P90X - X Stretch (58 minutes)
Great stretch. Worked really well in loosening up my body. No complaints.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
March 30 (Day 38)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
Good strong workout. Body and lungs felt good. I wasn't nearly as winded as I've been in the past. Pushed hard. Anything that requires weights I've been sticking with 15lb dumbbells for the most part. Exceptions: Shoulder flies, upright rows & kickbacks are all 10lb dumbbells. I switch to 20lb dumbbells when its time for lawnmower and calf raises. Obviously we aren't talking about serious weight here. Which means I'm obviously not super strong. I'm fine with it. I'm looking to be fit and not fat. That's all. When I get to the point where I'm fit, maybe I'll change my goals to get much stronger.
I mean, obviously I am getting stronger. When I first started 5+ weeks ago most of the things I was doing I would use the 10lb dumbbells and very few things would be with the 15lb dumbbells. My reps weren't what they are today. When it came time to do push-ups, half of mine were from my knees. I was screaming more than my legs were when doing lunge squats. lol Everything has gone up. The weights, the reps. The only time I do any pushups from my knees is when I do the wide-try-die sequence. 7 wide armed push-ups, 7 tight to your body push-ups, 7 standard push-ups and then get comfortable and do whatever you can. I get comfortable alright. I go to my knees and do my best to push out 5 push-ups. lol Sadly it would appear after I get to 26 straight push-ups my body is tired. lol I'm working on it though.
Today towards the end of the workout I did feel my lower back tightening up a bit. It has been a couple of weeks (maybe this is the 3rd?) since I've done X-Stretch. I need to do it tomorrow. Easter or not, its got to be a priority. My body needs it.
That's it for today. X-Stretch tomorrow then my last week of Power90 for a while I think. Time to move forward with some P90X.
Good strong workout. Body and lungs felt good. I wasn't nearly as winded as I've been in the past. Pushed hard. Anything that requires weights I've been sticking with 15lb dumbbells for the most part. Exceptions: Shoulder flies, upright rows & kickbacks are all 10lb dumbbells. I switch to 20lb dumbbells when its time for lawnmower and calf raises. Obviously we aren't talking about serious weight here. Which means I'm obviously not super strong. I'm fine with it. I'm looking to be fit and not fat. That's all. When I get to the point where I'm fit, maybe I'll change my goals to get much stronger.
I mean, obviously I am getting stronger. When I first started 5+ weeks ago most of the things I was doing I would use the 10lb dumbbells and very few things would be with the 15lb dumbbells. My reps weren't what they are today. When it came time to do push-ups, half of mine were from my knees. I was screaming more than my legs were when doing lunge squats. lol Everything has gone up. The weights, the reps. The only time I do any pushups from my knees is when I do the wide-try-die sequence. 7 wide armed push-ups, 7 tight to your body push-ups, 7 standard push-ups and then get comfortable and do whatever you can. I get comfortable alright. I go to my knees and do my best to push out 5 push-ups. lol Sadly it would appear after I get to 26 straight push-ups my body is tired. lol I'm working on it though.
Today towards the end of the workout I did feel my lower back tightening up a bit. It has been a couple of weeks (maybe this is the 3rd?) since I've done X-Stretch. I need to do it tomorrow. Easter or not, its got to be a priority. My body needs it.
That's it for today. X-Stretch tomorrow then my last week of Power90 for a while I think. Time to move forward with some P90X.
Friday, March 29, 2013
March 29 (Day 37)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
Not a strong workout. Opening stretch fine, PowerYoga I felt pretty good too. Moved onto the actual workout and my legs were dead. They were so tired. I pushed forward and had an epiphany that maybe this was related to my knee brace and it was too tight or something. So I paused for a few seconds, took it off and then got back to work. My legs felt a little lighter for maybe 30 seconds then everything got heavy again. I kept pushing through. There is no question I had the drive today, but intensity was lacking. Strength wasn't there, but that is my fault. My body is working hard for me right now. Trying to do everything I'm asking of it. Trying to get back in the shape I want to be in. The least I could do is fuel it better. Sticking to the right foods and getting more sleep would go a long way to helping me.
TH200 Abs - I did do this well. Apparently I got a second wind or something. I have no idea because right now I want to crash. lol Anywho, 200 reps again. Supermans are still tough for me. My form on that particular exercise sucks. My knees are bent, I can barely keep my feet touching each other. Whatever. Everything else looked good and I feel I did a really good job.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength.
Not a strong workout. Opening stretch fine, PowerYoga I felt pretty good too. Moved onto the actual workout and my legs were dead. They were so tired. I pushed forward and had an epiphany that maybe this was related to my knee brace and it was too tight or something. So I paused for a few seconds, took it off and then got back to work. My legs felt a little lighter for maybe 30 seconds then everything got heavy again. I kept pushing through. There is no question I had the drive today, but intensity was lacking. Strength wasn't there, but that is my fault. My body is working hard for me right now. Trying to do everything I'm asking of it. Trying to get back in the shape I want to be in. The least I could do is fuel it better. Sticking to the right foods and getting more sleep would go a long way to helping me.
TH200 Abs - I did do this well. Apparently I got a second wind or something. I have no idea because right now I want to crash. lol Anywho, 200 reps again. Supermans are still tough for me. My form on that particular exercise sucks. My knees are bent, I can barely keep my feet touching each other. Whatever. Everything else looked good and I feel I did a really good job.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
March 28 (Day 36)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
This morning had everything lined up to be a failure. I woke up at 3AM. 3AM!!!! It wasn't what woke me up that was bad, it was what kept me up. I made the mistake of looking at my phone. Bruins up 4 -2 over the Canadiens going into the 3rd period lose 6 - 5? Really?? Bruins trading for Jerome Iginla don't get him, instead going to Pittsburgh?? REALLY?!?!?! I didn't sleep much after that. I fell asleep right before the 4:30AM alarm went off. I got up and wanted to skip this workout. I was so mad... SO MAD. Yesterday I was SO pumped up about doing today's workout. I couldn't wait. I had a great workout that day and today was going to be even better.
Either way. I did the workout. The negativity kept trying to pop in my head and I kept pushing it out. I didn't want any part of it. I didn't want the excuses. Yeah, I didn't sleep great. Yeah, I woke up earlier than expected. Whatever. Bottom line, skipping doesn't achieve the goals. All the excuses in the world don't solve problems. Actions solve problems. I put in my mind that I needed to take action and did. The workout was pretty good. I had a couple brief instances early in the lunge/squat sequence that I thought was a sign of a bigger problem. I widened my stance in the squats and the problem went away. So, I'm guessing it was a form issue. Either way - knees were good. My right knee feels so good with the brace on that my left knee is jealous. lol Hopefully soon though I won't even need the brace. That's my hope.
OK - time to get in the shower. Tomorrow is another day. Cardio/Abs.
This morning had everything lined up to be a failure. I woke up at 3AM. 3AM!!!! It wasn't what woke me up that was bad, it was what kept me up. I made the mistake of looking at my phone. Bruins up 4 -2 over the Canadiens going into the 3rd period lose 6 - 5? Really?? Bruins trading for Jerome Iginla don't get him, instead going to Pittsburgh?? REALLY?!?!?! I didn't sleep much after that. I fell asleep right before the 4:30AM alarm went off. I got up and wanted to skip this workout. I was so mad... SO MAD. Yesterday I was SO pumped up about doing today's workout. I couldn't wait. I had a great workout that day and today was going to be even better.
Either way. I did the workout. The negativity kept trying to pop in my head and I kept pushing it out. I didn't want any part of it. I didn't want the excuses. Yeah, I didn't sleep great. Yeah, I woke up earlier than expected. Whatever. Bottom line, skipping doesn't achieve the goals. All the excuses in the world don't solve problems. Actions solve problems. I put in my mind that I needed to take action and did. The workout was pretty good. I had a couple brief instances early in the lunge/squat sequence that I thought was a sign of a bigger problem. I widened my stance in the squats and the problem went away. So, I'm guessing it was a form issue. Either way - knees were good. My right knee feels so good with the brace on that my left knee is jealous. lol Hopefully soon though I won't even need the brace. That's my hope.
OK - time to get in the shower. Tomorrow is another day. Cardio/Abs.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
March 27 (Day 35)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
I tried to use the velcro knee brace on my right knee this morning. I did not feel it provided any support at all. I had it tight and it was tight up top (thigh side) of my knee. It wasn't tight on the lower half of my leg. I didn't like it at all. I'm going back to the neoprene sleeve as that one worked really well. It's not a perfect solution, but it does work and I do feel as though my knee has a lot more support when exercising, which is the key right now.
This morning my belly did feel a little bloated. As it turns out I was gassy. It's a good thing I workout by myself on my side of the basement. lol I think I had a really good workout. Actually I think I turned a bit of a corner. I definitely felt really strong throughout the workout. There were moves that I could really really feel the muscle groups that I'm targeting, actually working. It was really evident when when I was doing some of the punching exercises I could feel it in my lats. It felt AWESOME. My whole body felt strong. There were no breaks or anything else. Just straight up work from from the second Tony said GO. It was good.
TH200 - I did all 200 reps. I'm definitely getting stronger there. Its interesting too what "other" muscles you work when doing this ab routine. I definitely felt some burning in my upper thighs when doing things like "in and outs" and "bicycles". Either way, it was my strongest AB workout yet.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Really looking forward to it.
I tried to use the velcro knee brace on my right knee this morning. I did not feel it provided any support at all. I had it tight and it was tight up top (thigh side) of my knee. It wasn't tight on the lower half of my leg. I didn't like it at all. I'm going back to the neoprene sleeve as that one worked really well. It's not a perfect solution, but it does work and I do feel as though my knee has a lot more support when exercising, which is the key right now.
This morning my belly did feel a little bloated. As it turns out I was gassy. It's a good thing I workout by myself on my side of the basement. lol I think I had a really good workout. Actually I think I turned a bit of a corner. I definitely felt really strong throughout the workout. There were moves that I could really really feel the muscle groups that I'm targeting, actually working. It was really evident when when I was doing some of the punching exercises I could feel it in my lats. It felt AWESOME. My whole body felt strong. There were no breaks or anything else. Just straight up work from from the second Tony said GO. It was good.
TH200 - I did all 200 reps. I'm definitely getting stronger there. Its interesting too what "other" muscles you work when doing this ab routine. I definitely felt some burning in my upper thighs when doing things like "in and outs" and "bicycles". Either way, it was my strongest AB workout yet.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Really looking forward to it.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
March 26 (Day 34)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
Good workout. I'm not as winded as I normally am during this workout. I don't know why. Maybe I'm actually getting better controlling my breathing. I really don't know. Last week I had upped my weights on a couple of exercises and the end result was my left shoulder was experiencing a lot of pain. Today I scaled back on the weight on only one exercise. Upright rows. One thing I noticed, even with the lighter weight, if I didn't do the exercise with perfect form I could feel pain in the problem area (front of my shoulder). I took the opportunity with the lighter weight to just focus on perfect form and get as many reps as possible (15). It felt good when all was said and done.
My right knee. This is my other problem area. My wife picked up (2) different knee braces for me to try. One is a neoprene sleeve that slides on over the foot and up the leg. I started wearing this around the house last night. The thing I like about it is that it has a gel like padding for the knee itself. So not only does it stabilize the knee from the sides and all around the knee cap, it also protects you when you go down to your knees for exercises. What I didn't like about it is that it kind of bunches up behind the knee. I can also feel that it is sweaty from my workout, which is kind of gross. I have no idea if these things are washable. The other brace is a velcro strap brace that isn't supposed to bunch up behind the knee. It is also machine washable. I look forward to trying that one on Thursday for my next strength workout.
Overall my knee discomfort was a lot less than it had been in the past. I do feel the knee brace helped. While it did feel like it provided the strength and support around the knee that I needed, I was still not pain free. I did have some pain in the knee cap itself at times. However it was minimal and it was manageable. One thing to note is I haven't done P90X X-Stretch in over 2 weeks now and that provides my whole body a great release of tension. I'd like to continue with a knee brace the remainder of the week. Do X-Stretch on Sunday and see how my knee(s) feel on Monday and Tuesday and determine if I still require the brace.
That's all I've got. Tomorrow is Cardio & Flabs. lol
Good workout. I'm not as winded as I normally am during this workout. I don't know why. Maybe I'm actually getting better controlling my breathing. I really don't know. Last week I had upped my weights on a couple of exercises and the end result was my left shoulder was experiencing a lot of pain. Today I scaled back on the weight on only one exercise. Upright rows. One thing I noticed, even with the lighter weight, if I didn't do the exercise with perfect form I could feel pain in the problem area (front of my shoulder). I took the opportunity with the lighter weight to just focus on perfect form and get as many reps as possible (15). It felt good when all was said and done.
My right knee. This is my other problem area. My wife picked up (2) different knee braces for me to try. One is a neoprene sleeve that slides on over the foot and up the leg. I started wearing this around the house last night. The thing I like about it is that it has a gel like padding for the knee itself. So not only does it stabilize the knee from the sides and all around the knee cap, it also protects you when you go down to your knees for exercises. What I didn't like about it is that it kind of bunches up behind the knee. I can also feel that it is sweaty from my workout, which is kind of gross. I have no idea if these things are washable. The other brace is a velcro strap brace that isn't supposed to bunch up behind the knee. It is also machine washable. I look forward to trying that one on Thursday for my next strength workout.
Overall my knee discomfort was a lot less than it had been in the past. I do feel the knee brace helped. While it did feel like it provided the strength and support around the knee that I needed, I was still not pain free. I did have some pain in the knee cap itself at times. However it was minimal and it was manageable. One thing to note is I haven't done P90X X-Stretch in over 2 weeks now and that provides my whole body a great release of tension. I'd like to continue with a knee brace the remainder of the week. Do X-Stretch on Sunday and see how my knee(s) feel on Monday and Tuesday and determine if I still require the brace.
That's all I've got. Tomorrow is Cardio & Flabs. lol
Monday, March 25, 2013
March 25 (Day 33)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
My right knee and left shoulder are still problem areas for me. They both still hurt. They didn't hurt during todays workout but I also didn't have anything like lunges or squats that would irritate the knee. Or military or swimmers presses that would irritate the shoulder.
I blasted through the workout. My body & lungs felt great. Power Yoga was a breeze. I had to take a bathroom break during the actual break that Horton gives. Don't know what is up with my body and why it needs to do that, but whatever. So instead of a 30 second break, I got about 5 or 6 minutes. Came back and finished strong.
TH200 abs. I did them all again. Felt really good. No rests, just non stop abs. It was good.
I need to pick up a knee brace for my right knee before tomorrow's workout. I'll try and stop at CVS or something before I come home so I can get that. If not, I fear that tomorrow I won't be able to maximize my workout. I'm afraid I'll hurt the knee more. I need to stabilize it and see if there is still any pain while doing the routine. If there is, then I need to see the Dr. Wish me luck.
My right knee and left shoulder are still problem areas for me. They both still hurt. They didn't hurt during todays workout but I also didn't have anything like lunges or squats that would irritate the knee. Or military or swimmers presses that would irritate the shoulder.
I blasted through the workout. My body & lungs felt great. Power Yoga was a breeze. I had to take a bathroom break during the actual break that Horton gives. Don't know what is up with my body and why it needs to do that, but whatever. So instead of a 30 second break, I got about 5 or 6 minutes. Came back and finished strong.
TH200 abs. I did them all again. Felt really good. No rests, just non stop abs. It was good.
I need to pick up a knee brace for my right knee before tomorrow's workout. I'll try and stop at CVS or something before I come home so I can get that. If not, I fear that tomorrow I won't be able to maximize my workout. I'm afraid I'll hurt the knee more. I need to stabilize it and see if there is still any pain while doing the routine. If there is, then I need to see the Dr. Wish me luck.
March 23/24 (Days 31/32)
Total disappointment. Not a single workout. No excuses. I didn't make the time for what I say is a priority. That's on me. Back at it on Monday.
Friday, March 22, 2013
March 22 (Day 30)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes)
What can I say? This workout SUCKED. SUCKED. SUCKED. I did have a beer last night with the awful nitrite free, apparent sodium filled, hot dogs. I stayed up later than I usually do (10PM) and I tried to stay in bed later than I usually do (5:30AM). I did not get up and eat my rice cake with PB on it. I also did not feel the need to poop before or during my workout (things that make you go hmmmm).
Effort, I question if there was any. Yes I did all the movements they did at the pace that they did, with the exception of side kicks. Those aren't my strongest exercise to begin with so I do my best, but I usually can't keep pace with them. I was frigin winded during Power Yoga. POWER YOGA. Seriously? Try breathing when you do that you idiot.
My right knee really hurts. Its weird. My leg is without question stronger, but the knee itself has some pain. I did not sleep well last night and every time I rolled over and if my right leg was on the bottom I felt I had to drag my leg across the bed. I didn't like that at all. I went through this a few weeks ago and thought I was past it, clearly I have to get back to doing my knee exercises. So, while tossing and turning I tried to sleep on my left side. My left shoulder has a lot of discomfort as well. Same injury I've been ignoring. If I sleep on that side I am guaranteed to wake up in discomfort. So I roll over to the other side. Rinse and repeat.
Lots on my mind this morning. It was ALL over the place. EVERYWHERE but my workout. Doing the routine, thinking about how my knee would do with the jumping jacks, running in place, run lunge sequence. How is my shoulder going to do with everything else where you seemingly have your arms up for 30 minutes of this damn workout. Today is a special surprise day for my wife and I have a lot of that on my mind as I want it to be perfect. Gotta make sure I get the kids off to school, want her to sleep in, still want her to have the opportunity to get in her workout before our fun begins, etc.. etc... etc.. Clearly everywhere but where I needed to be this morning.
I have not done TH200 Abs as of yet. I may do it later today, I may not. I need to clear my head for one and get some of this stuff off my plate. I'll revisit later.
What can I say? This workout SUCKED. SUCKED. SUCKED. I did have a beer last night with the awful nitrite free, apparent sodium filled, hot dogs. I stayed up later than I usually do (10PM) and I tried to stay in bed later than I usually do (5:30AM). I did not get up and eat my rice cake with PB on it. I also did not feel the need to poop before or during my workout (things that make you go hmmmm).
Effort, I question if there was any. Yes I did all the movements they did at the pace that they did, with the exception of side kicks. Those aren't my strongest exercise to begin with so I do my best, but I usually can't keep pace with them. I was frigin winded during Power Yoga. POWER YOGA. Seriously? Try breathing when you do that you idiot.
My right knee really hurts. Its weird. My leg is without question stronger, but the knee itself has some pain. I did not sleep well last night and every time I rolled over and if my right leg was on the bottom I felt I had to drag my leg across the bed. I didn't like that at all. I went through this a few weeks ago and thought I was past it, clearly I have to get back to doing my knee exercises. So, while tossing and turning I tried to sleep on my left side. My left shoulder has a lot of discomfort as well. Same injury I've been ignoring. If I sleep on that side I am guaranteed to wake up in discomfort. So I roll over to the other side. Rinse and repeat.
Lots on my mind this morning. It was ALL over the place. EVERYWHERE but my workout. Doing the routine, thinking about how my knee would do with the jumping jacks, running in place, run lunge sequence. How is my shoulder going to do with everything else where you seemingly have your arms up for 30 minutes of this damn workout. Today is a special surprise day for my wife and I have a lot of that on my mind as I want it to be perfect. Gotta make sure I get the kids off to school, want her to sleep in, still want her to have the opportunity to get in her workout before our fun begins, etc.. etc... etc.. Clearly everywhere but where I needed to be this morning.
I have not done TH200 Abs as of yet. I may do it later today, I may not. I need to clear my head for one and get some of this stuff off my plate. I'll revisit later.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
March 21 (Day 29)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
Late start (seems to be usual unfortunately). Overall a good workout. My right knee was bothering me. It wasn't the instability issue I had when I started back up again about a month ago. The knee itself feels pretty strong but I had some pain/discomfort that felt like it was under the knee cap. It wasn't enough to stop the workout. I did all lunges, lunge/squats, 3-part squats & max squats. Again, there was discomfort but I couldn't let that stop me.
Lately I have 3 different sets of weights setup. A set of 10lb, almost aerobic type, dumbbells that I think were my wife's. I have roughly 15 lb dumbbells that are free weights and then I have my select-a-weight dumbbells that I have set to 20 lbs. Different exercises I'll use whatever weight I can handle. Example, I'll use the 15lbs for almost everything from curls, military presses, swimmers press, back flys, etc... 10 lbs are perfect for me for shoulder flys, kick backs, etc... 20 lbs are really only used for lawnmower. I could probably actually go higher with that weight. Christie had a tough workout today and couldn't find the 2 1/2lb aerobic weights she once had so I stripped all the weight off the free weight dumbbells and set her up with just the bars. That seemed to be a big help to her, which is great.
Again - a really good workout. My lungs definitely get worked hard here because you are going from one exercise right into another, into another, into another, etc... You do that for 5 or 6 straight exercises and then take 30 seconds to stretch, then do it again for 5 or 6 exercises and take 30 seconds for a water break, then do it again for 5 or 6 exercises and take a minute to stretch (and catch your breath) and then finish up with the last 5 or 6 stretches before you get a gracious 90 second stretch/cool down.
Tomorrow is Power90 3-4 Cardio & TH200 Abs. It just might be the last time I do that workout for a while, so I'm going to push hard (I like to think I always do). Still haven't decided on what I'm doing next week. Leave that decision for Sunday.
Regrets? That small piece of ice cream cake at 8:15 last night. I can't stand eating that late at night unless it is a Saturday night and we are having date night. At least its one more sweet out of the house.
Late start (seems to be usual unfortunately). Overall a good workout. My right knee was bothering me. It wasn't the instability issue I had when I started back up again about a month ago. The knee itself feels pretty strong but I had some pain/discomfort that felt like it was under the knee cap. It wasn't enough to stop the workout. I did all lunges, lunge/squats, 3-part squats & max squats. Again, there was discomfort but I couldn't let that stop me.
Lately I have 3 different sets of weights setup. A set of 10lb, almost aerobic type, dumbbells that I think were my wife's. I have roughly 15 lb dumbbells that are free weights and then I have my select-a-weight dumbbells that I have set to 20 lbs. Different exercises I'll use whatever weight I can handle. Example, I'll use the 15lbs for almost everything from curls, military presses, swimmers press, back flys, etc... 10 lbs are perfect for me for shoulder flys, kick backs, etc... 20 lbs are really only used for lawnmower. I could probably actually go higher with that weight. Christie had a tough workout today and couldn't find the 2 1/2lb aerobic weights she once had so I stripped all the weight off the free weight dumbbells and set her up with just the bars. That seemed to be a big help to her, which is great.
Again - a really good workout. My lungs definitely get worked hard here because you are going from one exercise right into another, into another, into another, etc... You do that for 5 or 6 straight exercises and then take 30 seconds to stretch, then do it again for 5 or 6 exercises and take 30 seconds for a water break, then do it again for 5 or 6 exercises and take a minute to stretch (and catch your breath) and then finish up with the last 5 or 6 stretches before you get a gracious 90 second stretch/cool down.
Tomorrow is Power90 3-4 Cardio & TH200 Abs. It just might be the last time I do that workout for a while, so I'm going to push hard (I like to think I always do). Still haven't decided on what I'm doing next week. Leave that decision for Sunday.
Regrets? That small piece of ice cream cake at 8:15 last night. I can't stand eating that late at night unless it is a Saturday night and we are having date night. At least its one more sweet out of the house.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
March 20 (Day 28)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
Almost typical workout. I pushed hard and did a great job (in my opinion). The downside? When your stomach says "hey, its time to go potty" in the middle of a damn workout. UGH.
The cardio portion of the workout is broken in 2 pieces as I see it. The first half is stretching, power yoga, and just regular cardio. You get a 30 second break and then you move onto the 2nd half of the workout which is kicking & punching before you do a cool down and stretching. This morning I was on my last 2 exercises (fast feet, cross hops) for my last set of round 3 before the break. Then my stomach said WHOA, you are breaking now. It was a 5 to 10 minute break and then I came back down, finished those last 2 exercises, hand the 30 second water break and then rocked my way through kicking & punching.
I then rocked through the TH200 abs. I did 20 reps of all 10 exercises for a total of 200 reps. Thus successfully matching them rep for rep. Yes, all 200 reps.
My problem with the workout? The fact my body had that break. I can't control it. It said it had to go so I had to go. I know my body though and I know when I get to that 3rd set of fast feet my calves are on fire. They hurt. Its tough to push through them. This time, I had just had an extended bathroom break and came back and was very fresh to do them. The pain or discomfort, muscle fatigue - not there. Cross hops, were cake. Clearly this also made the 2nd half of the workout easier and quite possibly the following ab workout more successful. I don't know. We'll find out on Friday when I do this workout yet again.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Until then.
Almost typical workout. I pushed hard and did a great job (in my opinion). The downside? When your stomach says "hey, its time to go potty" in the middle of a damn workout. UGH.
The cardio portion of the workout is broken in 2 pieces as I see it. The first half is stretching, power yoga, and just regular cardio. You get a 30 second break and then you move onto the 2nd half of the workout which is kicking & punching before you do a cool down and stretching. This morning I was on my last 2 exercises (fast feet, cross hops) for my last set of round 3 before the break. Then my stomach said WHOA, you are breaking now. It was a 5 to 10 minute break and then I came back down, finished those last 2 exercises, hand the 30 second water break and then rocked my way through kicking & punching.
I then rocked through the TH200 abs. I did 20 reps of all 10 exercises for a total of 200 reps. Thus successfully matching them rep for rep. Yes, all 200 reps.
My problem with the workout? The fact my body had that break. I can't control it. It said it had to go so I had to go. I know my body though and I know when I get to that 3rd set of fast feet my calves are on fire. They hurt. Its tough to push through them. This time, I had just had an extended bathroom break and came back and was very fresh to do them. The pain or discomfort, muscle fatigue - not there. Cross hops, were cake. Clearly this also made the 2nd half of the workout easier and quite possibly the following ab workout more successful. I don't know. We'll find out on Friday when I do this workout yet again.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Until then.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
March 19 (Day 27)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
OK - so I'm kind of getting bored with this workout too. Not because it is a bad workout. It isn't. It is actually a really good workout. I feel it in every muscle that we work. Thighs, glutes, calves, forearms, biceps, chest, back, triceps, shoulders. You name it, we hit it in this workout. Surprisingly enough, and I've mentioned this before, this workout really gets my lungs working as well. Yes, its that good of a workout. There is no question that I've gotten stronger and more muscular looking (definition) while doing the workout.
My problem? I do this workout 3 times a week. Just like the cardio workout, its every other day of the week. It gets old. It really does. I've been doing these for about a month. I can't argue with the results. I have ZERO 30 day measurements done (since that would be done on April 5, since we didn't do measurements until March 5). I don't know how much weight (if any) that I've lost. I don't know how many inches (if any) that I've lost on my waist or any other areas. I know my pants fit substantially better. That much I can confirm. My 36" waist jeans are kind of baggy in the crotch. They are no longer folding over on the top like they used to. They are VERY baggy in the legs. My Irish legs didn't stand much of a chance before this. lol
I'm going to finish out this week of Power90 and then spend some time on Sunday (after my X Stretch) and think about if I really want to continue on with Power90 or start up on P90X or something else. I'm not where I had hoped to be strength wise after nearly 30 days. I was hoping to be doing every exercise for maximum reps (same as they do) before moving on. I'm not there yet. Its the reality. A couple things I have learned in all my years of failure doing this. 1) You aren't going to do it if you aren't excited about it or seeing/believing you are going to get results 2) There simply has to be enough variety in it so you don't get bored. The workout can be solid, tough and produce results - but if you don't get some variety you aren't going to want to do it. Monotony is monotony.
So tomorrow is Cardio/Abs. We'll push play and go from there. Try and keep the intensity up and just keep working. That's all we can do. Until tomorrow.
OK - so I'm kind of getting bored with this workout too. Not because it is a bad workout. It isn't. It is actually a really good workout. I feel it in every muscle that we work. Thighs, glutes, calves, forearms, biceps, chest, back, triceps, shoulders. You name it, we hit it in this workout. Surprisingly enough, and I've mentioned this before, this workout really gets my lungs working as well. Yes, its that good of a workout. There is no question that I've gotten stronger and more muscular looking (definition) while doing the workout.
My problem? I do this workout 3 times a week. Just like the cardio workout, its every other day of the week. It gets old. It really does. I've been doing these for about a month. I can't argue with the results. I have ZERO 30 day measurements done (since that would be done on April 5, since we didn't do measurements until March 5). I don't know how much weight (if any) that I've lost. I don't know how many inches (if any) that I've lost on my waist or any other areas. I know my pants fit substantially better. That much I can confirm. My 36" waist jeans are kind of baggy in the crotch. They are no longer folding over on the top like they used to. They are VERY baggy in the legs. My Irish legs didn't stand much of a chance before this. lol
I'm going to finish out this week of Power90 and then spend some time on Sunday (after my X Stretch) and think about if I really want to continue on with Power90 or start up on P90X or something else. I'm not where I had hoped to be strength wise after nearly 30 days. I was hoping to be doing every exercise for maximum reps (same as they do) before moving on. I'm not there yet. Its the reality. A couple things I have learned in all my years of failure doing this. 1) You aren't going to do it if you aren't excited about it or seeing/believing you are going to get results 2) There simply has to be enough variety in it so you don't get bored. The workout can be solid, tough and produce results - but if you don't get some variety you aren't going to want to do it. Monotony is monotony.
So tomorrow is Cardio/Abs. We'll push play and go from there. Try and keep the intensity up and just keep working. That's all we can do. Until tomorrow.
Monday, March 18, 2013
March 18 (Day 26)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes).
Everytime I think of this workout I almost get turned off and not do it. Its not because it is so incredibly hard that I can't do it. It's the Power Yoga segment. This stupid little 4 minute segment. I can't stand it. My dislike for this segment is so strong it almost ruins the other 38 minutes of this routine. Stupid, right? Whatever . I did it. All of it. Even Power Yoga. My legs felt a little tired during the high intensity stuff (jumping jacks, running in place, run lunges) but everything else seemed, well.... kind of boring. I still got a good sweat going. There were definitely times that my heart & lungs were pumping hard, but certainly wasn't the whole way through the workout. This could be my last week doing this workout I think.
TH200 Abs. Closer. Definitely closer. 186 reps. Things I failed on? Superman's I did 11. Probably could have done more, but everytime I did a rep I felt like I had to clench my butt so I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom. Full body crunches I did 15. Everything else I rocked a full 20 reps on. Feel really good about that. Hopefully by the end of the week I can just get the full 200. I have (2) more opportunities to do it before that time comes.
Other than that, normal morning routine. I ate a rice cake with PB and had to frigin poop before I worked out. So annoying to get up @ 4:30 only to not be able to start my workout until 4:55. Back at it tomorrow.
Everytime I think of this workout I almost get turned off and not do it. Its not because it is so incredibly hard that I can't do it. It's the Power Yoga segment. This stupid little 4 minute segment. I can't stand it. My dislike for this segment is so strong it almost ruins the other 38 minutes of this routine. Stupid, right? Whatever . I did it. All of it. Even Power Yoga. My legs felt a little tired during the high intensity stuff (jumping jacks, running in place, run lunges) but everything else seemed, well.... kind of boring. I still got a good sweat going. There were definitely times that my heart & lungs were pumping hard, but certainly wasn't the whole way through the workout. This could be my last week doing this workout I think.
TH200 Abs. Closer. Definitely closer. 186 reps. Things I failed on? Superman's I did 11. Probably could have done more, but everytime I did a rep I felt like I had to clench my butt so I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom. Full body crunches I did 15. Everything else I rocked a full 20 reps on. Feel really good about that. Hopefully by the end of the week I can just get the full 200. I have (2) more opportunities to do it before that time comes.
Other than that, normal morning routine. I ate a rice cake with PB and had to frigin poop before I worked out. So annoying to get up @ 4:30 only to not be able to start my workout until 4:55. Back at it tomorrow.
March 17 (Day 25) MISSED
Very simple routine. It is my "stretch" day. I was supposed to do P90X X-Stretch for 58 minutes and didn't do it. No excuses, it just didn't get done.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
March 16 (Day 24)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
Workout was pretty good. I had a banana, pb, whey protein shake about an hour before the workout. My body felt good then I had to use the bathroom. Never fails.
Overall though a great workout. My body & lungs were definitely stronger. I never went to my knees for any of the push up sequences. I couldn't do all reps for all the exercises, but it was still a good workout. My preference is still to get it done first thing in the AM.
Time to recharge my body tomorrow and do Stretch X or X Stretch, whatever the hell it is.
Workout was pretty good. I had a banana, pb, whey protein shake about an hour before the workout. My body felt good then I had to use the bathroom. Never fails.
Overall though a great workout. My body & lungs were definitely stronger. I never went to my knees for any of the push up sequences. I couldn't do all reps for all the exercises, but it was still a good workout. My preference is still to get it done first thing in the AM.
Time to recharge my body tomorrow and do Stretch X or X Stretch, whatever the hell it is.
Friday, March 15, 2013
March 15 (Day 23)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
Without question my strongest performance for this workout yet since I restarted these workouts 3 weeks ago. No breaks (not that I usually do during Cardio). Intensity was high. I often found myself picking up the speed/pace and doing more reps than the instructors on things like Jumping Jacks, Elbows to Knee, pretty much all kicking & punching exercises. It felt great. Hell I was even mocking Tony during the process.
TH200 abs - Not quite 200, but again my best performance. Yes I did have to stop a couple of times during the different segments, but I never paused the video. With that I managed to get 185 reps today.
My weakest areas: Supermans (11 reps out of 20); Bicycles (18 reps out of 20); Full Body Crunches (16 reps out of 20)
I'm continuing to eat a rice cake with PB every morning before my workout. I'm also finding that my body feels the need to poop every day before a workout. I don't understand it, but maybe after I shed some of this fat it'll change. Only time can tell. I also continue to drink a gallon or more of water per day (weekends are tough, but I still push for 80+ oz).
Alrighty off to the showers.
Without question my strongest performance for this workout yet since I restarted these workouts 3 weeks ago. No breaks (not that I usually do during Cardio). Intensity was high. I often found myself picking up the speed/pace and doing more reps than the instructors on things like Jumping Jacks, Elbows to Knee, pretty much all kicking & punching exercises. It felt great. Hell I was even mocking Tony during the process.
TH200 abs - Not quite 200, but again my best performance. Yes I did have to stop a couple of times during the different segments, but I never paused the video. With that I managed to get 185 reps today.
My weakest areas: Supermans (11 reps out of 20); Bicycles (18 reps out of 20); Full Body Crunches (16 reps out of 20)
I'm continuing to eat a rice cake with PB every morning before my workout. I'm also finding that my body feels the need to poop every day before a workout. I don't understand it, but maybe after I shed some of this fat it'll change. Only time can tell. I also continue to drink a gallon or more of water per day (weekends are tough, but I still push for 80+ oz).
Alrighty off to the showers.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
March 14 (Day 22)
Power90 3-4 Strength (38 minutes)
Tough workout today. I had to stop a couple times and pause so I could catch my breath. The last couple of rounds whenever I went down to pick up weights and got back up I felt light headed and dizzy. Totally bummed by that. I did my best to make sure it didn't negatively impact my workout, but I think it might have to some extent. Maybe not completely focusing on the task at hand.
Anyway, all was pretty good. I pushed real hard - which is all I'm supposed to do. I couldn't do the same amount of reps they do on everything, but its a WIP. Back at it again tomorrow. Until then.
Tough workout today. I had to stop a couple times and pause so I could catch my breath. The last couple of rounds whenever I went down to pick up weights and got back up I felt light headed and dizzy. Totally bummed by that. I did my best to make sure it didn't negatively impact my workout, but I think it might have to some extent. Maybe not completely focusing on the task at hand.
Anyway, all was pretty good. I pushed real hard - which is all I'm supposed to do. I couldn't do the same amount of reps they do on everything, but its a WIP. Back at it again tomorrow. Until then.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
March 13 (Day 21)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
The best thing I can say about this workout is that it's done. I was tired. I was cranky at first. I definitely didn't want to get out of bed. I got up and did it though and that's all that matters. Yeah, my leg raises exercises weren't my strongest. Whatever. I could really start to feel the difference in the sides of my abs when I was doing cross knees. That felt great. Kicking, still felt really good. Punching - part of me was kind of going through the motions. I definitely didn't feel I had it when I was doing cross/uppercuts. Again - the most important part is that I got up and did it. This HAS to be part of my regular every day life. Exercise is so important. I don't want to be fat, slow and unhealthy. I have enough of that around me. I don't like seeing it. I don't like seeing the limitations it makes people have and I don't like that they just don't like themselves. You should be proud of yourself. You should be proud of your body, your health and who you are. It is part of you.
TH200 abs - I pushed and pushed and pushed and what I got was one of my best ab workouts yet. I did 174 reps of the 200. Things I did not max out on. Supermans (11 reps); Hip Rockers (18 reps); Bicycles (15 reps); Full Body Crunches (10 reps). Areas to improve on no doubt.
And off to the showers. Keep up the hard work everyone. It is paying off, regardless of if you can see it right now or not.
The best thing I can say about this workout is that it's done. I was tired. I was cranky at first. I definitely didn't want to get out of bed. I got up and did it though and that's all that matters. Yeah, my leg raises exercises weren't my strongest. Whatever. I could really start to feel the difference in the sides of my abs when I was doing cross knees. That felt great. Kicking, still felt really good. Punching - part of me was kind of going through the motions. I definitely didn't feel I had it when I was doing cross/uppercuts. Again - the most important part is that I got up and did it. This HAS to be part of my regular every day life. Exercise is so important. I don't want to be fat, slow and unhealthy. I have enough of that around me. I don't like seeing it. I don't like seeing the limitations it makes people have and I don't like that they just don't like themselves. You should be proud of yourself. You should be proud of your body, your health and who you are. It is part of you.
TH200 abs - I pushed and pushed and pushed and what I got was one of my best ab workouts yet. I did 174 reps of the 200. Things I did not max out on. Supermans (11 reps); Hip Rockers (18 reps); Bicycles (15 reps); Full Body Crunches (10 reps). Areas to improve on no doubt.
And off to the showers. Keep up the hard work everyone. It is paying off, regardless of if you can see it right now or not.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
March 12 (Day 20)
Power90 3-4 Strength: 38 minutes
Overall no complaints. Continuing to get stronger. Of course today's performance could have been helped by the 2 days off vs the normal 1 day off between strength workouts. Who knows.
Chest - really well, I only went to my knees once for push ups and that was after I finished the normal 21 reps in "Wide-Tri-Die". On round 4 I did a max of 21 reps.
Back/Shoulders - continuing to improve. I know I need to up my weight on the "lawnmower" exercise. The other exercises I'm just trying to maintain good form and push for max reps.
Biceps - Std curls, no issue. Open arm curls I maxed out at 10. 7 - 7 -7 for me was more like 7 -7 -4. Things to improve on.
Triceps - Single arm extensions - maxed at 12 reps, kickbacks - maxed at 15, dips - 20 reps. Dips I may try and add some weight to my lap next time to increase the difficulty.
Legs - I was a little worried here at first because my very first lunge my right knee felt a little shaky. It didn't hurt, just felt shaky. I firmed up my form and wrapped out my remaining lunges. Lunge/Squat combo I ripped it. Not as winded as normal but I was definitely paying closer attention to my breathing throughout today's exercises. 3 - part squats, no issues at all. Max squats - I did 25 reps and felt good. A little winded at the end so I stopped with 10 seconds left.
At the end of the workout I was getting a little light headed and winded. I'm going to chug some OJ to see if that helps at all. My breath is almost back to normal as I type this. My stomach wants me back in the bathroom. Whatever. It was a good workout and another positive step towards being where I want to be. I'm really trying not to focus on things like my ginormous belly that is staring back at me right now. Just focusing on what I think I need to do to be successful. I can not forget that I am only 20 days into this and its a long journey. I've made tremendous strides so far and I'll continue to do so as long as I get up and push myself to do the right things.
Until tomorrow.
Overall no complaints. Continuing to get stronger. Of course today's performance could have been helped by the 2 days off vs the normal 1 day off between strength workouts. Who knows.
Chest - really well, I only went to my knees once for push ups and that was after I finished the normal 21 reps in "Wide-Tri-Die". On round 4 I did a max of 21 reps.
Back/Shoulders - continuing to improve. I know I need to up my weight on the "lawnmower" exercise. The other exercises I'm just trying to maintain good form and push for max reps.
Biceps - Std curls, no issue. Open arm curls I maxed out at 10. 7 - 7 -7 for me was more like 7 -7 -4. Things to improve on.
Triceps - Single arm extensions - maxed at 12 reps, kickbacks - maxed at 15, dips - 20 reps. Dips I may try and add some weight to my lap next time to increase the difficulty.
Legs - I was a little worried here at first because my very first lunge my right knee felt a little shaky. It didn't hurt, just felt shaky. I firmed up my form and wrapped out my remaining lunges. Lunge/Squat combo I ripped it. Not as winded as normal but I was definitely paying closer attention to my breathing throughout today's exercises. 3 - part squats, no issues at all. Max squats - I did 25 reps and felt good. A little winded at the end so I stopped with 10 seconds left.
At the end of the workout I was getting a little light headed and winded. I'm going to chug some OJ to see if that helps at all. My breath is almost back to normal as I type this. My stomach wants me back in the bathroom. Whatever. It was a good workout and another positive step towards being where I want to be. I'm really trying not to focus on things like my ginormous belly that is staring back at me right now. Just focusing on what I think I need to do to be successful. I can not forget that I am only 20 days into this and its a long journey. I've made tremendous strides so far and I'll continue to do so as long as I get up and push myself to do the right things.
Until tomorrow.
Monday, March 11, 2013
March 11 (Day 19)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) and TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
Cardio - it was good this morning. REAL good. I was pushing hard through it. You would never have known that I drank like a damn fish all weekend. UGH. I will be my biggest challenge. Overall though I felt great. My feet were sore today so things like "fast feet" were really hurting. Everything was good though. I plugged my way through everything and was pretty strong when doing it. Even PowerYoga, although I'll be honest. Just the though of doing it gets me angry. I just don't really enjoy it.
Abs - My stomach was a little upset before I started, so the bathroom break delayed the workout (shocking). Then it definitely wanted to interfere with my ab workout. I pushed through and did what I could with the abs but there were certain exercises I didn't do because I didn't want to run upstairs and poop again. I know I have to do something here, but I let my stomach tell me what its up for. lol
Nutrition - this weekend, not much. I continue to eat rice cakes & pb before my workouts.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Looking for a more consistent effort than Saturday.
Cardio - it was good this morning. REAL good. I was pushing hard through it. You would never have known that I drank like a damn fish all weekend. UGH. I will be my biggest challenge. Overall though I felt great. My feet were sore today so things like "fast feet" were really hurting. Everything was good though. I plugged my way through everything and was pretty strong when doing it. Even PowerYoga, although I'll be honest. Just the though of doing it gets me angry. I just don't really enjoy it.
Abs - My stomach was a little upset before I started, so the bathroom break delayed the workout (shocking). Then it definitely wanted to interfere with my ab workout. I pushed through and did what I could with the abs but there were certain exercises I didn't do because I didn't want to run upstairs and poop again. I know I have to do something here, but I let my stomach tell me what its up for. lol
Nutrition - this weekend, not much. I continue to eat rice cakes & pb before my workouts.
Tomorrow Power90 3-4 Strength. Looking for a more consistent effort than Saturday.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
March 10 (Day 18)
P90X - X Stretch (58 minutes)
Great stretch. My left shoulder still hurts, more so on the collar bone area. Not sure what is up with that, but I'll push through it as long as I can. Other than that it was great. My body is starting to regain its flexibility which will only help me in the long run. Some great hamstring stretches today. Loved it.
Back to Power90 3-4 Cardio tomorrow.
Great stretch. My left shoulder still hurts, more so on the collar bone area. Not sure what is up with that, but I'll push through it as long as I can. Other than that it was great. My body is starting to regain its flexibility which will only help me in the long run. Some great hamstring stretches today. Loved it.
Back to Power90 3-4 Cardio tomorrow.
March 5 - Day 1 Measurements/Pictures
Obviously we have been at this for a couple of weeks. Whatever.
Christie and I finally took pictures and measurements. All you are
really trying to do with this is capture your body's fitness level at a
given point of time and compare it at another point in time. This is
what I've got.
Weight: 196.4
Chest: 41 1/4" (around nips)
Waist: 42 (around belly button)
Hips: 41 3/4" (level to boxers front)
Right Thigh: 20 1/4" (7" up from top of knee)
Left Thigh: 20 1/4" (7" up from top of knee)
Right Arm: 15" (flexed)
Left Arm: 15" (flexed)
Here are the pics as dictated by the BeachBody programs. Facing front with hands on hips. Facing front doing a "bicep" flex. Side view. View from the back with hands on hips and the bicep flex from the back.
Weight: 196.4
Chest: 41 1/4" (around nips)
Waist: 42 (around belly button)
Hips: 41 3/4" (level to boxers front)
Right Thigh: 20 1/4" (7" up from top of knee)
Left Thigh: 20 1/4" (7" up from top of knee)
Right Arm: 15" (flexed)
Left Arm: 15" (flexed)
Here are the pics as dictated by the BeachBody programs. Facing front with hands on hips. Facing front doing a "bicep" flex. Side view. View from the back with hands on hips and the bicep flex from the back.
 |
| Day 1 - Front view |
 |
| Day 1 - Front view (bicep flex) |
 |
| Day 1 - Back view |
 |
| Day 1 - Side view |
 | |
| Day 1 - Back view (bicep flex) |
Saturday, March 9, 2013
March 9 (Day 17)
Power90 3-4 Strength: 38 minutes
Off to a later start than expected and my left shoulder was sore before I even started. Thankfully tomorrow is X stretch. My right wrist was bothering me today as well. To compensate for that I used push up bars to take the pressure off my wrists. I did my 20 decline push ups without too much issue, but the regular push ups were definitely tweaking it. Push up bars helped that a great deal. On the downside though, I didn't get as many reps as I might normally have done. On the plus side, I think my form was probably a little better, firmer and I definitely felt it across my pecs.
Leg stuff I rocked. I did everything without a concern for my knees at all. My legs are getting much stronger. That's a good thing. My arms and stuff feel really good. Again, just worked my whole body so it's tired, but over all its good.
That's all I have for today. I still have to do a post with my measurements and pictures. Maybe later today. Looking forward to doing X Stretch tomorrow though. MUCH needed.
Off to a later start than expected and my left shoulder was sore before I even started. Thankfully tomorrow is X stretch. My right wrist was bothering me today as well. To compensate for that I used push up bars to take the pressure off my wrists. I did my 20 decline push ups without too much issue, but the regular push ups were definitely tweaking it. Push up bars helped that a great deal. On the downside though, I didn't get as many reps as I might normally have done. On the plus side, I think my form was probably a little better, firmer and I definitely felt it across my pecs.
Leg stuff I rocked. I did everything without a concern for my knees at all. My legs are getting much stronger. That's a good thing. My arms and stuff feel really good. Again, just worked my whole body so it's tired, but over all its good.
That's all I have for today. I still have to do a post with my measurements and pictures. Maybe later today. Looking forward to doing X Stretch tomorrow though. MUCH needed.
Friday, March 8, 2013
March 8 (Day 16)
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes)
Up late last night (HA - take that Christie!). It was no one's fault but my own. The Bruins seem to be unable to hold onto a lead in the 3rd period, so I wanted to make sure they didn't blow the game. It worked. I'm not bitching I'm tired, so suck it.
Workout was great. Fatigue did not appear to be a factor at all during the workout. I went strong through all the exercises. I didn't have to pause or take breaks to catch my breath. My legs felt really good. Fast feet - well during that exercise my calves are on fire. lol I'll just assume (ass-u-me) that means shit is working. Overall really good stuff.
Abs - or as I know them, Flabs. Get it? Good. I'm doing better, which is all I can hope for. I kept track of what I did so I could document as a reference:
Std Crunch: 20 reps
Right Side Crunch: 20 reps
Left Side Crunch: 15 reps
Elbows to Knees: 15 reps
Supermans: 8 reps (need improvement big time)
Leg Lifts: 20 reps
In and Outs: 15 reps
Hip Rockers: 12 reps
Bicycles: 14 reps
Full Body Crunch: 10 reps
I guess I'll call today the TH149. lol Whatever. It's an improvement. Keep at it, it's the only way to get better.
One little food related note: Continuing with the rice cake with PB in the morning. Last night we had ice cream cake to celebrate Christie's birthday. The cake is gone, so we don't have to worry about that again until the next time we celebrate a birthday (Sunday).
Up late last night (HA - take that Christie!). It was no one's fault but my own. The Bruins seem to be unable to hold onto a lead in the 3rd period, so I wanted to make sure they didn't blow the game. It worked. I'm not bitching I'm tired, so suck it.
Workout was great. Fatigue did not appear to be a factor at all during the workout. I went strong through all the exercises. I didn't have to pause or take breaks to catch my breath. My legs felt really good. Fast feet - well during that exercise my calves are on fire. lol I'll just assume (ass-u-me) that means shit is working. Overall really good stuff.
Abs - or as I know them, Flabs. Get it? Good. I'm doing better, which is all I can hope for. I kept track of what I did so I could document as a reference:
Std Crunch: 20 reps
Right Side Crunch: 20 reps
Left Side Crunch: 15 reps
Elbows to Knees: 15 reps
Supermans: 8 reps (need improvement big time)
Leg Lifts: 20 reps
In and Outs: 15 reps
Hip Rockers: 12 reps
Bicycles: 14 reps
Full Body Crunch: 10 reps
I guess I'll call today the TH149. lol Whatever. It's an improvement. Keep at it, it's the only way to get better.
One little food related note: Continuing with the rice cake with PB in the morning. Last night we had ice cream cake to celebrate Christie's birthday. The cake is gone, so we don't have to worry about that again until the next time we celebrate a birthday (Sunday).
Thursday, March 7, 2013
March 7 (Day 15)
Power90 3-4 Strength: 38 minutes
This morning wasn't bad. I got 8 hrs of sleep last night and that was a huge help. I need to be more conscious of how much sleep I'm getting because I feel my body performs better when I've gotten sufficient rest.
Strength wise I'm really coming along well I think. I'm doing more and more push ups without having to go to my knees. There is a point where you have to do "max" pushups. Now by the time you get to that round (3 or 4), you've already done 60 or so pushups. So during this time I've only been able to eek out maybe 15 pushups. Today I did 20, but the last 5 were from my knees. I feel pretty good about that. I'm technically only 2 weeks into this, so I know I'll continue to progress and improve. By the time I'm a month into it I should be able to make it through all exercises without limits and hopefully doing "extra" reps.
Legs, no issues. I think I did great with them. Lunges, no issues. Lunge/squats - no issues. Tired at the end of them, but no issues. 3 part squats - did all 36 reps. Max squats - 25. No complaints. The knees felt good and my legs felt good.
Arms/chest/back - all that continues to come along. Of course I need to get rid of this belly fat, but you can't possibly expect that to disappear in 2 weeks. I'm continuing to progress though. I've got to cut my calorie intake I think. I'm honestly not sure where I am with it now, but it seems as though if I cut it more, I'll lose more weight.
I haven't decided what I'm doing next. Initially I told myself I was only going to do Power90 for 2 weeks and then jump on the P90X train. I'm not sure I want to do that right now. Doing P90X after 2 weeks would mean that I'm starting up on Monday. It's not that I'm not ready or scared or any of that nonsense, I just don't want set backs. I want to be able to push myself and succeed. I don't want injuries. Jumping ahead, with my conditioning the way it is and my weight where it is I fear the worst - injuries and set backs. Last time I did P90X I had already been working out for months. I had lost 12 or 13 lbs and weighed in at 191lbs. Physically I could breeze through Power90 3-4 cardio or strength and felt pretty damn good about myself. I knew that if I didn't step up and do something like P90X I was going to be bored and fail/stop. So at that time I was very comfortable moving forward. I'm just not there yet. Its an extreme program and although there are success stories of people getting off the couch and doing that and only that (good for them by the way) I'm listening to my body and saying no. I'm not ready.
Tomorrow more cardio, so another Power90 3-4 Cardio day. Gotta follow it up with flabs... I mean abs. Good times... good times.
This morning wasn't bad. I got 8 hrs of sleep last night and that was a huge help. I need to be more conscious of how much sleep I'm getting because I feel my body performs better when I've gotten sufficient rest.
Strength wise I'm really coming along well I think. I'm doing more and more push ups without having to go to my knees. There is a point where you have to do "max" pushups. Now by the time you get to that round (3 or 4), you've already done 60 or so pushups. So during this time I've only been able to eek out maybe 15 pushups. Today I did 20, but the last 5 were from my knees. I feel pretty good about that. I'm technically only 2 weeks into this, so I know I'll continue to progress and improve. By the time I'm a month into it I should be able to make it through all exercises without limits and hopefully doing "extra" reps.
Legs, no issues. I think I did great with them. Lunges, no issues. Lunge/squats - no issues. Tired at the end of them, but no issues. 3 part squats - did all 36 reps. Max squats - 25. No complaints. The knees felt good and my legs felt good.
Arms/chest/back - all that continues to come along. Of course I need to get rid of this belly fat, but you can't possibly expect that to disappear in 2 weeks. I'm continuing to progress though. I've got to cut my calorie intake I think. I'm honestly not sure where I am with it now, but it seems as though if I cut it more, I'll lose more weight.
I haven't decided what I'm doing next. Initially I told myself I was only going to do Power90 for 2 weeks and then jump on the P90X train. I'm not sure I want to do that right now. Doing P90X after 2 weeks would mean that I'm starting up on Monday. It's not that I'm not ready or scared or any of that nonsense, I just don't want set backs. I want to be able to push myself and succeed. I don't want injuries. Jumping ahead, with my conditioning the way it is and my weight where it is I fear the worst - injuries and set backs. Last time I did P90X I had already been working out for months. I had lost 12 or 13 lbs and weighed in at 191lbs. Physically I could breeze through Power90 3-4 cardio or strength and felt pretty damn good about myself. I knew that if I didn't step up and do something like P90X I was going to be bored and fail/stop. So at that time I was very comfortable moving forward. I'm just not there yet. Its an extreme program and although there are success stories of people getting off the couch and doing that and only that (good for them by the way) I'm listening to my body and saying no. I'm not ready.
Tomorrow more cardio, so another Power90 3-4 Cardio day. Gotta follow it up with flabs... I mean abs. Good times... good times.
March 6 (Day 14)
Power90 3-4 Cardio [42 minutes] + TH200 Abs [6 minutes]
I believe I did fairly well here. I was definitely fatigued in the beginning. At some point before the mid point though I got a second wind and kicked some ass. Definitely worked up a great sweat. Surprisingly though with this workout (cardio) I am just not sucking wind. I push and push and push, but it just doesn't appear to be one of those workouts that drives my lungs. The strength workout definitely does though.
TH200 Abs - well one thing for certain is I'm not able to do 200 reps yet. I am getting stronger though. I'm probably up around the 140 - 150 mark for this. Pretty good. Need more consistency though. Fortunately with the schedule P90 has, you get an opportunity every other day to work on that. lol Its good though. I'm 2 weeks into this and feeling great.
I believe I did fairly well here. I was definitely fatigued in the beginning. At some point before the mid point though I got a second wind and kicked some ass. Definitely worked up a great sweat. Surprisingly though with this workout (cardio) I am just not sucking wind. I push and push and push, but it just doesn't appear to be one of those workouts that drives my lungs. The strength workout definitely does though.
TH200 Abs - well one thing for certain is I'm not able to do 200 reps yet. I am getting stronger though. I'm probably up around the 140 - 150 mark for this. Pretty good. Need more consistency though. Fortunately with the schedule P90 has, you get an opportunity every other day to work on that. lol Its good though. I'm 2 weeks into this and feeling great.
March 5
Power90 3-4 Strength: 38 minutes
It was tough. I did it though. My legs continue to get stronger, which is great. I honestly stopped doing my knee exercises because my legs are really starting to feel that good. It's a mistake though. I really need to get back to doing them, even if it is just once a day. Since when does having extra strength hurt you?
I struggled on my upper body stuff today. I was weak on all the bicep stuff. Tricep stuff I was pretty good in. Shoulders, I'm usually pretty winded for. Not because they are such incredible cardio intense exercises, but I usually have some other exercise that just kicked my ass before them. Either way - up and DONE.
Oh and I continue to eat a rice cake with some peanut butter on it before my workouts. I have to find a way to speed up that routine though.
It was tough. I did it though. My legs continue to get stronger, which is great. I honestly stopped doing my knee exercises because my legs are really starting to feel that good. It's a mistake though. I really need to get back to doing them, even if it is just once a day. Since when does having extra strength hurt you?
I struggled on my upper body stuff today. I was weak on all the bicep stuff. Tricep stuff I was pretty good in. Shoulders, I'm usually pretty winded for. Not because they are such incredible cardio intense exercises, but I usually have some other exercise that just kicked my ass before them. Either way - up and DONE.
Oh and I continue to eat a rice cake with some peanut butter on it before my workouts. I have to find a way to speed up that routine though.
Monday, March 4, 2013
March 4
Power90 3-4 Cardio: 42 minutes. I did NOT do TH200 abs.
Let me start this post by saying I got sucked back in last night and had (2) beers and some Cool Ranch Doritos. End result? My stomach felt like shit this morning. I had to visit the bathroom after I did a warm up stretch before power yoga. I visited again immediately after completing the workout (when I was supposed to do abs). Again before I left for work. I really really enjoyed the beers. The Doritos, surprisingly not so much. Do I think there is a correlation between my food/drink choices and my stomach issues today? Yes I do. Do I think it is kind of crazy that I've only been on this path for less than 2 weeks and already my body is telling me when I fuck up? Yes I do.
Not much to report for this. PowerYoga was actually really good. I was extremely solid on my planks. Downward Dogs, Upward Dogs, Chataranga, push ups, lunges. I felt great and strong throughout all of it. Really strong. Moving forward to the cardio portion, I was just egh. I did it. I pushed through it. At first my run lunges weren't great. My left knee was hurting a little bit (feels better now). The "high impact" cardio (jumping jacks, run lunges, running in place) were tough for me today. I had to take a couple brief pauses. Just a couple seconds (2 or 3) but still. I understand I'm still working my body up and not every workout is going to be my best workout. I was cognizant of when my body wanted rest and I was also cognizant of when my body wanted to just go through the motions. When it wanted to do that, is when I made a conscious effort to pick it up a notch. I was sweating pretty good. I lost the shirt early too. Just too hot (body temp wise).
I'm still on the fence about doing the TH200 abs later today. I'm tired from the weekend and just not getting enough sleep last week. I've done the ab workout at 7:30PM before and got my body so worked up that I was still up at 11PM. I need a good night sleep. I'd love a good 7+ hr sleep night (who wouldn't?). I'll try for that tonight. Tomorrow is another strength workout. An opportunity to do better than I did today and push myself more.
Today is also 12 days in a row without a missed workout. My goal right now is to hit 21 days straight. They say that you can make or break a habit in 3 weeks time. Lets see if I can make a positive one and keep it going. I'd love to have some comparison pictures/measurements at the end of the first 30 days - but we still haven't done them and I honestly don't see them getting done tonight. [sigh]
Let me start this post by saying I got sucked back in last night and had (2) beers and some Cool Ranch Doritos. End result? My stomach felt like shit this morning. I had to visit the bathroom after I did a warm up stretch before power yoga. I visited again immediately after completing the workout (when I was supposed to do abs). Again before I left for work. I really really enjoyed the beers. The Doritos, surprisingly not so much. Do I think there is a correlation between my food/drink choices and my stomach issues today? Yes I do. Do I think it is kind of crazy that I've only been on this path for less than 2 weeks and already my body is telling me when I fuck up? Yes I do.
Not much to report for this. PowerYoga was actually really good. I was extremely solid on my planks. Downward Dogs, Upward Dogs, Chataranga, push ups, lunges. I felt great and strong throughout all of it. Really strong. Moving forward to the cardio portion, I was just egh. I did it. I pushed through it. At first my run lunges weren't great. My left knee was hurting a little bit (feels better now). The "high impact" cardio (jumping jacks, run lunges, running in place) were tough for me today. I had to take a couple brief pauses. Just a couple seconds (2 or 3) but still. I understand I'm still working my body up and not every workout is going to be my best workout. I was cognizant of when my body wanted rest and I was also cognizant of when my body wanted to just go through the motions. When it wanted to do that, is when I made a conscious effort to pick it up a notch. I was sweating pretty good. I lost the shirt early too. Just too hot (body temp wise).
I'm still on the fence about doing the TH200 abs later today. I'm tired from the weekend and just not getting enough sleep last week. I've done the ab workout at 7:30PM before and got my body so worked up that I was still up at 11PM. I need a good night sleep. I'd love a good 7+ hr sleep night (who wouldn't?). I'll try for that tonight. Tomorrow is another strength workout. An opportunity to do better than I did today and push myself more.
Today is also 12 days in a row without a missed workout. My goal right now is to hit 21 days straight. They say that you can make or break a habit in 3 weeks time. Lets see if I can make a positive one and keep it going. I'd love to have some comparison pictures/measurements at the end of the first 30 days - but we still haven't done them and I honestly don't see them getting done tonight. [sigh]
Sunday, March 3, 2013
March 3
P90X X-Stretch: 58 minutes.
I continue to do this routine to try and get my flexibility back. I've done this particular video 3 times in the past 12 days. I'm making some good progress. The shoulder plough is a bitch. I've got too much belly for that one right now. I'll continue to do it because it does help loosen up my neck & shoulders. The whole video is fantastic. It helps you stretch out every damn muscle in your body. Anyone with flexibility or tightness issues I'd highly recommend this video. SO SO good.
That's all I've got. Tomorrow moving back to Power90 3-4 Cardio. It'll be good to get back to that.
I continue to do this routine to try and get my flexibility back. I've done this particular video 3 times in the past 12 days. I'm making some good progress. The shoulder plough is a bitch. I've got too much belly for that one right now. I'll continue to do it because it does help loosen up my neck & shoulders. The whole video is fantastic. It helps you stretch out every damn muscle in your body. Anyone with flexibility or tightness issues I'd highly recommend this video. SO SO good.
That's all I've got. Tomorrow moving back to Power90 3-4 Cardio. It'll be good to get back to that.
March 2
Power90 3-4 Strength: 38 minutes.
Overall a good workout. Sometimes it is a challenge for me to do my workout if I don't get right up and do it. The bonus of doing it not when I wake up immediately is I'm more awake for it and my body is technically more ready for it. The negative is, I've already started my day. I already have a million and one things I want to get done for the day and the workout isn't one of them. So it is kind of tough to get back in that mindset.
I'm happy to report that the knee strengthening exercises are definitely helping. I was able to do all my lunges and then all my lunge squats (50 squats in that damn sequence). 3 part squats I also did. The max squats was challenging. I got maybe 20 of them. Overall though I can't complain. All the other stuff is status quo on. I'm pushing myself and doing my best which at this stage is all you can ask. My lung capacity is definitely getting better though because this routine really pushes you. It is non stop. One exercise right after the other. It used to really get me winded, but not so much now. I'm looking forward to starting my 2nd week of this routine next week.
Overall a good workout. Sometimes it is a challenge for me to do my workout if I don't get right up and do it. The bonus of doing it not when I wake up immediately is I'm more awake for it and my body is technically more ready for it. The negative is, I've already started my day. I already have a million and one things I want to get done for the day and the workout isn't one of them. So it is kind of tough to get back in that mindset.
I'm happy to report that the knee strengthening exercises are definitely helping. I was able to do all my lunges and then all my lunge squats (50 squats in that damn sequence). 3 part squats I also did. The max squats was challenging. I got maybe 20 of them. Overall though I can't complain. All the other stuff is status quo on. I'm pushing myself and doing my best which at this stage is all you can ask. My lung capacity is definitely getting better though because this routine really pushes you. It is non stop. One exercise right after the other. It used to really get me winded, but not so much now. I'm looking forward to starting my 2nd week of this routine next week.
Friday, March 1, 2013
March 1
Power90 3-4 Cardio (42 minutes) TH200 Abs (6 minutes). I hate a rice cake with PB on it before the workout.
Where do I start? Anger. I got less than 6 hrs sleep again last night. I didn't fall asleep until after 10 and I was up before 4AM. Personally - I am not one to have sleep problems. Any given night I can put my head down and within 5 minutes be asleep. My body and mind is not one that usually has to settle itself. Maybe that makes me a fucking simpleton I don't know. Anyway this was the 2nd straight night I had a really poor night sleep and I want the trend to end. I'm comfortable saying that the issue is I know when my body is tired. I know when my body needs rest and I'm not doing myself any favors by staying up beyond that breaking point. It is my fault because it is my actions (or lack there of). I'll correct it tonight. I don't give a shit if it is a Monday night or a Friday night. I'm married with 2 kids, where the fuck am I going? To BED that's where. Don't anyone come knocking unless its an emergency or for sex. Anything else I can't fucking be bothered.
Despite all the anger I had from not sleeping and what not, it didn't translate into a fantastic workout. Don't get me wrong, my workout was good. I was strong and I can definitely feel that strength and the workout in more muscles than last week. However - if you had any idea of how angry I was this morning, well then you, like me - would have expected a bit more focused intensity in that workout. I had the intensity, but definitely lacked the focus. That's my issue.
Hmmm....what else can I document about this workout. No breaks during it. Heart and lungs felt really strong. I was worried about my back because my upper back between the shoulder blades was still really tight and sore from yesterday's workout, but that didn't end up being an issue at all. Actually it feels a little better now that it is done. My knees felt pretty good. I definitely need to keep doing those knee exercises because I can feel the difference. I'd like to actually increase how many times I do them per day. Maybe twice a day. It takes less than 5 minutes and I can do them anywhere at any time so there is no excuse not too. The difference is truly unbelievable. The push I can get with my legs now, compared to before I did the exercises is just unreal. I can walk up the stairs again, without clutching the railing and wincing in pain after each step. The knee pain is just not something I ever experienced, now I have a glimpse into what my brother Jim lives through in that regard.
One thing that Christie asked me before I started back up and when I told her I was doing Power90 instead of P90X was "Are you going to be bored?". You've done this workout off an on hundreds of times. Is it enough to keep your interest? Fair enough. I told her, no problem, because I knew it was short term, not long. I knew I was using this as a stepping stone to get to the program I really wanted, not as the solution for my long term health. Do I get bored with it? Yeah, sometimes. There are things that keep me staring at the screen though and keep me going. 1) The results. I'm getting them. Personally I'm mad that we haven't taken pictures and done measurements yet because I feel my body looks much better than it did a week ago, but then again - does it really matter? I want my body to look 10X better than it does now. 2) The humor. Tony does try to be funny. More often than not, he isn't. One thing that is funny is Lisa. She is the dancer girl in the back during all these workouts. She's fit, has a nice tan and her Beachbody sports bra give her some nice cleavage. After about a half hour, that is nice sweaty cleavage. I must say though, during the punching sequence I just want to push her out of the fucking way so I can't see her on the screen. Really Lisa, you think what you are doing are hook/uppercuts? Really? I thought you were trying to hug something? Body blow punches, you call those body blow punches? It honestly looks like you are jerking 2 guys off at once. I know, I watch porn. UGH.
Anyway - it was a good workout. Not as focused as it needed to be, but definitely intense and I'm glad I got up and did it, despite my lack of sleep. Now off to get the kids up and get ready for work.
Where do I start? Anger. I got less than 6 hrs sleep again last night. I didn't fall asleep until after 10 and I was up before 4AM. Personally - I am not one to have sleep problems. Any given night I can put my head down and within 5 minutes be asleep. My body and mind is not one that usually has to settle itself. Maybe that makes me a fucking simpleton I don't know. Anyway this was the 2nd straight night I had a really poor night sleep and I want the trend to end. I'm comfortable saying that the issue is I know when my body is tired. I know when my body needs rest and I'm not doing myself any favors by staying up beyond that breaking point. It is my fault because it is my actions (or lack there of). I'll correct it tonight. I don't give a shit if it is a Monday night or a Friday night. I'm married with 2 kids, where the fuck am I going? To BED that's where. Don't anyone come knocking unless its an emergency or for sex. Anything else I can't fucking be bothered.
Despite all the anger I had from not sleeping and what not, it didn't translate into a fantastic workout. Don't get me wrong, my workout was good. I was strong and I can definitely feel that strength and the workout in more muscles than last week. However - if you had any idea of how angry I was this morning, well then you, like me - would have expected a bit more focused intensity in that workout. I had the intensity, but definitely lacked the focus. That's my issue.
Hmmm....what else can I document about this workout. No breaks during it. Heart and lungs felt really strong. I was worried about my back because my upper back between the shoulder blades was still really tight and sore from yesterday's workout, but that didn't end up being an issue at all. Actually it feels a little better now that it is done. My knees felt pretty good. I definitely need to keep doing those knee exercises because I can feel the difference. I'd like to actually increase how many times I do them per day. Maybe twice a day. It takes less than 5 minutes and I can do them anywhere at any time so there is no excuse not too. The difference is truly unbelievable. The push I can get with my legs now, compared to before I did the exercises is just unreal. I can walk up the stairs again, without clutching the railing and wincing in pain after each step. The knee pain is just not something I ever experienced, now I have a glimpse into what my brother Jim lives through in that regard.
One thing that Christie asked me before I started back up and when I told her I was doing Power90 instead of P90X was "Are you going to be bored?". You've done this workout off an on hundreds of times. Is it enough to keep your interest? Fair enough. I told her, no problem, because I knew it was short term, not long. I knew I was using this as a stepping stone to get to the program I really wanted, not as the solution for my long term health. Do I get bored with it? Yeah, sometimes. There are things that keep me staring at the screen though and keep me going. 1) The results. I'm getting them. Personally I'm mad that we haven't taken pictures and done measurements yet because I feel my body looks much better than it did a week ago, but then again - does it really matter? I want my body to look 10X better than it does now. 2) The humor. Tony does try to be funny. More often than not, he isn't. One thing that is funny is Lisa. She is the dancer girl in the back during all these workouts. She's fit, has a nice tan and her Beachbody sports bra give her some nice cleavage. After about a half hour, that is nice sweaty cleavage. I must say though, during the punching sequence I just want to push her out of the fucking way so I can't see her on the screen. Really Lisa, you think what you are doing are hook/uppercuts? Really? I thought you were trying to hug something? Body blow punches, you call those body blow punches? It honestly looks like you are jerking 2 guys off at once. I know, I watch porn. UGH.
Anyway - it was a good workout. Not as focused as it needed to be, but definitely intense and I'm glad I got up and did it, despite my lack of sleep. Now off to get the kids up and get ready for work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)