P90X

[Pats2006]

dave, looks like you are starting to lose some weight.. u can see from the pics.. and you beard has grown 1" and a half.. 

keep up the good work

[Dave Gray]

Today was Chest, Biceps, and Triceps. + Ab Ripper

I did this last Monday, as well.  It's so pushup heavy, and I suck at doing a lot of those.  ...but whatever.  It's easier each time, not only because you're supposedly stronger, but also because you know what the exercise is supposed to feel like, and you don't have to toy around with finding the right weight as much, if you'd written it down the week before.

I was pretty gassed today, and don't feel like I'm progressing as much as I did at the very start.  I think I'm going to make a more concerted effort to eat properly in the next week.  I've done OK in the prior week, but as I was in the process of moving, I didn't have the ability to choose everything perfectly.  I stayed within the general idea of the program in upping the carbs a bit, but probably have gone too high on the fat.

[mboss]

I also have side pics and back pics.  I notice the most difference in my shoulders, ab definition, and shape of my arms.  I took a picture flexing today, but since I didn't have a "before" flexing pic, there's not much to measure it against.

I also have pics of my workout partner, and another girl who's not doing P90x, but is doing a pilates and yoga program.  Both show results, but my life would be threatened if I posted their picture.

Great work Dave!! You can tell your shoulders are getting larger, the fat around the waist is shrinking. Keep it up!!

I did P90X for about 2 months and my body definition definitely changed...but the diet portion is the hardest thing for me to keep up with. I went out of town for 1-2 weeks and stopped the workouts and really struggled to get back into it, and then the Holidays came...ugh.

About 2 years ago, I got up to around 200lbs at 5 11", and started the Atkins diet, which was really tough,  but it worked for me. I lost about 29lbs in 3 months. Slowly I started to get back into bad habits and have gained back half the weight. but I have just started a workout routine again 2 weeks ago(Crossfit)....more weights and cardio combined. Now I just need to up the protein and cut the carbs. I have lifted more weight in this program than I even thought I could.

Good luck and keep the updates coming...

[Dave Gray]

Plyometrics today (jump training).

This is the shortest exercise, at about 1 hour.  I have bad knees, and I feel it in these exercises, because it puts the most strain on the joints.

[Dave Gray]

Today was Phase 2 - Back and Biceps + Ab Ripper

We missed Wednesday of last week, so we debuted these exercises today.  It's some of the same exercises we saw from two different discs from Phase 1, and then some more intensified exercises that were new.

Lots of pull-ups, lots of curls, lots of rows.   ...that was pretty much it, aside from like one other thing.  There were just different variations and positions.  A notable one was "corn cob pull ups", where you do a pull up (or a lat pulldown), and then once flexed, pulling left, right, pushing out, and then bringing back to the normal position.  Another one that was very difficult was the last one, regular curls with 4 different sets of weights.  You do 8 at the highest amount, then do 8 at the next highest amount, then 8, then 8.  At the end, I was curling with 10 pounds and it felt like 100.

We wasted a lot of time today, since it was the first time.  You have to pause to figure out the form and catch-up, as well as not really knowing the correct weight.  We wrote everything down and took notes on difficulty, so that we should be able to maximize next week.

[Brian Fein]

I see the guys doing those "corn cob pull ups" on TV and makes me think "holy hell those guys are ridiculous"

I don't think I will ever - and I mean EVER - be able to do that.  Ever.

[Dave Gray]

^ It doesn't matter.  You're expected to use a chair to support as much weight as you need.

I am doing lat pulldowns at 75 lbs.  It's half of my bodyweight, but it's still a workout.

[mboss]

I see the guys doing those "corn cob pull ups" on TV and makes me think "holy hell those guys are ridiculous"

I don't think I will ever - and I mean EVER - be able to do that.  Ever.

Yeah, those are rough....I could go side to side for a couple times but going out and back is nearly impossible.

[Dave Gray]

Today, I'm horribly sore in what feels like my upper tris/shoulders.  Back and Biceps were yesterday, so I don't know what I did to get that part of my arms sore.  I'm also really tight in my inner thighs.  I played kickball the other night, and though it's not an intense exercise, it does involve a full sprint to 1st base.

We did yoga this morning.  Because I'm so sore in my upper arms, shoulders, the first half of the yoga was BRUTAL.  I had to focus to even hold my arms over my head.  I also introduced a yoga block today, which is just a big foam cube that allows you to put weight down, when you can't reach the floor on stretches.  (It has a few other uses, as well.)  It allows you to put your energy towards your stretches, instead of putting the energy on your fingertips to hold you up.  So, though it's technically easier to do the stretches, you get more out of them, and it ends up being a harder workout.  Because I felt a little bit more wasted than usual, I didn't get ambitious with the move that made my fall on my head last time, and skipped it.

Now, I feel good, but am still sore.  I am looking forward to resting over the weekend.

[Brian Fein]

Do you only work out Mon thru Fri?  Is the program designed for that, or is that your choice?

[Dave Gray]

The program is designed for 6 days a week.  We only do 5.  The 6th day that we skip on Saturday is Kempo, which is pretty much a cardio day.

[Dave Gray]

Today is the 3rd (and final intense week) of Phase 2.  Next week is a rest/stretch/cardio week, so I'm supposed to push myself this week.

Today is chest, tris, and shoulders.  I upped the intensity, and tried to do more.  I am spent.

For some of the moves (pushups), I elected to go to my knees, and do more reps, rather than trying to squeeze out sloppy reps at full weight.  I slipped up a little bit over the weekend, in terms of food (not too bad), so I'm going to really lock it down this week.

[Dave Gray]

Today was plyometrics (jump training), which has become the easiest workout day for me.  My workout partner still hates it.  All along, Tony Horton, the guy on the video, talks about modifying if you feel weak that day.  I felt weak in my knee joints today, and for the first time, had to really back off of the plyo, being afraid that the impact would turn to an injury.  I was very careful with my landings.  I didn't push myself today, in that respect.  I think I'm going to start wearing an elastic sleeve for just a little bit of extra support.

[Brian Fein]

Do you get to choose which workouts to do on what day, or is that dictated by the program?

[Dave Gray]

The workouts are dictated by the program.  The buzzword is "muscle confusion", so they are always switching up what exercises you do.  Of those exercises, though, you are able to modify to make them more or less difficult, depending on your level of fitness + what you have available for that day.

For example, let's say that you're doing lunges with your hands above your head.  The modified version (to make it easier) is to have your hands on your waist.  Then, maybe there's a version where you can hole light weights to make it a little more difficult.

Some exercises that they do are easy for me, so I'm able to ramp it up.  Other ones, I'm weak, so I back it off.