| | P90X Update
I'm 6 1/2 weeks on in my plan to get TOTALLY RIPPED. Things are going well. To answer what is undoubtedly going to be your first question, no, I am not yet TOTALLY RIPPED. But I'm definitely getting a lot fitter, and my body is changing; I tend not to notice a lot since I'm kind of scrutinizing things to look for big changes. However, once or twice I've kind of caught myself in the mirror and been fairly surprised at how different I look. I'm not TOTALLY RIPPED, but I'm approaching partially ripped, I guess.
One thing is for sure: I did not get ripped off. P90X is definitely a serious program.
Over the course of the last almost-seven weeks, I've skipped a couple of days here and there, but always for good reason--traveling, inauguration. But that's only, I think, four days total that I have not worked out, and three of those were actually optional rest days. And the one time it wasn't I did the workout the next day. I've never been so disciplined in my life, literally. And it takes time; the short workouts are a solid hour and Yoga is 90 minutes. I'm proud of myself for that discipline alone.
The resistance/weight workouts are getting easier. I can do a shitload of pushups now, though I couldn't say how many as the style of pushups is always changing. Wide-arm, military-style, clap pushups, one-arm (which I have to do on my knees, obviously) and all sorts of crazy derivatives, with one arm up and one back, or these weird ones where I move from side to side between sets. I can only do about three pullups without the assistance of having my legs on a stool, pushing when need be, but I'm getting there. I'm seeing real effects from the tricep/bicep/chest/back workouts.
Hardest workouts:
1. Yoga X. Yoga is hard! I always kind of thought it was just stretching, but I couldn't have been more wrong. the yoga workout pretty well crushes me. I'm getting much better at it, but I'm still not very good. Flexibility is an issue with my fitness, though that too is improving. I can do a lot of poses. But I have to skip a few things for fear of injuring myself.
2. Plyometrics. "Jump training" is the other name. Jump up and down, knees up, thirty seconds. Jump up and down, knees back, thirty seconds. Huge jumps back and forth across a pretend ravine. Jumping jacks while in a squat. Hop in place for a minute on one leg. And a ton more. And do it all twice.
3. Legs and Back. Lunges and squats don't look like much, but if you do enough of them, and you go deep enough, look the F out. The hardest single move in the whole series is the "Wall Squat". Do this: go to the wall and lean against it. Then slide down so that the wall is holding you up, and your toes are lined up with your knees--should be a ninety degree angle at the knee and a ninety degree angle at the waist. Then sit there for fifteen seconds. Then slide up on the wall just a tiny bit--stay there for fifteen seconds. Then back down to the ninety degree angle. Do all of that, changing every fifteen seconds, for a full two minutes. You will suffer. Oh yes. You will.
Most enjoyabale: Kenpo. Martial arts. Kicking, punching, etc. Just really a lot of fun. I'm always bummed when it's over.
Overall, buying P90X was one of the best decisions I've made in a very long time. I'm getting much fitter, it's encouraging radical changes in my eating (especially snacking) habits, and I'm working out more regularly than was literally even possible before buying it. I like how stripped down it is--I have one pair of 15 pound dumbbells for some of the exercises (though I need to get some 20s now) and I use resistance bands. Other than that, I really just need a yoga mat and, occasionally, a chair. It's serious, high-quality exercise, and the variety is incredible. With the exceptions of the Ab Ripper program, which is only 15 minutes and is done three times per week, the only time you repeat anything more than once a week is during the recovery week. Which, to be clear, is not resting--it's super-hard. No resistance/weight work--Yoga, Kenpo, other things. I'm loving this whole thing. Melissa is tired of hearing me talk about it. But it's what's going on.
Clearly, my future is to be a salesman for P90X. If I can just shake this last bit of stomach fat.
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| | Posted 2/19/2009 7:13 AM - 255 Views - 6 eProps - 7 comments
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