Round 7: Day 51: Super Cardio

My body fared well following yesterday's workout, so there was no trepidation in hitting the cardio circuit again today. In anticipation of some body soreness, I elected to go for Super Cardio, two-thirds of which are sufficient to work up a really good sweat. There are a lot of squat moves in this workout, which really burns the quads. Further, most of the moves have a really full range of body motion, which is really useful out in the real world. When your body is used to bending down and stretching up high, then doing those kinds of movements during the course of a normal day won't cause you injury. That's what it's all about: to be more durable and less vulnerable out in the real world.

In terms of nutrition, I'm taking to an old trick, where I floss and brush my teeth right after supper. Since I'm lazy by nature, I won't brush twice in one night, so this approach prevents me from eating anything after I've brushed. I'll allow myself some water, but that's it. So, no eating past 8:00PM, coupled with brushing early and consuming water should really assist in keeping me honest in the food consumption department. After a few weeks, hopefully this regimen will become a habit, and I'll be back on the health train.

I'm starting to regain some of my optimism.

Round 6: Day 47: Super Cardio

You're probably wondering what happened to Just Arms today. I don't blame you. I was thinking the same thing. We've been experiencing a bit of a heat wave here in sunny Toronto (it's not exactly Manila in July, but hey, it's also a humid heat) and I find that the combination of the heat and the humidity really sucks the energy out of me. I traipsed down to my basement this morning, which is the coolest (literally, that is) part of the house, picked up my 35 lb dumbbells, cranked out about 6 curls with extreme prejudice, and promptly quit, realizing that my arms just didn't have it today. They were toast before I even started. Dejected, I ejected the DVD, turned off the machines, and headed upstairs to quickly peruse the morning news prior to heading into the office. But wait! My legs felt pretty good, and I've been itching to get back into the cardio circuit. So, I thought I would engage in a little light cardio, to get my legs back on track and to give my left calf a small test.

When I first started Super Cardio (from One on One with Tony Horton) I thought it was a really challenging workout. Now, not so much. Insanity has, for better or worse, ruined some nice times and fond memories with Tony. On the other hand, now that Super Cardio seems like a light workout, it was perfect for my exercise objectives today. One thing that I've learned is that when you don't feel like doing something, adapt. I did a customized pre-workout stretch, as I'm not really crazy about Tony's 11-minute warm-up routine, and jumped (no pun intended) right into the workout. As always, the first two sets of exercises are the most strenuous (but much less so to me now, thanks to Insanity) and the kenpo moves during the final set are akin to a cool-down.

Overall, it was a satisfying workout. Now, I'm feeling a little tweak in my right achilles tendon, so I'll be careful to not overdo it. My left calf performed superbly, leading me to declare that it is fit to return to active duty. I'll nurse the right leg for another week or so, then plunge it back into the fray with the start of Week 9. All in all, good news.

Round 4: Day 83: Super Cardio

TGIF. I awoke at 6:15AM and took about 1/2 hour trying to psyche myself up to do this workout. I was still incredibly sore from yesterday's Legs & Back workout that I had tremendous difficulty trying to convince myself to get my body moving. I started with my own warmup, as I couldn't remember whether I liked Tony's warmup for this workout, and the first few moves of my warmup (running in place, knees up, then knees wide, then heels up, 30 seconds each, jumping jacks, lunges) went so poorly that I thought I actually couldn't get my body loose enough to work out.

It took a long time to get my mind right. I started the workout, and had difficulties with the first move, Duck and Cover. My quads were on fire and my glutes were screaming. The second move, Lunge and Jump (or something of that ilk) wasn't much better; my form was still off, my jumps minimal, and my arm motions questionable. I somehow managed to survive the first round. The second round went a little better, but the scoot runs lacked a bit of enthusiasm. The third round went well, because it has, by far, the easiest exercises of the entire workout.

Overall, not a great workout today, but a good example of showing up to push play, and slogging through the woes. This wasn't the way I wanted to finish Week 12, on a bit of a down note. I would have preferred to really dominate today's workout. You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. Am I ever looking forward to sleeping tonight, taking a day off tomorrow, and crawling into Week 13, Recovery Week.

Round 4: Day 62: Super Cardio

My glutes are still killing me from yesterday's Legs & Back workout. When I woke up this morning, I could barely creak my way downstairs to get to the DVD player. A special gold star goes to me today for simply pressing PLAY. Even leaning down to load the DVD player was painful. So, I took an extra long time warming up and put on my game face, realizing that this was going to be one of those workouts where every move would be excruciating and each move would be crossed off a mental check-list, making the end of the workout ever closer.

The first three moves weren't pretty, but I got them done. The second set went a little smoother; the third was just ugly. Duck and Cover the third time around had my thighs burning and my heart pumping. I suppose I could have modified a bit, inserting a step move instead of a jump, but that's not the kind of person I am. I'll admit that this was a very tough workout today (Kenpo moves notwithstanding) and I was really happy when it was over. I'm still feeling gluteal discomfort as I write this blog.

The only relief came with the third round of moves, the Kenpo moves. I've been quite critical of this section in the past, but extremely grateful for it today. And to think that I once scoffed at the notion of doing the One on One videos in isolation, suggesting that the workouts be doubled up. Silly me. Obviously, those lofty thoughts did not come a day after Legs & Back.

I missed a few ab workouts this week, due to a more hectic business schedule and a lack of energy (or was it a lack of enthusiasm?). I have three additional ab workouts now to make up. I'll get to it, I promise.

That's the painful end of Week 9. Bring on Week 10.

Round 4: Day 52: Super Cardio

This being Recovery Week, I decided not to up the ante by doubling up Super Cardio with another cardio workout. At first, that seemed like a good idea; following the workout, I realized that I didn't push myself hard enough. I'm still suffering from the last round of this workout comprising Kenpo moves, which allow my heart rate to drop and my body to cool off prior to completing the workout. That is the great shortcoming of this workout.

I should probably use Interval X Plus more frequently. The problem with that is that I've come to enjoy the variety that my current program offers and don't really want to do some workouts more frequently. That's starting to drive a decision to purchase the Insanity workout. I'm afraid of Insanity; I hear that it's about the toughest cardio workout around. I'm afraid that I won't be able to do it. On the other hand, I was also afraid of the P90X videos, then the P90X Plus workouts, then the One on One workouts. It's probably just fear of the unknown. If I want to take my fitness to the next level, perhaps I should be giving Insanity further investigation and eventually take the plunge. I have a number of weeks left in this Round to ponder my decision.

Round 4: Day 34: Super Cardio

I like the way Super Cardio starts: Tony states that he's not particularly in the mood and that his right hamstring is a bit questionable. I'll bet that's the way many of the participants feel. I also wasn't particularly in the mood, especially after having completed Legs & Back yesterday. There's something about Legs & Back which always gets me in the hamstrings and glutes the next day, no matter how much I stretch before and afterwards. It's just a beast of a workout.

So Super Cardio is usually particularly tough when it follows Legs & Back. The first exercise, something akin to a duck and dodge, which would normally be a fairly light plyometric move, becomes a serious thigh burner by the third repetition. In the second series, the squat-leap-180° turn-squat move also becomes difficult by the third repetition. By the end of the second round, I was really breathing hard and grateful for the third round, the Kenpo moves, which gave my heart rate a break. Although I was grateful for the break, in retrospect I wish the third round was a bit tougher, which would have brought up the intensity level of the workout; however, I suspect that cardio is not really Tony's thing.

This has been a fantastic week. There's been a lot of muscle confusion, starting with 30-15, continuing with Just Arms, and ramping it up with Legs & Back. My body has been continually sore this week, something I haven't really felt in quite some time. This week has been a great assembly of workouts. Perhaps inserting Plyometrics on Day 2 would have been an improvement. I'm looking forward to repeating this again.

End of Week 5. Next: Week 6.

Round 4: Day 24: Super Cardio

This workout is starting to catch on with me. The warm-up is great, approximately 11 minutes long, which is just what my body needed this morning. I wasn't particularly in the mood for a cardio workout today, and it's nice to see that Tony occasionally feels similarly, as he notes on this disc. Later, I realize that he's done a 3 hour Sunday workout, which is why he's a bit bagged. All of a sudden, I no longer felt so smug.

The workout, consisting of three rounds of three moves each, is 2/3 of an intense workout. The first two rounds eventually got to me. If the third round consisted of anything other than Kenpo, I'm sure that we'd be making a call to 911. I'm happy that the Kenpo round comes last; on the other hand, because I find it so easy, it's a disappointing way to finish what would otherwise be a butt-kicking workout. So, it's a love-hate relationship. I'm happy for the break, but I wish I could work harder. I know, I could turn off the dvd at the end of the second round and insert my own destroy-your-body moves, then catch up with Tony for the cool-down. But that would require motivation, which is scarce at 6:15AM. And, this is Recovery Week. I still ended up with jelly legs and tingly butt, which is a sure sign that I've been a busy boy. So far, I still think this workout has a place in this program, so I'm sticking with it.

Round 4: Day 6: Super Cardio

Ow, ow, ow, OW! This is the feeling I used to get when I did Kenpo X the day after Legs and Back. Yesterday's Legs and Back workout left my butt in serious pain this morning. The cardio exercises in the first two rounds of today's workout contain a number of exercises which directly involve the glutes, the hamstrings and the quads, all of which were at some level of discomfort. Jumping and squatting was just plain nasty. Legs and Back, followed by Super Cardio is looking like a nasty combination.

I have never done this workout first thing in the morning, and it was a much tougher workout than I recall from when I did it a week ago near the end of the day. In some ways, it's more intensive than Plyometrics because of the jumping and twisting exercises which are foisted upon the unsuspecting participant from the start of the workout. At least Plyometrics starts easy, and works towards greater intensity. Not so with this series of exercises. I was really pleased to have survived the first two rounds of exercises, to reach the final round, consisting of Kenpo moves, which allowed my heart rate to drop a bit and to give my screaming legs a break. This workout looks like a keeper to me.

One thing I don't particularly like is the speedy yoga moves employed during the warmup period. I don't enjoy racing through yoga moves, but prefer to do them in a more relaxed, fluid manner. Also, I don't like doing yoga with my shoes on, which Tony acknowledges on the video as being more difficult. At least he understands that.

I do appreciate the extended warm-up and cool-down times; approximately 10 minutes for each. I'll take the warm-up more seriously next time, to better prepare for the lower body massacre which will ensue.

End of Week 1; looking forward to Week 2.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 88: X Stretch

Upon my return home yesterday, I jumped into my shorts and cranked out a Super Cardio workout. This is the first time I've done this workout, and I'd heard mixed reviews: some loved it, others did not find it as intense a cardio workout as those found in P90X and P90X+. No matter; I have the disc, and I'm doing the workout.

The workout consists of 3 sets of 3 moves, repeated 3 times. The first two sets are generally jumping moves; the final set are Kenpo moves. I found the first two sets pretty exerting; the third, not so much. Overall, I'd agree with those of the opinion that it's not as intense a cardio workout as the P90X or P90X+ programs. I never had to pause the disc, and didn't really find myself huffing and puffing too much. I'd be saying otherwise if the third set weren't Kenpo. I actually found myself cooling off a bit during the third set, rather than ratcheting up the intensity. I'd be happy to give this workout another twirl, and now that I know what's in store for me, I'll bring up the intensity level myself.

This morning, I relaxed a bit and did X Stretch. I still enjoy this workout, even though it's not a challenge and I don't break a sweat. Every now and then, you've got to give yourself a break, and X Stretch gives you the opportunity to say you worked out, without actually having to intensively work out. Still, at the end, I felt a bit tingly all over,and did feel relaxed, calmed and stretched out. It's true that most of your energy ends up concentrated in your neck, shoulders and hamstrings, and it's nice to spend some time dedicated to alleviating the stress in those parts of the body.