Sunday, December 28, 2008

P90X Plus Day 13: Upper Plus ... Shoulder Injury

My left shoulder has been screaming at me the last couple of days. I hurt it on like day 6 or 7 of P90X (3.5 month ago) and it has been a nuisance ever since. It didn't really slow me down but it has always been noticeable. I have been icing and heating it pretty much daily as well as doing extra stretches. Since I started PLUS is has been acting up again and at times limiting me a little.

Well, yesterday during the first exercise of Upper Plus (Double Double Dip'll Do Ya) I hurt it again pretty bad. I actually fell to the ground between the two chairs. It immediately started to burn and I tried to ignore it. I waited a few minutes and did the dead leg pullups incident free, albeit in a little pain. Then I tried to do the 2-Direction Circle Flys and couldn't even lift up 5lbs dumbells with my left arm -- not to mention the pain. I had to stop, it was that bad.

So, I iced last night on and off for a few hours. It felt okay when I went to sleep but it was also numb so I wasn't sure. I woke up this morning and it still feels like hell. I am afraid I finally injured the shoulder. I am going to call my doctor tomorrow and get an appointment but I am going to have to shut down P90X PLUS until I figure out what to do.

My biggest concern is not my shoulder but that I am going to lose all the positive physical gains I have accomplished over the last 4 months. Luckily, I still have a gym membership so I plan on doing the treadmill and I can probably work in some Ab Ripper X. I am guessing the Doctor is going to tell me to rest and after some time if it does not feel better to get an MRI. I don't think an x-ray will tell you too much. My fear is that I damaged the rotator cuff.

I will keep the blog going if for anything it will be a place I can vent my frustrations. I'll report back after I get the doctor appointment made. Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me along this P90X journey -- I will be back at it as soon as I can!

Keep on Bringing It!

Jeff

Friday, December 26, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 12: Yoga

Today was Yoga. I usually do not enjoy yoga but since I had the day off and time to kill I thought what the heck lets give it my all and Bring It!

I still struggle on a few of the yoga moves -- particularly The Crane. I tried and focus on the core while doing the crane and it did help some. I got up to 6 seconds holding it today -- twice! I was pretty happy about that. The yoga belly stuff gave me a good burn today also. Overall this was one of my more productive yoga sessions. I put my HRM on and burned 319 calories.

The last two days were not as bad as they could have been nutrition wise! I ate some stuffing and gravy and had some cookies, but overall I didn't over-indulge. However, my pug Ernie did --- my mother send us some of her homemade chocolate chip cookies. I had a few and so did Annie. Well, we went to dinner yesterday and got home and noticed the box that the cookies were in were now on the kitchen floor. Apparently, Ernie somehow got the cookies down from the kitchen table and managed to eat the remaining 18. I am sure his sister Bailey had one or two but that little shit Ernie didn't even leave a crumb! Needless to say, Ernie had a rough day today so he got what he deserved!

Tomorrow is Upper Plus and Abs/Core Plus.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Thursday, December 25, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 11: Rest Day - Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Yoga was scheduled today but it was a little to hectic to work in that 92 minutes, so I am taking today as the rest day and will pick up with yoga tomorrow!

Jeff

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 10: Total Body Plus/Ab Ripper X

Good day today. Got in my workout this morning and I feel great. Added in the Ab Ripper X at the end. I am glad we decided to add in more Ab Ripper X to the whole PLUS plan. Only problem is that Total Body Plus is so damn hard that I didn't have much left for Ab Ripper X!

Merry Christmas everyone and I'll see you tomorrow for Yoga.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 9: Interval X

Wow is this a good workout!

Breakfast this morning was a protein shake followed by protein bar. Lunch was a turkey and chicken salad followed by another protein bar. I then worked out, had an post-workout Protein shake and had Turkey and a cup of brown rice or dinner with an apple for dessert. Decent nutrition day!

Interval X is a pure ass kicker! I am still tired. My average heart rate was 143 and I actually got up to the low 180's a couple of times. I probably sweat two buckets also! The bad news is that I bonked on the 2nd to last exercise. Literally I could barely move ... then I saw the next exercise was, "running in place" and I knew I only had one more to go and I dug down and did it. This told me that the 60%protein/20% Carb diet is over. The last couple of days my energy level has been very low. At first I thought it may have been because I wasn't getting a ton of sleep but after today I am positive it is the lack of carbs in the diet. So, unless I want my workouts to be for shit I need to add in the carbs. All the advice from the experts at Beachbodies tells you to listen to your body and right now my body is screaming for carbs. I had brown rice tonight for dinner and immediately felt better. So from here on out whole wheat bread, bagels and tortilla shells are back and I am excited.

I plan on doing Total Body Plus tomorrow morning!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Monday, December 22, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 8: Upper Plus & Abs/Core Plus

Gotta love Mondays when they are really like Wednesdays! Since we have off Thursday and Friday it is like we are starting the week on a Wednesday.... does that make sense to anyone other than me?

Well, today also marked the beginning of week 2 of P90X PLUS and the third time that I am attempting the Upper Plus workout and the fourth time I am doing the Abs/Core Plus workout. That means that I pretty much have the techniques down and can focus more on Bringing It instead of form and that is what I did today! And at the recommendation of Matt, I did both of these using the "Trainer's Track". This is a play option on the DVD and what it is is Tony Horton giving pointers on how to do each exercise to get the most out of them. It was very helpful and I will probably use it for a little while now that I see the benefits.

For example, on the Abs/Core Plus many of the exercises are done hanging from the bar. The last couple of times it hurt my shoulders to hang from the pullup bar and I felt like my form suffered. So, Tony recommended isolating on your lats as you hung from the bar and this REALLY helped. Another thing I did was grasp the inside of the "U" on the pullup bars. This also helped alleviate all the pressure from my shoulders so I was able to concentrate on my legs.

So, overall I had a good workout today and my arms and shoulders are pretty beat. I burned 483 calories and my average heart rate was 123 bpm. Both of these numbers were good considering this is a resistance exercise and not a cardio one. I also have been weighing myself daily and taking body fat percentages. I started at 167 lbs and 18.5% BF. Today my weight was 164 lbs and 17.5% BF. I am using both a digital scale and old fashioned calibers to take the BF%. I take the difference between the two to get my final number. So, far both have been surprisingly consistent in their daily measurements!

Nutrition was solid again today .... I have chicken breasts and asparagus baking as I type and can't wait to eat. My carbs were a little high today because I had a turkey breast sub from subway for lunch. So, my calculations were about 30% carbs and 50% protein. Not to shabby but I'll be back on track tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the awesome Interval X and I am already looking forward to doing it!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Sunday, December 21, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 7: Rest Day

Counting Sheep today!

Begin back tomorrow with Upper Plus and Abs/Core Plus ....

This rest day was very much needed ... the PLUS is pretty intense.

Jeff

P90X PLUS Day 6: Kenpo PLUS

Today was my first go-round with Kenpo X Plus! I had a great time doing it. The DVD was only 42 minutes long but I burned 488 calories and my average heart rate was like 150. It was a lot like the original Kenpo in P90X except on steroids!

There was a lot of lateral movement which let me really get into the workout. And I have a new favorite move in the PLUS series ... it is called "The Gladiator" --- You jump and then swing your left knee up and then you kick with the other leg. As you land you smash punch into the ground. You do this for 30 seconds and then do it from the other side. I was letting out loud "grunts" while doing this one and had a really good time! I was absolutely soaking wet with sweat when I finished. The only minor issue I had today was that it took me a little time to figure out some of the moves. I had to watch the Gladiator for like 20 secs before I understood what the hell Tony was doing?? But as the program moves forward that will no longer be an issue and I will probably appreciate the pace of the program and not get bored at all. Actually the entire PLUS system is much faster paced then P90X! Also, I still had a ton of energy after Kenpo so I decided to do Ab Ripper X. This is the first time that I have done ARX since I finished P90X and I actually forgot just how beautiful it was!!! Fifer's scissors almost made me throw up and I only made it to 30 reps in the mason twists. I really missed ARX and it did its normal bang up job on me today!

I had an interesting nutrition day! Last night was Annie's birthday so we didn't get home to 3am. I only had a couple of drinks so I did good but we didn't get out of bed until 11am -- and it was glorious!!! So, we had a brunch. I made egg whites, turkey sausage, a whole wheat bagel, and a Protein Shake. More calories than I usually like in one sitting but I was starving. I had a protein bar and an apple around 2:30 and then I did Kenpo. After Kenpo I had the Wheybolic Extreme 60 recovery drink and we were going to a friends for dinner. I had another protein bar on the drive to their house and for dinner I had grilled Chicken Marsala's with veggies and a salad. So, I only got in 4 meals but I estimated my calories to be about 2200-2300 (wasn't sure about dinner since I didn't make it). Not a bad day but probably 3 out of 5 stars, but the extra sleep was sooooo worth it!

Tomorrow is going to be a day of football. I am downright giddy about the Pittsburgh @ Tennesse game.... I can barely contain my excitement and have been talking about it all week!! So I am going to a buddies to watch TV all day and luckily it is the scheduled rest day so it works out great!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Friday, December 19, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 5: Upper Plus & Abs/Core Plus

Hello, Hope all is well for everyone!

I started out today with an EAS Vanilla Whey Protein Shake with a banana blended in. I love vanilla and banana smoothies they make me get out of bed in the mornings. I also wanted some carbs this morning. The whole wheat bagels in the fridge where actually mocking me .... they were sitting there looking all delicious! I passed because I was planning on a chicken sandwich for lunch and the wheat bread along with the few grams of carbs in the smoothie would make up my entire 20% of carb allowance!

This brings me to a question ... What type of Protein Powder does everyone else use?

I'll run down the ones I have sampled and would like to hear what everyone else is doing. First, I had the Smoothie King Gladiator Tub (23G/Scoop). It was chocolate flavored and tasted very good. The problem was that it was like $50 for a tube and it had a very high amount of carbs. I thought that to be a bit pricey. Then I tried this Tub that I got at Target for $18. It is called Body Fortress (26G/Scoop) and was 100% Whey Protein. It worked fine when I put it in a blender with ice and fruit to make a smoothie but it didn't absorb very well in just milk or water. I almost felt that is was priced so good that it was a lesser quality powder? It wasn't as good tasting as the Gladiator powder either. Then I tried EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder. It is 23G/scoop and comes in vanilla, chocolate or strawberry and is priced at about $23. It blended with water and milk and tasted great. I would have kept using this but the next time I ran out I went back to Target and they were sold out? I even asked if they had any in the back. So, I went to GNC during the Gold Discount Week and bought the GNC Private Label 100% Whey Protein. It was Strawberry -- very good with a banana also!! It was $24 a tub and I believe 20G/Scoop. It mixed well with water and milk but it did not blend well with ice and fruit. It would get clumpy when used with my blender. And it only tasted so-so. So, after all that rambling I have purchased bulk supply of the EAS tubs. I have vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and probably will not try another brand unless someone has an awesome recommendation!

Okay, now that I got that out of my system lets move on to Upper Plus and Abs/Core Plus. Both of these are very solid workouts. I burned a total of 558 calories during the workout today and my arms feel like strings of spaghetti. The damn combat pushups at the end of UP just murders me. And the "L Chin-ups" are by far the hardest move for me to do on all the PLUS workouts. I cannot do the chin-up with my legs L'd. I pull myself up and then make the L and slowly lower myself down -- just like the ripped little blondie mom who giggles a lot in the videos. Except I cannot even make a full L. It is more like a half L, if that even makes sense? It absolutely destroys my shoulders and abs. I did seven today and it may have been one too many because I was still hurting from it a few moves later. I am getting better at Abs/Core Plus. I really like how this workout makes my obliques and lower back just ache. In my opinion, Ab Ripper X is a superior Ab workout and I think it needs to be incorporated into P90X PLUS more than it is, but that being said Abs/Core Plus really blasts your entire core. Even more so that Core Synergistics, once again - just my opinion. And I think by doing ACP it is going to make me even stronger at doing Ab Ripper X.

Alright, today is my wife Annie's birthday so we are going out with friends for some sushi and drinks. So, Happy Birthday Annie!

Tomorrow is Kenpo Plus.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Thursday, December 18, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 4: Yoga X

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga .... let me count the ways how I hate thee!!!

You know, every week starts out and I am excited to jump into it. The first three days go great and I get in these awesome workouts and then Day 4 of the week comes along and everything comes to a screeching halt! All because of Yoga X.

Well today I gave myself a pep talk. I said, "Self -- I know you hate yoga but this is a whole new 90 days so why not give it another shot and really open your mind up and enjoy the yoga." So, I got changed into comfy yoga type clothes, turned off the over head light and put in the yoga disk. I made it t0 reverse warrior and said screw this and did Cardio X. So, I had an awesome Cardio X workout and I'd like to thank Yoga X for the nice 25 minute stretch before I started.

The thing about yoga for me is that I have to be in the right state of mind to do it. And that state of mind needs to be relaxed. And unfortunately for me being relaxed in not to common of a thing! So, next week I will try again to find my inner yoga, but will probably do Plyo or Cardio X.

Other than my impatience with Yoga I had a good day nutrition wise. Started off with a strawberry and banana protein shake, a protein bar for a snack, a big old chicken salad for lunch, a protein bar and apple for midday snack, and finally a 12 oz of grilled lean round steak for dinner. I also had the Wheybolic Extreme 60 Protein Shake for my post workout drink. Once again I had a ton of Protein today (about 200 grams) and about 2700 calories.

Tomorrow is Upper Plus and Abs Core Plus and I am looking forward to this!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X PLUS Schedule Adjustment

Okay, yesterday I mentioned that Matt noticed a difference in the workout sequences of the P90X PLUS workouts (read the last paragraph in the post below to see what I was talking about). I sent an email to BeachBodies asking what is correct and they replied that I should buy the P90X Peak Recovery Formula -- awesome job BeachBodies!

So, Matt typed this out and it looks like a compromise of the two and adds in a little extra Ab Ripper X. (Thanks Matt):

Proposed P90X PLUS Plan:

Weeks 1-3
Monday: Upper Plus, Abs Core Plus
Tuesday: Interval X Plus
Wednesday: Total Body Plus, Ab Ripper X
Thursday: Yoga X
Friday: Upper Plus, Abs Core
Saturday: Kenpo Cardio Plus
Sunday: Rest or Stretch X

Week 4
Monday: Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Tuesday: Core Synergistics
Wednesday: Chest Shoulders Triceps, Abs/ Core
Thursday: X Stretch
Friday: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Saturday: Yoga X
Sunday: Rest or Stretch X

Weeks 5-7
Monday: Upper Plus, Abs/Core
Tuesday: Plyometrics
Wednesday: Total Body Plus, Ab Ripper X
Thursday: Yoga X
Friday: Upper Plus, Abs/Core
Saturday: Kenpo Cardio Plus
Sunday: Rest or Stretch X

Week 8
Monday: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Tuesday: Core Synergistics
Wednesday: Shoulders and Arms, Abs/Core
Thursday: X Stretch
Friday: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Saturday: Yoga X
Sunday: X Stretch

Weeks 9, 11
Monday: Upper Plus, Abs Core Plus
Tuesday: Interval X Plus
Wednesday: Total Body Plus, Ab Ripper X
Thursday: Yoga X
Friday: Upper Plus, Abs Core
Saturday: Kenpo Cardio Plus
Sunday: Rest or Stretch X

Weeks 10, 12
Monday: Upper Plus, Abs/Core
Tuesday: Plyometrics
Wednesday: Total Body Plus, Ab Ripper X
Thursday: Yoga X
Friday: Upper Plus, Abs/Core
Saturday: Kenpo Cardio Plus
Sunday: Rest or Stretch X

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 3: Total Body Plus

Hello .... A Good day it was! Started out the morning sleeping in to about 7:30 and it was awesome! Breakfast was a strawberry whey protein shake with organic fat free milk. The midmorning snack was a pure protein bar. Lunch was a chef salad with turkey and chicken ...yum! I had another protein bar and a few apple slices for the midday snack and a 12-inch turkey sub from subway for dinner (needed a few carbs). After my workout I had the 60G of protein Wheybolic Extreme post-workout drink. My calories were about 2600 and total protein consumption was right around 180-185 grams. Solid nutrition day!

Today's workout was Total Body Plus. This was my first time doing this one and I REALLY enjoyed it. It had some rather unorthodox moves included in the 20 exercise workout. A couple of them almost ended me. Pull-up Crunch: This little diddy has you do a chin-up and keep yourself suspended at the top of the bar while you bring your knees up to to your head. So, you are basically hanging upside down in a fetal like position!! Yes, it is as crazy as it sounds and it really hurts. My shoulders felt like they were being ripped out of the joints and my abs also were screaming! Then there is this other move called 3 & 3. This one has you do 3 squats (holding 25 lbs dumbells), 3 push-ups, and then 3 chin-ups. And you just keep repeating for 2 minutes. I made it through 3 times (27 total reps) before I damn near collapsed. Then another one is called 1 & 1. This one is just like it sounds. 1 push-up then 1 pull-up. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.... I did 8 of each before this one took me down. My heart rate was up to 164 in the middle of this one and I was drenched in sweat.

Overall, of the 4 new PLUS workouts that I have done this one is my favorite - I still have to do Kenpo Plus though! I may be wrong but I actually feel like I got a better Bicep, Back and Shoulder workout with Total Body Plus than I did with Upper Body Plus and not to mention that TBP really worked out out my Abs and Core as well. A couple of moves like Mr. Moon and Clink on Run really burned out my abs. Very good workout.

Now onto something else. My workout buddy Matt noticed that the booklets that we received with our P90X PLUS DVDs had a slightly different sequence of workouts than the spreadsheet and link I have posted to the right. The link is a scan from another P90X PLUS fitness guide. For example, the spreadsheet has us doing Abs/Core Plus during weeks 1-3 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. The booklet has us doing Abs/Core Plus on just Mondays and Fridays. During recovery week 8 the booklet has us doing Ab Ripper X three times. The spreadsheet has us doing it once. We are not sure which one we are supposed to follow and I am a little irked that BeachBodies has two versions released? My guess is that they released the first version (which is on the spreadsheet) and after the public started using it had feedback that it could be more effective tweaking it a little here and there so they switched it around. I could be wrong but that is my guess. I am going to send them an email and ask and I'll let you guys know what they say. This is not a huge deal but when you are trying to follow a program as strict and detailed as this you prefer to have blind faith in the creators of said program and these irregularities test that faith.

Tomorrow is Yoga X. If I have the time I will do this. If the day gets long I may substitute Cardio X.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X PLUS Day 2: Interval X & Abs/Core Plus

Sorry for the late post! I started reading a book last night and promptly fell right asleep.

That is what Interval X will do to you I guess! What a great workout -- it is only a little of 40 minutes long but it is very fast. Interval has you increase your intensity levels as you go so you can really bring it time and time again. Example is on the first exercise you run in place for 20 seconds at a moderate pace. Then the next 20 seconds you pick it up. Then the final 20 seconds you bring it hard. Then the next exercise starts and you repeat the sequences. Very good cardio workout!

I burned 702 calories and my average heart rate was 155 bpm. So, this one really had me working!

Ads/Core went a little better for me today as well. It always gets easier with each time through -- especially on DVDs like this that have difficult moves to master! I am still not sure how I feel about Abs/Core? My lower back is sore again today and I think the core portion is really good -- I just wish it had more ab concentrated moves. I may have to start mixing in ABX -- we shall see how it goes!

Today is Total Body Plus -- just sounds intimidating!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Monday, December 15, 2008

P90X PLUS Day 1: Upper Plus & Abs/Core Plus

The Next Level Began today!

Before I get into the workout lets begin with a couple of stats and how I am going to go about the next 89 days

First, my weight is 167 lbs. That is a 14 lb loss from where I started with P90X. I gained zero pounds (thank you very much!) over the 11 days I took off. My Body Fat % is 17.5 percent. I used a digital scale that sends an electric pulse through you and I also used old fashion calibers. I did each one three times and took the average to come up with 17.5%.

The supplements I will be using this round are 100% Whey Protein (40G) - mostly for breakfast. Wheybolic Extreme 60, which is a post-workout drink, 3 scoops is 60 grams of protein. The pre-workout drink I will be using is NanoVapor (only when needed). I am also a week into a cycle of creatine. These will be used for my first 30 days to coincide with the nutrition plan which calls for 60% of my diet to be protein. I am in level 2 of the P90X nutrition plan and this calls for about 2600 calories per day. The protein bars I am using are called Pure Protein and they are 19G of protein and 210 calories per bar and I might have a minor addiction to them!

Sorry, I like stats! I know that is disappointing to my female readers who more than likely used to think that I am a super cool guy until I just unveiled that little nugget of info (haha ... just kidding!)! But I do like stats so I am keeping a TON of them this round. If anyone shares my glee of said stats send me an email and I will forward them onto you. If for some reason you are having trouble sleeping at night I can forward to you as well -- you'll be out in like 2 minutes!

Alright, onto the workout! Upper Plus kicked the crap out of me! Tony introduced something called the "Frog Push-up" and "L Chin-up". The frog is a push-up and then you spread your legs in a "V" and jump them up to your hands then jump back and do a push-up again and repeat ... sweat inducer! The "L" is a chin-up that you keep your legs straight out - toes to the ceiling like - then pull yourself up to the bar and slowly down. I had a ton of trouble with this because I was swinging back and forth and it really hurt my arms! Upper Plus is brutal. I also have decided to use dumbells instead of resistance bands on this round! And the dumbells are definitely more intense than the Bands. My arms had veins popping out all over them - never really had that with the bands.

Now onto Abs/Core Plus. This was also very challenging. I think the first time I did Ab Ripper X was more difficult than Abs/Core plus but overall Abs/Core is a more complete core workout. Tony did something called Banana Cannonballs and the killed me ... banana to cannonball ...banana to cannonball. Also he had us do a bunch of moves while hanging from the pullup bar. I felt myself getting nauseous a few time!

Overall, the two PLUS workouts were very fast paced and it is going to take a little time to get used to the moves but I think I am going to enjoy this workout and I did appreciate the 40 minute Upper Plus and 20 minute Abs/Core Plus -- I burned 583 calories -- awesome for a non-cardio workout!

Tomorrow is something called Interval X and it sounds a little scary. Glad to be back in the swing of things!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Saturday, December 13, 2008

P90X PLUS Countdown .... 2 days!

P90X PLUS will be beginning in 2 days ... I am sick right now so if it had to start today it would be difficult! The good news is that I am feeling better now than the last couple of days so I should be able to give it my all on Monday.

I've got my workout and eating schedules all planned out and I've bought some extra dumbells. I used the resistance bands for most of the exercises during p90X but I want to try and add a little extra bulk this time so I got some heavier dumbells.

As for the diet portion of the program I am going to follow the P90X nutrition guide again. The first 30 day will be the "Shredding" stage. The breakdown is 60% Protein/20% Carbs/20% Fat. I plan on getting my protein from my old favorites: Whey Protein, chicken breasts, lean round beef, protein bars, sliced turkey, nuts, and turkey jerky.

Until Monday!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Thursday, December 11, 2008

P90X: Can I fit P90X into my busy schedule?

Since I have started P90X a lot of people have asked about the program and how they can start. A few of the people have said that the program seems to to be great but they just do not have time for it. I found a really good blog post on ExtremeBodyWorkout.com that explains why and how you can make it work. Here is the link: Click Here

Happy Reading,

Jeff

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Countdown to P90X +PLUS+ ... and other ramblings

Hello Everyone!

It has been a few days since I finished up P90X so I wanted to login and talk about how it has been going and my P90X PLUS prep.

  • Friday (12/5/08) was my last day of P90X and Annie and I went out to dinner with some friends. My reward for graduating was a HUGE Stromboli and it was fantastic. I also had a few Shiner Bock beers. As good as the Stromboli was I can honestly say that I did not feel very good about eating it. Since then I have been pretty good -- Whey Protein Drinks/Shakes, protein bars, long grain rice, chicken, turkey, chef salads, whole grain bread, whole grain tortilla shells, veggies, and fruits!! I have been having all three meals and two snacks. My weight is 166 lbs - 1 lb loss since Friday!

  • Annie and I bought a scale that measures body fat%, body water%, and weight. My BF% was 17.4 %, BW% was 58%, and my weight was 166 lbs. I also ordered a device that allows you to measure fat % on different parts of the body (If you cut off my head I'd be down to 5% body fat. ...lol). So, a day before I start the PLUS I will take a bunch of these measurements so progress can be tracked at the micro-management level ...awesome!

  • The problem with P90X + is the name. I want to type it like "P90X+" but it doesn't look right to me. People are thinking P90X plus what? Like I should be adding something next to it. And if you end a sentence with a period or question mark it looks goofy. Example: I love P90X +! or Is that P90X +? .... See, doesn't look right. So from here on it will be known as P90X "PLUS" or if I am feeling lazy just "The PLUS" ... and yes, I probably do need psychological help.

  • If anyone wants to see the workout tracker Excel spreadsheet I will be using send me an email (jeffirvin@gmail.com) and I will forward it to you. It is freaking ridiculously detailed. Whoever created it has crazy, mad excel skills and crazy, mad free time. It holds more information than I have ever seen in a Spreadsheet - and I have worked in Corporate America for 11 years. Damn thing is an eye chart. I need some sort of training to figure out how to work this spreadsheet. Thanks to Doug over at YAMAG-BAP for forwarding it to me!

  • That show "The Biggest Loser" is on TV right now. Some of these people have lost upwards off 1oo lbs -- it is pretty amazing! However, everytime I see this show I think to myself, "How in the hell do you let that happen to yourself?" And then it was explained to me ...... A segment of the show came on and one of the previously fat girls was watching a video of her former fat self with Jillian the trainer and they were both crying endlessly. And the now not-as-fat girl was blaming her former fat self for being fat because of her parents divorce and she felt her mother didn't lover her. Seriously? She is blaming her parents? So her parents forced her to stick the fried chicken wings in her mouth? Or eat a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream? That is a bunch of shit. I love how our society has made it so nothing is ever anyone's fault.....my parents didn't hug me as a child ... my third grade BFF said I was stupid ... I was drunk (okay maybe this one is valid)....we live in a society of freaking whiners, jeez. Anyways, where I was heading with this is it reminds me of a post from P90X trainer Tony Horton's blog about taking responsibility for yourself. If you haven't seen it yet it is a good read ... click here.

  • I believe "The Office" is a better show than "Seinfield" and "Cheers" .... there, I said it!

  • Today it got really cold here so I decided to go to the Gym. I hit the treadmill for 45 mins and burned 438 calories. I was going to do Cardio X but since THE PLUS is starting back up on Monday I figured I'd do something different and the treadmill it was! The gym is so damn boring. I noticed as I jogged on the treadmill that a lot of people walk around and socialize more than workout. One dude was in front of me when I walked in (he forgot his card and was digging through a bag looking for it as I patiently stood behind him waiting ...asshole.) Anyways, I got on the treadmill and he talked to a group of Gold's Gym employees for like 20 minutes right next to me. Then like five minutes later I saw him sitting on the ab machine talking to some other guy for like another 20 minutes ... I did not notice him do a single crunch! When I was done this dipshit was walking out the door at the same time as me. He must of had a hell of a workout! ..... These are the things you notice at a gym when you forget your iPod. Lesson of the day: Don't forget the iPod!

I'll be back in a couple of days and layout the PLUS routine in more detail for those of you that would like to know more about what promises to be an extemely brutal workout!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Saturday, December 6, 2008

P90X Review: I HATE IT, BUT I LOVE IT!

First, let me start this off by saying that I am in no way affiliated with Beach Bodies or the P90X Program. I am not a Beach Bodies Coach and to tell you the truth I didn't even know they existed before I bought P90X. So, this is my opinion and my opinion alone.

A little over three months ago I saw an infomercial called "Get Ripped in 90 Days". When I saw this infomercial I was sitting on my couch at 11 o'clock at night drinking a beer and eating junk food. The infomercial got my attention because the people on it were normal everyday people just like myself and their results were awesome. They were using the Home Fitness Program called P90X. So, I grabbed the laptop and did as any other skeptical consumer would do and jumped online to begin my research about this crazy P90X workout thingy.

What did I find? Well, site after site of people praising this program and they all claimed it really worked. So, after a few more beers and a pep talk with myself I decided that I was going to change my life and "Get Ripped in 90 Days"!

Shortly thereafter I began my journey on the path to "rippedness" with P90X. I must admit I was a little overwhelmed when it finally showed up at my house. I got 12 DVDs, three resistance bands, a nutrition guide, a fitness guide, a pull-up bar, and a bucket of P90X Recovery Drink mix! Whew, where do I start was my initial reaction. Well, I sat down and started reading both the fitness guide and the nutrition guide. It all started to make sense. P90X was going to work in three phases that would shape my body and prevent me from hitting the dreaded plateau that happens in most work out programs. Hmmm...this thing might just work.

The next day I was off to the grocery store. The nutrition guide provided had a bunch of snacks and recipes for all three meals and daily snacks and I needed to buy them all! Being a typical guy I never really spent much time in grocery stores reading labels so this was an experience unto itself! So after spending 2 hours there and a boatload of cash on "healthy" foods and a thing called Whey Protein I was just about ready to go. I had my meals planned so now it was time to start the workouts.

After watching an intro disk with the love-able and ripped personal trainer Tony Horton, I was ready to BRING IT - P90X Style. Day 1 was a workout called Chest & Back. I thought for sure my new friend Tony would ease me into the program and Chest & Back would be a breeze -- I thought wrong .... horribly wrong!

Push-up, Pull-up, Push-up, Pull-up, Push-up, Chin-up ...etc. Tony made me do 12 different exercises on this workout and as I was lying on the floor drowning in my own sweat after completing the 12 workouts that bastard said we had to do it all over again. I did it .... barely... he is no longer my friend! Then Tony's big head comes on my TV screen again and is talking about something called Ab Ripper X. He says this about Ab Ripper X, "I hate it, but I love it"! You could do laundry on this guys Abs and HE hates it? What the heck was I in for??? One word describes my first experience with Ab Ripper X: PAIN. It is 15 mins/349 reps of core and ab destruction. I felt vomit in my mouth numerous times during Ab Ripper X. I did maybe half the reps. I wanted to die!

I woke up on Day 2 and my upper body was extremely sore and the workout was called Plyometrics! I was excited because I used to do Plyo workouts when I was in high school and college and because I didn't have to do any push-ups and pull-ups. I popped in the DVD and Tony and the kids were waiting for me to begin. We did this 10 minute warm up stretching out the legs and getting the body warm by running in place and jacks. I was pretty damn winded after the warm up and I was drinking some water and heard Tony say, "Some people call this THE BEAST"! I was frozen with fear. At this point I was thinking Chest & Back was THE BEAST? ... could it really get worse than Chest & Back? Yes, it could. It got much worse. That vomit that I tasted a little of yesterday became a full meal today. Plyometrics damn near ended me. It is fast-paced and explosive. It made me use muscles in my legs that I didn't even know existed. When I was finished with Plyo I could not even walk down my stairs to go take a much needed shower. It was beyond brutal .... but that was the weird thing ... I HATE IT, BUT I LOVE IT!

The first two weeks of P90X were excruciatingly hard. The rest of the workouts were as difficult as the two listed above. My legs hurt so bad that it was difficult to sit down. According to the nutrition plan I needed to eat close to 2700 calories a day and this felt like too much food for me. This was going to be hard to stick with. But a funny thing happened after I struggled through the first two weeks. It got easier. Not just the workouts but the nutrition as well. I was no longer sore after (or during) the workouts and I was actually hungry and looking forward to eating my meals and snacks and actually needed that many calories. And I was losing weight and could already see some definition in my shoulders, arms and legs. More importantly I had a ton of energy. I was always one who seemed to have a "crash" around 2 or 3pm and this was no longer happening. It was incredible.

Now after I have completed the full 90 days and, this blog as my witness, I followed the program as close to the letter as possible I can honestly say that P90X is one of the best experiences I have ever had. It did everything it promised and more. The nutrition to me is no longer a diet, but rather just the way I now eat. At the age of 33 I am in the best shape of my life and my energy level rivals that of teenage Jeff.

The thing about P90X is that you have to believe in it and buy into the program completely. Drink the Kool-Aid, if you will. People who are much smarter than you and me developed this program so listen to what they say and follow the nutrition and fitness guide. Do not skip days. Do not deviate from the nutrition plan. Do not deviate from the workout schedule. Do Bring It every single day. I have seen many other blogs start and not finish and make excuses like travel or work or whatever as to why they quit. During my 90 days I went through Hurricane IKE and was without power for 10 days, had multiple days of overnight travel for work, and strained a couple of muscles and still was able to follow the program and complete the 90 days. If you really want to see results you will make it work. Beach Bodies slogan is: Decide. Commit. Succeed. If you take on P90X with this type of attitude you will be successful.

So my review of P90X is that it is as awesome as you want it to be. Follow it to the letter and your results will show. Half ass it and that will show also.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Final Fit Test & Body Measurements

Fit Test:
A few days before I started P90X I did the recommended Fit Test. I posted my results here and planned on doing the test again at the end of 90 days. So, I just finished with the test and here are my results:

My resting heart rate prior to Day 1 was: 74 bps
My resting heart rate after Day 90 is: 63 bps

Prior to Day 1 the Pullups I could do was: 3
After Day 90 the Pullups I can now do: 28

Prior to Day 1 my vertical leap was: 23.5 inches
After Day 90 my vertical leap is now: 27 inches

Prior to Day 1 the Pushups I could do was: 28
After Day 90 the Pushups I can now do: 52

Prior to Day 1 I could reach 2.5 inches past my toes
After Day 90 I can now reach 4.5 inches past my toes

Prior to Day 1 I was able to do a Wall Squat for: 1:07 mins
After Day 90 I can now do a Wall Squat for over: 4:00 mins

Prior to Day 1 the In & Outs I could do was: 26
After Day 90 the In & Outs I can now do: 58

Measurements:

Day 1 Weight: 181 lbs
Day 90 Weight: 167 lbs

Day 1 Chest: 41 inches
Day 90 Chest: 43 inches

Day 1 Waist: 35 inches
Day 90 Waist: 32 inches

Left bicep increased by 1.5 inches and the right by 1 inch.

The numbers that were most impressive to me were my weight loss, pullup increase, and waist size decrease. I still cannot believe I lost 14 pounds while eating close to 3000 calories a day!

If you are reading this post wondering if you should purchase P90X I would think these numbers would be all the proof you would need to pull the trigger. If you are still skeptical after these numbers and the final pictures below than you are probably just looking for an excuse to not do it and anything I say will not change that. Bring It!

Jeff




Friday, December 5, 2008

P90X Day 90: Graduation Pictures

90 days down...zero to go!

Finished up with Yoga today. I wasn't very focused and a little antsy knowing that this was my final day! I feel like this was a nice accomplishment and I am happy with the results.I might even have some nasty fried food to celebrate tonight - probably not!

Thanks to everyone who has followed the blog and helped me with words of encouragement. Thanks to fellow P90Xers Mike, Matt, and Tai Chi Girlie for sharing your struggles and accomplishments along the way! Thanks to my wife Annie for her support and being patient with me during the last 90 days. This program takes over your life and changes your habits and routines so having the support of your spouse is a must!



Without further delay - the pictures:


#1) Day 1 vs Day 90 Slideshow:




#2) Days 1-30-60-90 Comparisons Slideshow:




Photos of Day 1 vs Day 90: Click Here

Photos of Days 1-30-60-90 Comparisons: Click Here

I'll post my fit test results as soon as I finish it and my P90X Review in the next day or so!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Thursday, December 4, 2008

P90X Day 89: Core Synergistics

89 Days down .... 1 to go!

Woke up this morning and had a strawberry whey protein shake (46g) and a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter. Snacked on a protein bar and had a chef salad for lunch. I had another protein bar and some celery for my midday snack and 2 more scoops of whey protein immediately after my workout followed by lean beef kabobs with broccoli. I ran out of bananas yesterday and forgot to buy more so I didn't have any fruit today, but other than that another solid nutrition day

Core Syn was awesome again today. My HRM monitor said I burned 456 cals! I literally almost puked during Superman-Bananas today -- I focused on keeping my legs and arms as straight as possible and the ab strain was remarkable! One bad thing happened - I seemed to have strained my right groin a little during the lung/kickback/curl/press move. I was in the last 15 seconds and I was trying to go as deep as possible. I was holding 10 lbs weights and I stumbled a little and felt the "ting" in the groin. It was not a real bad strain but it still hurt a little. I am glad that this happened on day 89 and not earlier in the workout!

The good news is that some rest days are on the way. I will be starting P90X + (plus) on December 15th and my body could use some rest!!!! My shoulder is still pretty sore and now my groin is sore so the "downtime" will do some good.

I plan tomorrow to post my 90 day pics and to also give a recap/review of the entire program. Possibly tomorrow or Saturday I will do the fit test again and post the results compared to my pre-P90X results -- I am excited to see the gains.

Tomorrow is Yoga.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

P90X Day 88: Stretch Day

Howdy y'all -- Today was the stretch day. I got up this morning and didn't really feel like doing the entire stretch video because I felt awesome so I just did the part that takes care of the legs and ankles and then I did 100 pushups, 30 fifer scissors, 30 v-roll ups, and 30 in & outs just because I felt like I needed a little workout! Tomorrow is the Core synergistics workout and then Friday is Yoga.

I think it is appropriate to end my 90 days of P90X on Yoga. Yoga has been the most "difficult" workout for me personally. One, it is 92 minutes long. Two, it is done more than any other workout in the P90x series (17 times if my count is correct) and it gets boring. Three, I have zero patience and the pace of Yoga is slow and requires you to have Patience.

All complaining aside, I have definitely seen an increase in my flexibility and I think Yoga has helped my overall strength on difficult moves within P90X. And I wish I enjoyed it more like some others who have commented on my blog. No doubt it is a very beneficial workout yet I still do not like Yoga.

Okay, now that I go that off my chest --- I am getting very excited for P90X + ! I watched a couple of the DVDs last night and it looks HARD. Some of the Abs/Core workouts are going to kill me and I am looking forward to it. Start date is still penciled in for December 15th!

Tomorrow is Core Synergistics again and then Friday is FINAL PICTURE DAY. I think that the change from Day 1 to Day 90 is fairly dramatic. I don't feel that the changes from day 60-90 was all that awesome but I guess the side-by-sides will tell!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

P90X Day 87: Kenpo X

Hello, I just finished off Kenpo today to complete day 87 of P90X. This is my last Kenpo workout and I burned a little over 300 calories. I mixed it up a little and used these 3lb hand weights of my wives for all the punching sequences. My shoulders were on fire by the time I got to the kicks. It is amazing how much extra it takes out of you using a weight as small as 3lbs! So, over the 87 days I have been doing P90X this is the first time I ever did a "Doubles" day (I did Core Synergistics this morning -- see below post). And I feel wonderful. I am sure that I will sleep like a baby tonight.

I was able to eat clean again today and just finished off an excellent baked chicken with whole grain rice and carrot dinner.

The nutrition part of P90X has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Before I started P90X I was rolling through life eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Pizza and beer right before bed, a Sonic bacon cheeseburger for lunch, usually I would skip breakfast and just have coffee. And I would wonder why I always felt tired and never had energy? Well, now that I understand how to eat clean and have seen first hand how it has made me feel I will continue this for the rest of my life. Now that being said it doesn't mean I will never have a slice of pizza again I just won't have the whole pizza!

Tomorrow is X Stretch Day ... my legs are a little tight so I am looking forward to this one.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 86: Core Synergistics

Sorry for the late post. I didn't get home until very late last night from work so I was unable to workout. I got up early this morning and did the Core Synergistics workout. I plan on doing the Kenpo later this evening and pulling a "Double" today. I forgot just how awesome the Core Syn workout is! I only get to do it on the recovery weeks and it just kicks the crap out of me. My HRM said I burned 618 calories and i believe it! The plank to chataranga ISO might be the hardest move on all of P90X for me personally. Today was actually the first time I completed the entire thing and was pretty pumped about that!

Anywho, I will be back a little later and post about Kenpo!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Sunday, November 30, 2008

P90X Day 85: Cardio X

Decided to do the Cardio X workout instead of Yoga today. The main reason was that I just ran out of time. Annie joined me for the Cardio X DVD and this was the first time she did this one. It was funny because she was complaining about the Yoga in the beginning and then was complaining about the Kenpo saying how she wanted a more intense workout .... I was laughing to myself thinking just wait until the Plyo and Wacky Jacks begin!!! See the thing about Cardio X is that it is only 45 or so minutes long but it has zero breaks and it is super fast paced once you finish the yoga portion in the beginning. And when the plyo portion begins it kicks your butt pretty hard.

Today's diet went well again. Protein/Carb/Protein/Carb/Protein ...etc.!

I weighed myself this morning and was happy to see the scale at 167.5. I haven't been this weight since I was 15 years old!

Also, I ran out of Anabolic Halo (post workout drink) so I have just been have an additional protein shake after my workouts. I felt like the Anabolic Halo made me a little stronger when I first started using it but about 2-3 weeks in I can't really say it made any difference. So, I am just going to stick with good old protein powder from here on out!

Tomorrow is the always fun Core Synergistics!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Saturday, November 29, 2008

P90X Day 84: Kenpo X

Today was supposed to be the X Stretch/Rest day but since I took off Thursday it became my Kenpo day! I used my new heart rate monitor for the first time. My average rate was 132 bpm and the high was 162 bpm. The high was obtained right after the second time doing the jacks and X-jumps. Then it went down as I moved into the blocking sequences. My total calorie burn was 512. I guess that is pretty good for Kenpo.

My diet went well again today despite all those leftovers in the fridge trying to to talk me into eating them .... I said "no" but it was/is difficult. Annie has been working and won't let me throw them away until after she gets a chance to indulge one more time tomorrow!!

Anyways, tomorrow officially marks the last week of P90X for me as I begin the Recovery Week with Yoga. The good news is that I will be beginning P90X + PLUS on December 15th (along with fellow P90Xer Matt and hopefully Mike). I have decided to keep this site up and continue blogging about the PLUS. I will keep the same format of daily posts and put up a new day-by-day calendar and also do the 1-30-60-90 day accountability pictures. So, if you are wondering how P90X + PLUS is as a product I will be here for another 90 days to give you my unbiased reviews. I am about halfway through a P90X + workout tracker on Google Docs so you will be able to track my progress and I would also welcome any comments or suggestions on the site and if their is something you would like to see or something I can add to make the site better.

See you tomorrow for Yoga

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Week 13:

  • Sunday: Yoga
  • Monday: Core Synergistics
  • Tuesday: Kenpo
  • Wednesday: Stretch
  • Thursday: Core Synergistics
  • Friday: Yoga (Day 90)



Friday, November 28, 2008

P90X Day 83: Leg & Back + Ab Ripper X


The shoulder feels much better today - despite what that picture may show! Last night I alternated ice and heat and it seems to have done the job! Still a little tender but no longer limiting.

Breakfast this morning was a whey protein shake with a banana and a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and it was excellent. Then Annie and I went and did some Black Friday shopping. I got a heart rate monitor (which I should have bought 90 days ago!!!) for $29.99 at Sports Authority - excellent deal. We then came home and I had a turkey sandwich on wheat with an apple. Then I went and played golf. I used to be an avid golfer but I haven't played in well over 18 months! I shot a 46 on the front 9 and was 2-over on the back when we quit because of darkness. The course was very busy today and it took FOREVER to play. The reason I bring this up is because two things I noticed. One, I was hitting the hell out of the ball! My strength and flexibility made my game play noticeably better to both myself and my buddy. Two, I did not get tired. In the past when I played golf I alway seemed to play well for about 6 or 7 holes and then limp on in to the clubhouse. Not today. And I attribute the distance and stamina to my overall conditioning with P90X. So this P90X works for Golfers, too!

I just finished up the Legs & Back workout for the last time! My buddy Mike mentioned in his blog that this is not one of his favorite workouts. For me it might be my favorite! I love the pullup bar and I love the way my shoulders and back feel after this workout. I am going to miss doing this one for the next couple of weeks! The good news is that it is incorporated into the "Rest Weeks" on the P90X + schedule. I was a little cautious on the bar today because of my tender shoulder but it didn't effect me too much. I didn't do as many reps as 2 weeks ago but I also didn't play five hours of golf before last week either! It probably helped my focus on my form more than anything which is a good thing!

I am finishing of the last of my Anabolic Halo as I type and Dinner is going to be Turkey and whole wheat shells -- I can tell that I need the carbs right now!

Tomorrow I will do Kenpo X and then Sunday start the beginning of the final week before I will be an official P90X graduate!

<p>Thanks for Reading

Jeff

Thursday, November 27, 2008

P90X Day 82: Rest Day (Sort of ...)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I played football this morning for two hours with a bunch of guys my age. Good news is my legs and over all stamina was awesome. Jeff of 90 days ago would have died running around like I did today so kudos to P90X. Bad news is my left shoulder, which has been bothering me since about Day 5 or 6, is pretty sore. I started the Leg & Back workout and jumped on the Pullup bar and realized just how sore the shoulder was (hurt like hell actually!). I was a fearful that I would hurt it even worse so I stopped. I think it once again is just a strain because it felt fine while playing and just tightened up later. So, I will take Thursday as the Rest Day and do Legs & Back on Friday and then instead of the normal Saturday Rest Day I will do Kenpo. Not a big change, but needed to save the shoulder!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

P90X Day 81: Yoga X

TGIW!!! I have off the next four days and I am very happy about that! I have had a long month at work and I am just mentally exhausted. I started this morning struggling to get out of bed. By the time I got out of the shower I realized I was going to be late for my first appointment. So, I had a protein bar in the car with a bottle of water. I was able to eat right for the rest of the day swapping my mid morning snack with an appropriate breakfast and having a good lunch and dinner (chicken stir fry...yum!).

I stopped by The Academy sporting goods store today and picked up some 25lb dumbbells. I am going to get some 35's and 45's also but they are pretty expensive so I will space out the purchases a little! During last nights Back and Biceps workout I realized I was ready to give up the bands and start using dumbbells. The bands have been awesome and my results have been even better than I imagined with the bands but I am going to be starting P90X + and I want to be as extreme as possible. And the bands sometimes limit your movements and you have to do the moves modified from what is being done with the weights. I also want to try and add a bit more size in my chest and shoulders during P90X + . So, I've decided to bite the bullet and purchase dumbbells since this whole fitness thing seems like it is going to stick with me!

However, anyone who might be reading this and thinking, "Great now I got to spend a few hundred bucks on dumbbells to do P90X!" -- This is not true and all my results during P90X have been attained using resistance bands so I strongly recommend them not only because they are less costly but also very effective.

Onto today's workout --YOGA. As has been documented this is my least favorite workout of the entire P90X program. But, I actually really enjoyed it today. I have been a little stressed out lately and not real fun to be around. So today I turned off my cell phone and turned off the lights and just focused on relaxing and doing the Yoga workout. I felt so relaxed afterwards, it was great. I also had a pretty good sweat going. It could be that my wife turned the heat on in the house for the first time this year or that I am finally getting half decent at Yoga. Whatever the reason I don't care because I burned some calories! And I did the crane for like 10 seconds today -- still fell on my face but I was happy with 10 seconds!

Tomorrow is Legs & Back. I am supposed to play football tomorrow morning with my buddy Ryan so hopefully the weather cooperates because football will be fun and also a good workout! I will probably come right home afterwards and get the Legs & Back workout in before Annie and I settle in with Turkey and the NFL --- I love Thanksgiving -- Football and Turkey, just awesome!

Happy Thanksgiving to my P90X buddies - Mike, Matt, and Tai Chi Monkey Girl - Don't Forget to Push Play tomorrow!!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

P90X Day 80: Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper X

Hello, Y'all.....Good day today. Started out with a whey protein shake, banana, and wheat english muffin with peanut butter. Very good breakfast! I had a protein bar for my morning snack and a South Beach Diet bar for the afternoon snack. A chicken sandwich on wheat was my lunch and lean beef on low carb wheat shells for Dinner.

When I got home from work I relaxed a little and then did the Back & Biceps workout. I used the black band on pretty much every move and was really able to Bring it hard. I took some NanoVapor for that added boost and it seemed to really help. ABX went okay. I was a little winded from pushing so hard on the Back & Biceps that I didn't leave too much for the AB workout. I still made it through but I felt like my intensity was lacking a bit on ABX.

I added a new feature to the blog today -- if you look to the right on top is a day-by-day tracker of each post of the P90X workout. I figured this would make it easier to follow the P90X and my workouts. Last week I also added the "Followers of this Blog" link. So, if you are a reader click there and it will let you know every time I update this blog.

Tomorrow is Yoga X again and I plan on doing it in the late afternoon.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff


Monday, November 24, 2008

P90X Day 79: Plyometrics

Well, today was my last day to do Plyo! I think I am actually going to miss this ass-kicking workout. After 11 weeks of doing this it still kills me every time. Now don't get me wrong, I have got better at plyo but it is still very extreme - in my opinion the most extreme workout of P90X! The one move that has you jump and bring your knees up absolutely just destroys me. And then Tony makes you do double time! Sweat is usually pouring down my face after this one.

My diet went very well again today. I was right on with 2700 calories and the 40% Carbs/40% Protein/20% Fat ratios. I've decided I am going to bust up my diet on Thanksgiving. Annie and I are making Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and a cherry pie for dessert. I have worked very hard so one day of bad eating will not kill me -- I'll just have to work harder to burn it off!

I am pretty beat right now so this is all I got for tonight! I am going to lay down on the couch and watch the rest of Monday Night Football.

Tomorrow is Back & Biceps

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Sunday, November 23, 2008

P90X Day 78: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Ab Ripper X

A friend of mine has been away for a year and he is back today. His name is Jack Bauer and he makes Tony Horton look like a big wuss! I am an hour into "24" and Jack has already killed 8 bad guys -- a rather slow start!Jack would eat P90X for breakfast!

Anyways, today was the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps workout. This is always a challenge to complete and my arms are usually hanging by my knees when I am done and today was no exception! I think the hardest move is the weight arm circles. What happens is you hold up a weight with both arms spread out and you make a forward circle for 10 seconds and then a backwards circle for 10 seconds and then you repeat! I only use 5 lbs for this and it burns the heck out of my shoulders. Just an awesome exercise.

ABX was its normal brutal self today. I blew through the in-and-outs, both bicycles and crunchy frogs. The wide leg sit-ups were a bit of a challenge, and then Fifers was rough as usual but I grunted through both! But for some reason the Pulse Ups (Heals to the Heavens) absolutely killed me. The last five just absolutely burned the hell out of my abs!. Then after that I flew through the rest - I even did the extra 10 Mason Twists! Only 2 more ABX's left.

My diet today was a little different. I didn't get out of bed until 10am - which was awesome. So that means my breakfast time was my normal snack time. I decided to just make a huge breakfast since I was starving! I had four turkey sausages, a wheat english muffin, and an EAS Whey Protein Shake. Lunch was a whole wheat turkey sandwich with an apple. I then had a protein bar for a snack. And dinner was Anabolic Halo, some turkey, and a 60G Cookie n' Cream flavored Wheybolic Extreme Protein Shake. I came in at about 2400 calories today - a little short of my goal but I slept longer than usual so it was probably about right.

Only 11 Days to go!

Tomorrow is Plyometrics.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Saturday, November 22, 2008

P90X Day 77: REST

I did some work this morning and then spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the couch watching College Football and bad movies -- and I loved every minute of it! I thought about doing the StretchX but overall I feel very good so I figured take the rest day. Diet was right on again today so I won't bore you with the details.

I did spend some time reading through my P90X + book and schedule. I am looking forward to jumping into P90X + about a week after I finish P90X. I cannot find an Excel or Google Workout Tracker anywhere for P90X +. So, if anyone reading this has a spreadsheet of P90X + I'd be forever thankful. Please pass the link on in my comments of email to: jeffirvin@gmail.com.

Tomorrow I start Week 12 with the Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Ab Ripper X and this is my last high impact week of the program ... I am a little sad!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Friday, November 21, 2008

P90X Day 76: Kenpo X

TGIF -- After a long week of being sick and working crazy long hours I am glad that it is Friday! And Friday usually means Kenpo X day which is also a good thing. My wife Annie didn't feel like driving to the gym today so she decided to join me for the Kenpo X workout! It is always nice to have a workout partner so I always enjoy when she decides to BRING IT!

Kenpo was fun. I tried to to really let loose with the punches in the first sequence. I also focused on height with my kicks today as well and I felt like I was able to really Bring It! Annie felt like she got a good work out too! Every time I get to the blocks in Kenpo X and we do the downward blocks it reminds me of "wax on, wax off" from the Karate Kid, hence the pic to the right!

My diet went well today also. No slip ups and I got in about 2700 calories -- right on target. I briefly touched on the subject of switching back to Phase 2 of the Nutrition Guide a few posts back. I was doing Phase 3 which was a high carb diet and I was initially concerned with doing this phase because I felt like I still needed to shed some fat. Phase 2 is the more balanced carb/protein version. When I was doing Phase 3 I gained a little weight and after the first week I cannot say I had a noticeable increase in my energy level from Phase 2 so I switched back. The last day of Phase 3 I weighed 174 lbs. This morning I weighed in at 167 lbs so I am pleased with the switch back. The Nutrition Guide says everyone is different and you need to listen to your body so I did and it has worked out good!

Tomorrow is the rest/stretch day!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff


Thursday, November 20, 2008

P90X Day 75: Legs & Back + Ab Ripper X

Hello everyone! Today was one of my favorites - Legs & Back! I put the "300" image up because this workout is all about the glory muscles. Especially when you throw in the Ab Ripper X at the end! Oh, and it kicks the Hell out of you!

I started off my morning with a Whey Protein Shake. Then had a protein bar for both snacks, a chef salad for lunch and some grilled chicken wings for dinner with BBQ sauce. I over did my portion size for dinner a little so I will have to "Bring It" a little harder for Kenpo tomorrow!

Today's workout went great! I did over 20 reps on all eight of the pull-up/chin-up exercises and added weight when appropriate on all the squats and lunges. I did struggle a little with the single leg wall squats and the chair salutations. Both of these just burn the hell out of my legs but I just did my best and forgot the rest!!!

Also, I want to thank Elizabeth Renter from ExtremeBodyWorkout.com for writing about P90X blogs and including Dangle the Carrot... in her article today. She mentioned that many people take to the Internet to find out if they should purchase P90X or not and that blogs like this one are beneficial in getting a non-biased review of the product. She is 100% right because I actually did that before my purchase and over the course of the last 75 days I have received a number of emails and comments asking the question. So, hopefully if you are reading this blog I hope I help you make a decision one way or another!

Something else that I feel warrants writing about is how helpful this blog has been in keeping me motivated! Knowing that people are reading daily and will be disappointed if I skip a day or quit has really made me keep my focus and not miss days. Another positive thing this blog has indirectly created is an awesome support group of fellow P90X'ers. Mike, Matt, Tai Chi Monkey Girl and Ryan have helped me stay motivated by matching my commitment and we push each other on a daily basis. Thanks guys!

I guess my point behind this long, rambling post is that if you are planning on trying P90X find out what motivates you and use that because this program is not easy! If you want to see the "after" results like on the infomercial you need to bust your ass everyday. You cannot miss days, you cannot half ass it, you cannot make excuses. You must be committed to "Bring It" everyday!

Tomorrow is Kenpo X!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 74: Yoga X

Today was tough! I didn't get home from work until 9:30pm. I was tired and in a bad mood so Yoga was not what I wanted to do!

But 74 days into P90X I decided to suck it up and Just Push Play!

Yoga was its same old 92 minute self. Long and somewhat painful!

Despite all the driving and long day I still had a very good diet day. Vanilla Whey Protein shake in the morning. A Pure Protein bar for a snack. I then had a whole wheat turkey sub with cheese and lite mayo for lunch. I had another protein bar for my midday snack. I then had a grilled chicken breast with carrots and broccoli for dinner.

Tomorrow is Legs & Back plus Ab Ripper X. I always love Legs & Back. It is very intense and it slams my whole body! Until tomorrow.

Thanks for Reading

Jeff


Tuesday, November 18, 2008

P90X Day 73: Arms & Shoulders + ABX

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for the short posts the last few days. I was short on time and sleep from the long weekend and I am a little sick right now -- very good times!

I sucked it up this evening, hydrated like crazy today and pushed play on the Arms and Shoulders DVD and ABX. It actually went very well. I used the black (50lb) band on most of the exercises. I had been using the green (40lb) and red (30lb) bands so I didn't really increase my reps since the black bands are heavier. But I did increase the burn!

ABX was very strong today also. I got through but really struggled in fifer scissors today. I felt that familiar vomit coming up the throat feeling on about rep 20. The oblique raises were a struggle today also but I grunted my way through

My diet today started off with a whey protein shake for breakfast (52G) with fat free milk. I had a protein bar (20g) for a snack and a chicken sandwich on wheat for lunch. Another protein bar for the afternoon snack and a turkey sub on whole wheat with cheese and lite mayo from subway. I also took NanoVapor to give me an extra boost before my workout and Anabolic Halo as the post-workout recovery drink.

I was talking to Mike yesterday about the Halo and I really think it is working for me! I feel stronger all around and I have really increased my reps on both the push-ups and pull-ups. Back around week 8 I felt like I hit a wall when it came to strength gain and started taking the Anabolic Halo. And since that time I have had tremendous gains! Maybe it is just mental but whatever it is it is working!

It is 7:50 right now and I am ready for bed -- always a good sign the workout kicked my butt! Tomorrow is the always fun Yoga X. I am planning on getting up early and doing this one. I have a working dinner seminar tomorrow night until 9pm so I have to get it in early!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Monday, November 17, 2008

P90X Day 72: Plyometrics

Plyo Day !!! Good Times!!!

I felt like ass pretty much the entire day. For this reason I did not feel like doing Plyo but I took some NanoVapor and pushed play! Amazingly I had a very high energy plyo workout. If you are considering doing P90X I highly recommend using pre-workout drinks. Some days you are going to feel like crap and these pre-workout drinks really help when you just don't think you can do it.



Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 71: Chest & Back + ABX

Hey guys,

Sorry for not being able to post yesterday. I got home around 9pm and did the Chest and Back workout. Then I turned on my computer and my comcast ISP was down? Comcast is my mortal enemy -- I didn't have the energy to walk out to the car and get my aircard, let alone battle the piss poor comcast customer service so I went to bed.

Anyways, I had a long weekend at the casino! I was only down about $200 and had a really good time. My diet was off on Saturday. I actually had a few french fries! And I must admit they tasted glorious!!! Sunday was better. I had wheat french toast and then a protein bar and a grilled chicken salad for lunch and another bar for the snack. I missed dinner because I was in the car driving home so I had a protein shake when I got back just to get the calories and extra protein!

I was exhausted but was still able to do the chest and back workout. Not my best effort but I struggled through and actually increased most of my pullups and pushups --despite the fact I had zero energy! ABX killed me. I had to pause numerous times to catch my breath.

I am glad to be home!

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Saturday, November 15, 2008

P90X Day 70: Day of Rest

I am at a casino "resting" today! Wish me luck!

Tomorrow is the Chest, Shoulder and Triceps Workout to begin week 11 ... only 20 days left!

This would be a good time to talk about my post P90X plans. I will be finishing on the 5th of December. I am planning on taking off until around Christmas time! Then I am going to begin P90X + (plus). I already purchased it and have the workout guide and schedule! The P90X + is four more discs (5 workouts) and they are supposed to be very intense.

I am pretty sure I will continue the blog so if anyone out there is wondering how the P90X + works this is the place to come!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

Friday, November 14, 2008

P90X Day 69: Kenpo X

Today started out good. I had a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and a glass of skim milk for breakfast around 7am. I had a SBD bar for the mid-morning snack and a chef salad with turkey, ham, chicken and cheese with fat free ranch for my lunch. I had to go to an implant case around 11 today so I ate lunch a little later in the day than usual. After that I had a protein bar for my afternoon snack and then got in the Kenpo workout. I just finished off my Anabolic Halo recovery drink and am getting ready to cook some chicken stir fry with brown rice in sesame ginger sauce and some broccoli. Should be a good dinner.

Kenpo went great today! My left shoulder is feeling much better lately and I was able to really bring it hard today because of this. I tried something new today -- I selected the "Music and Cues" option on the DVD. What this was was the same workout but it muted Tony except when it was time to switch moves or go double time. I enjoy Tony but this is the 11th time I have done Kenpo and it was getting quite monotonous. So, I enjoyed the quiter version of Kenpo and may try this on a couple of the other workouts that I have memorized like Kenpo!

Tomorrow myself and a couple of buddies are going to the L’Auberge du Lac Casino in Lake Charles, LA. It is about a 3 hour drive from Houston. We are spending the night and we are planning on coming back on Sunday afternoon before the 4:15 Steelers game. It will work out nicely because tomorrow is my off day for P90X and I don't have to worry about fitting in a workout. Saturday is a day where sleep is going to be very limited!

See you all on Sunday!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff