Round 6: Day 59: Upper Plus

I haven't exactly abandoned my Round 6 schedule, but I do seem to be modifying it on a regular basis. I'm still following the routine where Days 1, 3 and 5 are resistance days, Days 2 and 6 are cardio, and Day 4 is yoga, but the workouts I had originally scheduled to follow seem to have fallen by the wayside due to a variety of factors: slight injury, minor tweaking of body parts, or lack of motivation or desire. I'm not skipping workouts, it just seems that sometimes I'm happier doing what I want to do.

Again when I awoke this morning, I had thoughts of several workouts swirling around in my head including, oddly enough, going for a run. As this was a scheduled resistance day, however, I shelved the notion of running (perish the thought!) and decided to focus on my upper body: arms, shoulders, chest, delts? My lower back felt a bit sketchy due to some bent-over rows I did the other day (manifesting itself, oddly, during my bicycle ride home the other day). My left oblique is a little sore, and I was concerned about straining it. So, I decided not to do anything related to lifting over my head, or heavy curls which might inadvertantly put stress on my lower back. I came to the decision that this might be a good day for Upper Plus, which works most of the upper body without the heavy weight lifting, and offers minor cardio as a side benefit.

Upper Plus is still a good workout for me, although I was rather tired of it following Round 3, when I was doing it twice weekly. I took the added step of doing the workout without any music, probably because I find the soundtrack to this workout more annoying than inspirational, and it made a difference to my temperment. I breezed through the workout, got a good sweat on, enjoyed the variety of moves (with the exception of weighted warrior, which I don't really care for, likely because it really challenges my sense of balance and my shoulder strength), and found the overall experience to be most satisfying. It was a good decision to make, so that I could still get in a good upper body workout without overly stressing sensitive parts of my body.

Modify, modify modify, if you have to.

Round 6: Day 34: Upper Body Plus

Modify, modify, modify. That's how I'm approaching the issue in my left calf, which I'm now treating as a minor injury. I'm going to discontinue cardio exercises which involve jumping or landing on my foot (as opposed to my ear?) to give my leg time to heal. In the meantime, if I can find some non-impact cardio routines, I'm going to pursue them.

In that vein, today's workout brought me back to the good old days of P90X+, with Upper Body Plus. I haven't done this routine in about 10 months, and had actually forgotten how to do some of the individual exercises. As a result of requiring a short tutorial in some of the movements, my numbers were down slightly in a few exercises. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable 41 minutes. This routine moves rather quickly from one move to another, leaving little time to record results, but it does manage to keep your heart rate elevated somewhat. So, this can serve as a mild cardio workout, as well as an upper body workout.

I found some of the upper body moves a bit tiring (I know, they're SUPPOSED to be) and it may not have been the best decision to focus on the upper body again, one day following Diamond Delts. However, I felt that there is sufficient variety in the moves so there wasn't a singular focus on the deltoids. The entire upper body is worked: chest, back, shoulders, triceps, biceps and forearms.

I'm going to continue with this Round, but I'm going to have to revisit some of the workouts, specifically the cardio routines on Day 2 and Day 6. I'll probably look to workouts like this one, and Core Synergistics, and I'll review Plyo Legs again (modifying as required to remove the jumping moves, if there aren't too many) and perhaps I'll place extra focus on ab work during those days. Managing injury successfully is part of anyone's fitness journey. With proper care and attention, this will pass, and I'll be able to get back to cardio work.

End of Week 5. Looking forward to healing, and Week 6.

Round 4: Day 64: Upper Plus

I haven't been to a gym in over 25 years - until yesterday. My wife cajoled me into working out at her office gym. The gym is in the basement of her building and is extremely well laid out and well-equipped. There are all sorts of different machines, most of which I didn't understand (it has been 25 years, after all) but it also had the familiar: dumbbells, mats, skipping ropes, rowing machines, pull-up bars and so on. I was a little psyched out at the thought of working out in a gym, because for the last year, all I've known is my tiny little low-ceilinged basement space or my living room, and the only workout partners I've had are Tony and the kids. So I felt intimidated by being seen working out in a room with seasoned gym rats.

I decided to prepare by sticking to my routine. My wife was encouraging me to try different machines, but I am a devotee of the X, and wanted to stick to my schedule. So, I brought my push-up stands (the one piece of equipment that the gym didn't have), my Upper Plus worksheets, a towel and a container of water. I started by doing an extended stretch and warm-up, then jumped into the workout.

I wasn't on the clock, so I decided to take a slightly different approach to the workout. Instead of trying to do as many reps for a specific duration of time, I did 8 - 10 reps using heavier weights than normal. Alternatively, when that wasn't a possibility, I tried to exceed the numbers posted the last time I did the workout. For the most part, this approach succeeded. I forgot about the other people working out, focussed on my goals and objectives, and had a tremendous workout.

The only humbling experience was pull-ups. I've never done pull-ups before because the space in my house doesn't permit the installation of a pull-up bar. So, I've substituted pull-ups on a bar with resistance bands. While I've been successful with the bands, they are not equal to pull-ups. I was able to do several unassisted pull-ups, which felt pretty good, but they were really tough after that. My wife introduced me to a machine which allows you to do assisted pull-ups. While I felt that was a bit of a letdown, I recalled Tony advising that when you're bagged, use assistance. Sound advice. I'd rather pursue that route and do some pull-ups than none. It was a good experience, because it let me know that my shoulders and back could still benefit from extra work.

The workout went slower than normal, because of my revised approach, and my body was much more tired from having done the pull-ups. My wife and I will try to get back to the gym a few more times over the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to improving my pull-ups (assisted or otherwise).

Round 4: Day 36: Upper Plus / Killer Abs

Upper Plus

Upper Plus was a completely different ballgame today, because of the introduction of dumbbells (present company excluded, of course) to the various exercises. There was a bit of trial and error happening, because I wasn't sure what I was capable of lifting, having employed resistance bands to this point, but it all seemed to work out (no pun intended) reasonably well. I had to pause the DVD occasionally, to set the desired weight level, whereas before, I would just grab the appropriately-coloured band and jump right into the exercise. I found the exercises harder with the dumbbells, and my repetition numbers dropped like a stone. On the other hand, I was really fatigued after the exercises and, in some cases, had quite a bit of difficulty even finishing. There will be some time of adjustment before the correct weights are picked for the exercises.

It was almost like doing this workout for the first time. The dumbbells were fantastic. I'm now really excited about making some gains in my fitness level because I've switched from the resistance bands. I'm looking forward to the P90X workouts where I can add some serious weight and go for 8-10 reps. This workout deals more with time, rather than reps, so it is incumbent on you to select the correct weight which permits you to perform the exercise for the full time duration allocated. I don't mind that approach; it's just that I end up picking up a slightly lighter weight than I'd like to, to ensure that I can continue lifting the weight for the full time period. I'm getting anxious about cranking out some heavy weights to build some muscle.

Even though I found myself pausing the DVD more frequently than in the past, it's still a great way to start Week 6.

Killer Abs

I didn't eat or drink well today. I was a little undernourished and didn't have sufficient hydration. As a result, I didn't have my best effort during Killer Abs, which I undertook around 4:15 today (right after the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Chiefs - or Chefs - as my son is fond of saying). I still find the first half (Ab Ripper) really challenging. I'm looking forward to the time when the opening sequences become easy. I took a short pause between Ab Ripper and Ab Ripper X for an extended breather, then jumped into ARX. These sequences passed quickly and without incident. Oddly, I find the shorter, Ab Ripper exercises more difficult. At any rate, the workout is great. I've just heard that the new One on One workout, Butt and Belly, is a killer ab workout. I'll have to investigate further when I have the opportunity. I'm always on the lookout for another way to punish my abs.

Round 4: Day 8: Upper Plus; Killer Abs

Upper Plus

I was still(!) stiff in the legs and butt from Thursday's and Friday's workouts. Rest day did my body some good, but it seems to be taking some time for the old limbs to recover these days. For a short time, I was of the mind that perhaps my body was trying to tell me to take some time off, but I decided not to listen. After all, today was an upper body workout, so the legs get an extra day's rest. Besides, it felt good to be sore again, like in the good old days of P90X. That soreness was missing from P90X+, not due to a lack of intensity on my part, but due to a lack of a butt-kicking legs and glutes workout. The soreness is good. It reminds you that you're alive.

I blew away some of the recent numbers from Upper Plus today. I really surprised myself, improving in Double Dip'll Do Ya, Spiderman Pushups, Lean-back Curls and Pumper Curls. I don't know whether that's due to the new workout regimen or a Bring It mentality, but it was a pleasant surprise. At this point in the workouts, I sometimes feel that I've reached a maximum in terms of repetitions or in weights, but it's always nice to exceed expectations. I think that the next time, I'll change the resistance level and start over again. Plateau is the enemy, after all, and one should always challenge one's body (respecting limits, of course).

Ab Killer

I really enjoy this workout. I love the relaxed attitude Tony has in the One on One discs, and this workout has moves from Ab Ripper (the original, from P90, I believe) that I've never seen before. This disc is like a recording of a live concert. If P90X is the studio recording, Ab Killer is the "live" version. It's slightly different, there are fewer reps, but it's nicely paced, still familiar, and feels like you're getting something extra. The opening sequence, Ab Ripper, is, for me, the killer portion of the workout, especially the oblique moves. My son did this portion of the workout with me, and was groaning with pain. I can hardly wait to do this workout again. I only have it scheduled once a week, but I'm thinking of increasing its frequency.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 82: Upper Plus

My lifelong love affair with all things baseball affected me greatly today. There were 3 games on yesterday, two of which I saw commencing at 6:07PM, and ending around 12:37AM, when, in the 5th inning, my eyes closed from fatigue (and disgust from a hideous throwing error), I headed to bed. At this morning's workout, I paid the price for having stayed up so late. My energy level was down, my endurance was off, and it was really difficult to get my mind right. I managed to persevere, but it was not the kind of workout I would have liked to end this round. In some instances, my numbers were up (I know, I've said repeatedly that it's not about the numbers, but it's still an indication of progress), in some, my numbers were down. I've been finding pumper curls more difficult to pump out recently. Today, those numbers were down because I was more focussed on an isometric hold at the top of the curl. Those additional fractions of seconds add up, resulting in a numerical decrease. The intensity of the exercise, however, was increased. The sweat was flowing.

On the other hand, my lack of endurance caused me to pause the DVD a couple of times to catch my breath. I took some extra time during the breaks to sufficiently recover. I've now done this workout 21 times, and it's still challenging.

On a personal level, I now truly understand the importance of getting sufficient sleep. The lack of sleep, accompanied by a likely lack of hydration, is not conducive to working out. Drink your water people! Today, my glass is beside me and I'm rehydrating. Lesson learned.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 78: Upper Plus

Break's over. I took the last 5 days off to recover, following a very brief bout of stomach unrest. Now, it's time to rewind and restart Week 12 (hence, this post is listed as Day 78 - again). It was a bit of a mental downer, having to restart Week 12, because with the finish line staring you in the face, you really don't want to stop, back up, and recommence; however, that's the nature of the program and the mindset that develops upon engaging in it. Once you start, you never want to stop. If there's a setback, you deal with it and carry on. If you have to go back and do what you've done before, you do it. It's not really about numbers. It's about developing a fitness regimen and an attitude towards your personal health. It's about being honest with yourself. If I had said I'd completed the program, who would care? No-one. Who would I be cheating? Me. This entire program: the workouts and the nutrition, is all about the Honour System. If you're going to do it, be honest with yourself. That's rule no. 1.

I did Upper Plus this morning, hopping back onto the horse, and it was somewhat difficult for me, especially the push-up exercises. My chest and shoulders felt a bit fatigued, after not having worked out for a number of days. It's amazing how working out frequently keeps your energy level high. I find that resting causes my energy level to drop. Logic would have it the other way, but that's my logic for you. I guess the real equation is: use it, or lose it.

Overall, the workout went pretty well, energy level notwithstanding. I didn't pause the tape, and I tried to push myself as hard as possible. There were some moments of huffing and puffing, but I managed to complete the workout in pretty reasonable shape. I did find that my numbers were somewhat down, but only marginally: a rep here and there, basically. In general, things were satisfactory, and I'm looking forward to finishing the week strongly.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 75: Upper Plus

I managed to endure doubles yesterday, practicing Yoga upon my return home from the office. I was really looking forward to Yoga, because I felt like I needed a good stretch. I had scheduled a massage last week, but the masseuse cancelled my appointment, so I've been feeling that I need a good body workover. Yoga would have to do.

I've never done Yoga at any time other than first thing in the morning. What surprised me was how flexible my body is later in the day, compared to when I wake up. I suppose now, in retrospect, that should be obvious, as upon awakening, your body has been still (more or less) for 8 hours. The obvious, however, frequently escapes me. What a pleasant surprise. Even though I was much more flexible, I was shocked at how much I sweated. There were pools of sweat all over my mat, making it quite difficult to hold my poses. I've never sweated so much during yoga, ever. I wonder if it has something to do with all of the water I've been drinking throughout the day. The workout was fantastic.

This morning, I was caught up in the schedule, and proceeded to Upper Plus. I keep looking at the workout sheet, counting down the number of times I have to do this workout until Round 3 is complete. It's not that I don't enjoy the workout (I do), it's just that it's repeated so often during the program. P90X+ would really benefit by adding another workout, or, alternatively, I should have substituted Legs & Back for Upper Plus. In my drone-like manner, I have just blindly, unquestioningly followed the program, when I should have been more of an independent thinker and made an adjustment early on. If I repeat this program, I will make that modification.

I don't know whether it's the water, or having done doubles yesterday, but I was really energetic today and obliterated a few numbers, specifically in lean back curls and 1-legged bridge dips. My body has definitely benefitted from this program (legs notwithstanding) and I'm feeling stronger and fitter than ever right now. I'm looking forward to completing this round and starting another.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 71: Upper Plus

I missed yesterday's workout, so I'm going to try to compress the 6 day schedule into 5 days by doing doubles one day. That will likely be Wednesday, when I'll do Total Body Plus in the morning, followed by Yoga in the afternoon. That should square the schedule.

I didn't eat particularly well over the weekend. Actually, I ate well, I think I just exceeded the portion sizes on a regular basis. As a result, I didn't feel too well on Sunday evening. This morning, to my surprise, my weight had held steady. Nevertheless, I'm going to try to be more vigilant about the volume of food I'm consuming. I'm finding that if I feel hungry, a glass of water usually makes the hunger feeling go away. Sometimes, hunger is confused for thirst. It's a pretty good strategy to start off with a glass of water, and then see what message the body is sending.

Today's workout went pretty well. Some of my numbers dipped from last Thursday (only by one or so); others were slightly elevated. I'm starting to get a little bored by this workout, since I do it so often. On the other hand, I'm also starting to get excited about completing this Round. You can't have one without the other, it seems.

I'm now consistently running through the workout without pausing the DVD. Whatever my feelings are before the next exercise, they don't count, as I just suck it up and jump right into the work at hand. I believe that the pace of the workout is designed to keep the heart rate elevated and to prevent the body from recovering too much between exercises. After 10 weeks, I'm finally starting to catch on. Completing this workout is very satisfying, as a result.

P90X+: Round 3: Day 68: Upper Plus

I'm skipping a day in the blog. I did yoga yesterday, but wasn't able to get to the computer to blather on about my warm, fuzzy feelings for the workout. I'm mentioning this just to put on the record that while I skipped a day of blogging, I didn't skip the actual workout.

We accidentally slept in today, arising 1/2h later than usual. For some reason, the alarm clock didn't sound. My wife questioned the integrity of my internal clock (which, frankly, I had wondered about as well) but, sometimes, I guess, your body just requires additional rest. We've both been a bit worn out, having attended some evening curriculum sessions at the kids' schools the past two nights. Neither of us likes to go out during weeknights; we're quite content to spend the evening at home together, relaxing after a long day's work.

As a result of the additional sleep, I had to jump all over the workout, and the extra intensity was reflected in an increase in quantity today. I guess I'm capable of more than I thought. The more I do this workout (and I do it a lot), the more I seem to enjoy it. My least favourite moves are probably pumper curls and the shoulder everything. These exercises always challenge me, especially the shoulder everything. I can feel my right shoulder popping (like a breakfast cereal, as Tony says), likely due to overstressing my arm playing baseball as a youngster, even though I'm using only 10lb dumbbells.

My favourite moves are still the pushups. I've increased the combat pushups to 14 recently, and could probably crank out one or two more, as I take a pause or two during the 90 seconds. I'll have to eliminate that pause and replace it with a pushup. I'm so bagged by the end of the workout that I can't even raise my PowerStands in the air in celebration with Tony and the kids. Just getting up off the floor is celebration enough for me.

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

Upper Plus

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

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

Ab Ripper X

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

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

Upper Plus

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

Ab Ripper X

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

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

Upper Plus

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

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

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

Ab Ripper X

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

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

Upper Plus

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

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

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

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

Ab Ripper X

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

P90X+: Round 3: Day 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.