Round 5: Day 66: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

This workout, while challenging, has never been a favourite of mine. I usually take my time, adding several breaks along the way, to recover a bit between exercises so that my form won't suffer and I'll be better able to focus on the objective of each exercise. The result is that it takes me about 1:20 to complete this workout, which makes for some timing issues if I'm doing the workout first thing in the morning on a weekday, such as today.

This landed on a weekday (instead of Day 1 which, for me, is a Sunday) because I had to make a schedule adjustment a couple of days ago. Such is the flow of life. At least I'm still getting in my workouts.

As with some other resistance workouts, my numbers in this workout have been somewhat static over the past while. This is an indication that I should either increase my weight or repetitions or both. I noticed that I was able to increase my repetitions in a number of exercises today to 12-15, so I made a note to myself (the benefits of writing everything down!) to increase the weight for those exercises. My objective this round is to top out at 10 reps. To achieve this, I'd rather do 8 reps at a higher weight than 12 reps at a lower weight.

Overall, the workout went well. I'm looking forward to next time when I'll make the appropriate adjustments.

Following the workout, I rode my bicycle to the office (first time this year). I had absolutely no fatigue, as though I were in mid-season form. I clearly owe a debt of gratitude to Shaun T and Insanity. The ride home is all uphill. We'll see how enthusiastic I remain and how much gas there is left in the tank.

Round 5: Day 65: Insanity: Cardio Power and Resistance

Today was one of those days where, upon awakening, I just didn't feel like working out. I was tired from gardening(!) activities yesterday, and my quads were a little stiff, probably from all of the bending and squatting I did over the period of several hours out in the garden. When I awoke today, my legs felt like they needed a rest. I thought that this would be a workout where I just tried to get through it. I was almost going to mention my lack of motivation to my wife, but thought twice. Admitting that you don't feel like working out is almost like giving up, and I wasn't close to giving up without at least giving this workout my best shot.

This is a tough workout to do when your legs are sore. This workout has at least as much leg work in it as a typical Insanity workout, and likely, a bit more. There are numerous jumping sequences which, by the third round, are really intense. It's like Dominic going full-out for 30 seconds on Jump Knee Tucks in P90X's Plyometrics, but for a longer duration of time. Some of the kids on the DVD are able to handle it; others, like me, have to take a short break before getting back into it. The key is to get back into it and not to give up.

Fortunately, this workout includes a number of resistance moves (pike presses, walking push-ups, table dips) which are tantamount to a break for me. Otherwise, I'd probably never get through the routine.

As in the other Insanity workouts, I'm sensing a small amount of improvements in terms of endurance. I paused the DVD between circuits, allowed my heart rate to descend to a non-life-threatening number, and then finished off the workout. I'm hoping to complete the workout non-stop prior to the end of this Round. It's always nice to set a goal for yourself. Even if you don't reach that goal, at least you're in the room, doing the workout with intensity, and trying to achieve something positive.

Hopefully, I'll get there. It just takes time and patience.

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 62: Insanity: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

There's a story that women forget the pain of giving birth. That enables them to have more than one child. Not that I'm comparing Insanity to giving birth (insert eye roll here), but since more than a week passes between repeating an Insanity workout, I tend to forget the workout's various exercises and then eagerly look forward to doing the workout again when it next comes up in the cycle.

Eventually, I remembered what was in this workout. My nemesis, the abdominal series consisting of Level 1 Drills, followed by side to side ski crunches, followed by in and outs. I'm not even sure that I've been making modest improvements in this sequence as time has worn on. I still take mini-breaks when necessary, subscribing to the "Do your best and forget the rest" philosophy. I just wish that my best were a little bit better. Ever the optimist, I'm searching for a reason to celebrate my achievements. I have noticed that the Insanity warmup has become much more manageable, and the first section of circuit training is similarly tolerable. I need to develop a little more endurance, since I'm still pausing the video during the second round of circuit training. That's at least a small improvement in itself, as I used to pause the video twice. That's a 50% improvement! I'll take anything I can get.

Week 9 ends with another humbling experience. Come to think of it, most weeks end with a humbling experience, as Insanity is the last workout of the week. I've got three more weeks to really Bring It.

Round 5: Day 61: Shoulders and Arms

I've been doing this workout for almost a year and a half, and it still feels fresh and enjoyable. As with the other P90X workouts, it is progressive, in the sense that one can always increase weight or repetitions or both, thus maintaining the challenge in the workout. My approach has been to keep moving the goalposts: when I'm consistently lifting the same weight for several workouts, try increasing the weight. Alternatively, if I find I'm capable of achieving 12 repetitions for a few workouts, I'll increase the weight and decrease the repetitions to between 8 and 10. I believe that this approach encourages muscle confusion and helps to avoid plateaus.

Today's workout saw some modest gains in both repetitions and in weight increases. Also, I've been noticing that my left arm and shoulder are keeping up with my right side. That is a nice improvement in just nine weeks. Also, further to the opening paragraph, I've noticed that my numbers in this workout have been relatively static for the past few workouts, so I've made some notes to increase weights or repetitions. I felt stronger today than usual during this workout, perhaps due to the increase in resistance training this Round. Perhaps that's due to the Just Arms and Diamond Delts routines paying dividends in this workout. At any rate, it seems to me that my shoulders and deltoids have slightly increased in size. I wouldn't say that I'm about to race out and purchase some tank tops, but I am please with my modest gains.

Also, my weight is a bit down, and I think my waist size is decreasing a bit, although I haven't taken measurements in a long time. I'm wearing size 31 pants today, which would have been unheard of a year ago. My BMI says I'm overweight(!), but as I've added muscle and lost fat, I really don't pay any attention to BMI. I'll take the loose clothing test over BMI any day.

Coaching

I'm posting off-topic (the ongoing topic being, of course, what's going on in my current Round of P90X and similar workouts) because I've received a few comments recently about being a BeachBody Coach and wanted to address those comments.

I don't know whether these comments are intended as a promotional device, so I'll choose to be naïve and accept them as compliments and suggestions from like-minded people who are travelling a similar fitness road to me.

I am not currently a BeachBody Coach, nor do I have a particular driving desire to become one. I have been the beneficiary of some fantastic advice from Coaches, many of whom are extremely knowledgeable about fitness, nutrition and health. I'm not particularly interested in steering my career in that direction, either for love or money, but I do appreciate those who have put in (what I assume to be) long hours researching foods, biology and neurology. Further, I live in the True North Strong and Free (Canada), so for now, I'm not even eligible to become a Coach, even if I had the burning desire, which I don't.

I'm also not affiliated with BeachBody in any way. I do like their products (both workout videos and equipment) and, as a satisfied customer, wouldn't hesitate to render an opinion on what I've used, but in no way am I shilling for the company. I'm just a happy user.

So, if your comment is intended to sign me up as a Coach to gain you some referral points, or however the Coach-building / home business is set up, you're wasting your time. If you're commenting because you can relate my experiences to your own personal fitness journey somehow, great! There's a huge fitness-crazy community out there, and it's nice to be able to connect with others. That's one of my prime motivators.

Thanks for reading!

gp

Round 5: Day 60: Yoga

Sorry for the lack of communication over the past week. I've been away from my computer and wasn't able to post any comments for a few days. In my electronic absence, I managed to squeeze in a few workouts:

Yoga (completing Recovery Week and Week 8)

30-15 (commencing Week 9)

Insanity: Pure Cardio

Back and Biceps

Which brings me to today's workout, Yoga. Last Friday I did Fountain of Youth (with my daughter, the yoga guru), and had inklings of doing Patience Yoga today, but I felt stiff and a little sore from the resistance workouts this week, so I decided to do Fountain of Youth again, for a longer, more intensive stretch. The longer the yoga workout, the more effective the stretch (for me, at least). I notice a difference between Fountain of Youth and Patience during the hamstring stretch section. I get a better, deeper stretch during FOY's hamstring section than Patience. I think that's due to the length of the workout. FOY provides a longer workout leading to the hamstring stretches. As a result, my body is warmer and more limber, allowing me to stretch my hamstrings farther and more comfortably. In contrast, Patience reaches the hamstring stretches in a shorter time frame, so my body is a little colder and a little less flexible. Those two workouts don't compare to Yoga X, where hamstring stretches occur well after an hour of yoga. As always, listen to your body. I'm aware of my limitations, so I won't overdo stretching during Patience. I'll go deeper into my stretches during FOY, and let it all out in Yoga X.

I always feel great following a yoga workout. I paid extra attention to two basics: upward dog and downward dog. Now, my shoulders are nice and loose, as are my calves and achilles tendons. I've found that it's helpful to focus specifically on what's sore at the time. Once you've ironed out the kinks, you're ready to Bring It for the remainder of the week.

I just noticed a milestone: today is Day 60, two-thirds of the way through this Round. Time flies when you're having so much fun.

Namaste.