to complete the basic workout. It's probably going to take a few more times before I really establish myself with this workout, feel comfortable, and really focus.

One thing that's abundantly clear is that my left shoulder is weaker than my right. On several exercises, I was barely able to lift the dumbbell over my head using my left arm, while my right arm felt strong and capable of pumping away. I don't want to employ unbalanced weights (lighter on the left, heavier on the right), so I stopped the exercise when my left shoulder was done. I'll make an enquiry on the P90X board to see whether that's a reasonable approach, or whether I should explore using unbalanced weights.

Clearly, I have some work to do on my shoulders. I'm glad I've got this workout in the regimen.

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.