P90X Day 24: Kenpo X

Late night last night watching the Steelers and Ravens beat the living hell out of eachother! It was a great game if you like defensive football - which I do.

Any of you other guys out there that are in sales or have ever worked in sales know what the last day of the month is like. You are trying to find every last dollar out there and you must turn over every stone. I was in and out of about 12 offices today so I started the morning off very early with my skim milk whey protein shake with banana on the road. I had a protein bar for the morning snack and then a turkey sandwich on whole wheat for lunch. I had a lowfat cheese stick and some nuts for the afternoon snack and lean beef fajitas with 4g carb shells for dinner.

I did the Kenpo workout around 7pm and brought the hell out of it!

This workout really makes me sweat but it is getting easier everytime I do it. Since I am familiar with the workout I am able to add a few extra reps and focus on my form. My kicks are starting to get very high. I used to struggle with the back kicks but not anymore! The key to this workout is speed and form. Focus on those two aspects and you will feel the results.

Tomorrow is the X Stretch day. It is all part of the rest week and muscle confusion of the P90X program. I always feel pretty good after doing the X Stretch so I am looking forward to it.

Also, Only 5 more days until I post my Day 30 photos! I can't wait to do this. I will probably host it on one of my other websites and link it her so I can do side-by-sides.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 23: Core Synergistics

Whoa Baby!

This is the first new DVD in 3 plus weeks so I was pumped up to try something else. I thought this was going to be a light cardio workout but it was hard and fast. It is just a notch below Plyometrics in terms of difficulty and overall awesomeness and I absolutely loved it!

I was talking to Mike just before I started this workout and neither of us had any idea as what to expect. I usually take a supplement called SuperPump 250 about 30 minutes before each workout. The only time I don't take it is before Yoga and X Stretch because those are slower workouts and the SuperPump gets me very jacked up! Anyways, just by talking to me on the phone Mike could tell I had already taken the SuperPump. Picture someone on speed and that is me on SuperPump 250 - except witout the major crash or addiction - you get the point.

Well, I am glad I took the SuperPump because this workout just destroys your core and I needed the extra boost to BRING IT. One exercise called banana/boat or something like that you would just roll over on your back then you stomach keeping your legs and arms suspended and repeat. It caused a very good hurt in abs and lower back.

I get to do this workout again on Thursday and I am already looking forward to it!

Doing pretty well keeping with the P90X nutrition program! I left the house around 7am this morning to get to an early appointment and took a Protein Shake with me on the road. I had a Protein Bar for the snack. Then I had another appointment run long and had to hurry to another one and ended up eating another protein bar and a low fat cheese stick. I was able to get back to the car around 3:30 and I ate the Chef Salad I packed in my cooler. So, I swapped my afternoon snack and lunch - not ideal but I made it work. I got home around 5:30 did the workout and then baked chicken breasts with wild rice, broccoli and carrots.

I am watching the Monday Night Football game between my Steelers and the hated Ravens right now -- Go Stillers!

Tomorrow is Kenpo X.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 22: Yoga X

And I begin Week 4 with Yoga X .....

If you are new to the P90X program then Week 4 is called the "Rest Week". What this really means is that they are giving my body time to heal itself up after 3 high impact weeks. Week 4 is mostly cardio and Abs/Core workouts. When I first read the fitness guide I thought this was probably an unnecessary week and I was going to add some weight lifting in myself. Well, after actually completing the first 3 weeks I need the break. I feel awesome but my body needs to recover. This will also allow me to regroup and reload and start off Week 5 fully ready to Bring IT!

I focused on my Yoga today and really tried to Bring It! For the first time doing yoga I think I finally did!

I know I bitch about Yoga and I still feel it is entirely too long -- the last 5 minutes is completely unnecessary -- BUT I actually had a pretty good sweat going today. I closed my eyes quite a few times and didn't focus on the clock slowly ticking down on the lower right hand corner like I had previously. This helped and next thing I knew 92 minutes had pasted more quickly than ever!

This is never going to be a workout I get excited about but a couple of exercises within the workout are very challenging and I should give them credit. Towards the last 20 minutes or so Tony goes into the Belly Yoga and gets a little ABX on us. The "Boat Pose" and "Half-Boat Poses" are killers for your abs/core. Basically you sit and hold your legs straight off the ground and reach your arms to the sky and hold for 30 seconds. Then you do each leg individually. These burn and I am shaking for the last 5 seconds! He also throws in a lesser version of my nemesis the "fifer scissors", these are just called "scissors". It is hard but fifer is a killer.

I had 1 1/2 whole wheat english muffins with peanut butter for breakfast this morning. I am getting ready to eat a Protein bar. Not use yet about lunch but we are going to have the lean beef with low carb tortilla shells (only 4g of Carbs) for dinner.

Tomorrow is Core Synergistics. This will be my first time doing this workout so I am excited to try something new. I have a loaded up schedule tomorrow so I will more than likely do this workout after dinner.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 21: Rest Day

Okay, so I thought about doing Cardio X today instead of Stretch X and ended just taking the rest day option!

I have a bunch of stuff that needs done and I am constructing a built-in cabinet in my living room and it is taking more time than I thought. So, Stretch X is becoming Rest X!

However, eating good ... Whey Protein Shake for breakfast, protein bar snack, turkey breast and whole wheat toast for lunch, apple slices and a low-fat cheese stick for midday snack, and I am going to have a baked chicken breast with broccali and carrots for diner!

Tomorrow begins Week 4 ... low impact week. I am going to miss the lifting but I am going to follow the program as specified!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 20: Kenpo X

Kenpo X Day ... My favorite day of the Week!!

I had an early start to the day. I had egg whites and turkey sausage for breakfast and then rolled out of the house. I had a bunch of appointments and was able to squeeze in a 20g Protein bar in car. I then met up with my friend and co-worker Ryan for lunch. We needed to swap some products and devices for next weeks appointments. We met at a new restaurant and we weren't even sure if it was open yet. Not only was it open but it was a staff training day and we ended up getting a free lunch because of it! I had a small grilled chicken salad and ate all the chicken and some of the lettuce and carrots. They also gave us 1/2 of a chicken fajita meal. So, I had two fajitas with grilled chicken, cheese and soft shells. The shells pushed me over my carb and calorie level for lunch but they we soooo good! I also had a bunch of leftover Grilled Chicken so I had that with 1 scoop of Wheybolic Extreme 60 (cookie n' cream flavor..yum) with skim milk for dinner.

Anyways, since I cheated a little for my Friday lunch I was able to BRING IT extra hard on Kenpo X today. I focused on my form and my kicks. I hate to say it but I really think the yoga has helped with my flexibility (Andy you are right!!) because I was able to kick a lot higher and maintain balance much better than the last two weeks!

Tomorrow is supposed to be my "Rest Day" but I think I may do the Cardio X workout instead of the X Stretch. I can do this because Week 4 starts Sunday and that is the low impact week of P90X. I have to do the cardio DVDs all week and none of the pushup/pullup/weight DVDs so I think I will add the cardio x tomorrow.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 19: Legs/Back/Abs

Great workout today!

I really enjoy this DVD. It is not the hardest to get through but it REALLY works the heck out of your legs, arms and back. I am not as sweaty as I am after Plyo but my legs still feel it walking up and down the stairs right now. I did more reps than ever on the pull-ups today. It is amazing how far I have come on the pull-up bar compared to 19 days ago. I have more than doubled my reps! I absolutely love the burn on the wide grip pull-ups.

I did a decent job on ABX again today. The fifer scissors killed me as usual ... I was able to only hold for about 15 reps before I needed a couple seconds rest. Jumped right back in and finished out with Tony but it ripped me up good. The "Heels to the Heavens" was also extremely hard for me today as well. After I finished up the "Mason Twists" I crashed on the floor for about 5 minutes and just breathed. Great workout!

Same old, same old on the diet today! Added some whole wheat rice to my chicken and asperagus dinner tonight to try and add a few more carbs (38G) into the program. Got about 3000 calories in today. A little on the high side but my body needed them all and allowed me to really Bring It!

Tomorrow is the awesome Kenpo X.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 18: Yoga X

Sorry about the delayed post. My ISP (Comcast) has decided to crap out again. Things still aren't back to normal since IKE rolled over us so I cannot be to frustrated since Comcast has major damage just like everyone else! And my wireless Sprint Card decided not to work either?

Fun Day!

Today was Yoga Day. As has been dcoumented this is not my favorite workout. However, I did better today because I am becoming familiar with the DVD. Aside from this being 92 minutes long it is sometimes hard to follow. When you are down on your mat you basically have to just listen to Tony. If I have to look up at the TV I end up losing my balance/form and then ruin the whole move!

I am still doing well on my diet. Did the Protein shake for breakfast with a protein bar for snack, chef salad for lunch, nuts and a cheese stick for midday snack and chicken breast for dinner.

I was feeling a little tired today and wasn't really sure why? I had enough sleep? So I was reading over the P90X nutrition guide and I have come to the conclusion that I need to add a few more carbs to my diet. It says that everyone is different and we need to listen to what our body tells us. I will add just another serving a day and hopefully this will help with my energy level.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 17: Arms/Shoulders/Abs

Greetings from Houston!

Started the day off with a Whey Protein Shake with milk and a banana. I left the house about 8am and realized that I left my cooler full of protein bars and lunch in the fridge at home - duh!

So, about 10 am I found a grocery store and picked up a couple of protein bars (20g), some bottled water, Turkey Jerky and Low fat cheese sticks. I ate a protein bar. I then had a lunch at a Doctors office. The staff wanted subs so I passed on them and ended up stopping at a Deli having a Turkey and Ham Chef Salad with Lite Ranch Dressing. It was pretty good. I had a couple of pieces of Turkey Jerky and a low fat cheese stick for the midday snack.

After work I did the Arms and Shoulders workout and I was able to Bring It hard again today! My shoulders are sore right now (a good sore). The hardest part of this workout for me is the first exercise in the bonus round - straight arm raises - they absolutely kill me. I talked to Mike today and he said the same thing. They are brutal! According to the program I will not do this DVD again until week 9. I plan on using the Black Resistance Bands then because I am doing too many reps with the Green -- check out my P90X Workout Tracker on the right to see -->

ABX was its usual killer self again today. I even did pretty well on the Fifier Scissors. I had to pause a few times but I made it through about 20 reps. I have nightmares about Fifer Scissors.
Seventeen days ago I dreaded ABX, now I look forward to the three days a week that it is in the workouts!

I ended the day with baked chicken breasts, asparagus, and a little brown rice.

Tomorrow is the hour and a half Yoga X workout. My least favorite DVD but I still intend to Bring It.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 16: Plyometrics

That is one tired dude on the left!

My shirt is probably 5lbs heavier because of all the sweat!

"The Beast" Plyometrics kicked my ass again and I loved it!

My wife Annie decided to join me for this workout today and she got rocked also. She was able to burn 436 calories in the 55 minutes of plyo. She was very happy. We were two beat down individuals after this one.

Now, I said yesterday I felt like I was only able to semi-Bring It. Today I able to double Bring It. Tony Horton would have been proud. I did ever rep and even added some speed and extra height on some of the jumps. The worst part of this video is when you have to jump and bring your knees to your chest for 30 seconds and the last 10 seconds is double time. My lungs started to burn but I pushed through and did the double time reps, both times!

The thing about P90X is that it is only as good as you make it. You could probably do 9o days and sorta follow the diet and sorta do the workouts and end up having sorta good results. But if you are going to do that you might as well not spend the money and go to Wal-mart and find the first $9.99 workout video on the shelf. This is a hardcore workout and if you want the results you have to drink the Kool-Aide that Tony Horton and Beachbodies are peddling and you have to BRING IT!

I did well again on the diet today. Vanilla Whey Protein Shake with a Banana for Breakfast, 20G Protein bar for snack, stopped at a Japanese place for lunch and had Chicken and Broccoli with Carrots (no rice or egg rolls). I had about 30 nuts for a midday snack and am getting ready to each some baked chicken with lettuce for dinner and an apple for dessert. I also just finished up the awesome P90X Recovery Drink (about 100 calories). I am right around 2800 calories for today. Good day.

Tomorrow is the Arms and Shoulders workout and Annie may try this also. I am well on my way to getting her to cancel the $60 a month Gym membership -- especially since they are STILL not open because they STILL do not have electric!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 15: Chest/Back/Abs

First day of Week 3!

I started off the day a little sluggish. Not sure why? I just did not have my normal amount of energy. I decided to have a protein shake with skim milk and a banana and then waited about an hour and jumped right into the workout.

It took me about 15 minutes to get going but I did double digits on all the Pull-ups/chin-ups and increased my reps by a few on all the push-ups. Even the dreaded Dive Bombers and Diamond Push-ups. Even though I increased my reps I think I was only able to semi-Bring It today!

I had an okay ABX session. I did much better than week one but not as good as last Thursday. The Fifer Scissors again are my Achilles heel.

The nutrition plan has become my routine. After the shake I had my recovery drink and a protein bar. I had grilled steak and some carrots for lunch. Another protein bar for my snack and Grilled Chicken and Pork for Dinner with an apple for dessert.

Tomorrow is the Beast, Plyometrics!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 14: X Stretch/Rest Day

I have now made it through two weeks of P90X and I have been very impressed with the results. My energy level is very high and my body is starting to regain some of the definition that was covered by years of fast food and beer.

When I started P90X two weeks ago I weighed 181 lbs. I weighted myself yesterday and I was down to 177 lbs, which is a decent loss for two weeks. I was never very concerned about my weight because I have weighed +/- 5 lbs my entire adult life. I was more concerned that I no longer felt fit or healthy. To me the real test is that my clothes are fitting much better and I am feeling much healthier.

So, today you can choose to rest or do the X Stretch video. I did the the video and I feel pretty darn stretched out right now! The video was 55 mins long and in segments it focused on different muscle groups. It probably will help me hit Week Three on all cylinders.

Tomorrow is Chest/Back/Abs. I am planning on doing it in the early AM so I can watch Football all day long!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90 X Day 13: Kenpo X

Very exciting day -- my power has returned!

It has been a long 7 days but things here in Houston are starting to return to normal. Even the two gas stations down the road were getting ready to open!

All this excitement AND Kenpo X on the same day - This is my favorite P90x workout.

I had my Flat Screen back up and running so I was already pumped and ready to BRING IT!

If you are reading this and just starting or thinking about starting P90X let me point out the importance of the warm up and cool down segments of the DVDs. The beginning and end of each workout has a 5-10 minute period of light stretching to get your body ready for the upcoming workout. These are very important to do and if you skip them you will not be able to BRING IT 100%. Today I was very tight and a little sore. I would not have been able to even start Kenpo X cold so the warm up part was essential to get me in the right shape to gain maximum benefit from the workout. I honestly believe more injuries would occur if you are not properly stretched out. Bottom line: Don't take shortcuts.

Okay, I am now stepping down from my soap box ..... Today I started out with egg whites, turkey sausage, and a banana. I had a mid-morning protein bar and then did my workout. As usual Kenpo X is a great Cardio experience and it is even a little bit of fun! If you are asking what exactly Kenpo X is: Kick, Punch, Block ... Sweat ... Repeat. That is about it. Very fast and time just flys by doing this. I was able to focus on form today and my kicks are gaining height each time through.

After Kenpo X and the delicious recovery dringk I had a Whey Protein Shake (chocolate - found for $12.97/2lb jug at Target) for lunch with an apple. I will probably have a low fat cheese stick for a snack and we are planning on some baked Salmon with mixed veggies for Dinner.

Tomorrow is Stretch X/Rest Day.

Please drop me a comment if you have any questions about P90X.

Check out this very entertaining video by Tom who is another P90X Blogger keeping track of his progress.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90 X Day 12: Legs/Back/Abs

This is one of my favorite workouts. I really get a great sweat going and my arms, upper back, and legs get an incredible burn.

This DVD has 23 exercises. A variety of squats and lunges and then the pull-up bar. If I counted correctly you go to the pull-up bar seven times. I still used the chair this time but mostly for balance and it was very far away from my body. I also am happy because I increased my reps on every pull-up exercise from last week.

The leg portion of this DVD is pretty intense. The worst is the Wall Squats and Single Leg Wall Squats. You basically lean up against a wall in a seated position and hold the pose for 1:30 minutes on the wall squat. On the single leg you alternate on one leg every 10 seconds for a minute while holding the other leg parallel to the floor. It may not sound hard but your legs are on fire at about the 30 second point. I made it through both this week and felt very good about it because last week I sucked at it.

I was very pleased with my results on ARX today. I did probably 325 of the 349 reps. On day one I bet I did no more than 150. I am even starting to do some of the advanced stuff like holding my arms up doing the bicycles. I no longer dread ABX, I actually look forward to it!

Now watching this video Tony and Drea seem to have a little thing going on? Not sure but he seems to really favor her in the video. He is sort of a prick to Sophia in the video. Anyways these are the things you notice when you are watching the same thing over and over again.

Diet is still going strong. With the whole IKE and loss of power everyone seems to be drinking and indulging in crappy food. Last night my friends we making S'mores over a chiminea fire. I really wanted on but I did not cheat. I also have always been a big fan of a few ice cold beers, but I have not had any since I started this program. I figure if I can make it through this then I can make it through anything diet wise!

Reports are coming out the power should be restored by Monday or Tuesday. I hope it is true, but I will believe it when it actually happens. My neighbor is expecting my Generator to be in today so hopefully tomorrow I will be able to hook my television back up and not do this workout on my laptop anymore.

Tomorrow Kenpo -- my favorite!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90 X Day 11: Yoga

Well my least favorite day of the week --Yoga Day -- is in the Books!

It wasn't as bad this time but I still have no flexibility. I was able to hold some of the poses a little longer this time and I got a really good stretch. And I actually feel pretty good as I am sitting here drinking the P90X recovery drink.

The Warrior Poses are just hard. I will probably never be able to completely do them but I will keep trying - and laughing everytime I fail!

Not to bash the Yoga because I can see how it can be very beneficial in achieving overall fitness. But, I just prefer to get sweaty during my workouts!

We got up early again this morning the power was still out and our water was not working! I almost snapped but it turned back on about an hour later. I found out that our water district is without power also so they were just switching up generators!

I cooked some organic egg whites and turkey sausage on the grill and it was really good. I then went to the Lowes in Humble to get D-Batteries for our flashlights -- I was very excited they actually had some. My neighbor works for a large auto parts company and he told me they had some generators coming in on a truck tomorrow and he could get me one -- so I said hell yes since it may be some time until the power returns.

I had turkey jerky for a mid-morning snack. Followed by turkey, mozerella cheese and 1/2 cup organic low fat milk protein shake for lunch. Dinner tonight is going to be a burger on the grill minus the bun and some carrots and fruit.

Tomorrow is Legs, Back and Ab ripper X and I am really looking forward to it!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90 X Day 10: Shoulders/Arms/Abs

Hey y'all -

Power is still out here in Houston. Starting to get a little old! Cell phones/text messaging hasn't been working either. I have been in very limited contact with my family and friends outside of the area and am beginning to feel a little out of touch with the rest of the world. Getting a little stir crazy!

The wife and I woke up early today and had two wheat english muffins with peanut butter and then went to a Kroger Grocery store. They had power, perishables, and ice!! We loaded up on beef, chicken, egg whites, veggies, fruit, and turkey sausage. We had to stand in line for about 20 minutes to get into the store, but it was so worth the wait. When we got in we were both very excited they had everything. We came home and loaded up our coolers with ice. This should get us through a couple more days without electric.

I got the rest of the yard cleaned up and my neighborhood is starting to feel somewhat normal again - minus the large up-rooted trees everywhere!

Around noon I felt very tired. It is the first time that I have been doing P90X that I felt worn out during the middle of the day. I took about a 20 minute nap and then got up and had an organic skim milk protein shake (45G Protein) and apple for lunch. I immediately felt better. I think the lack of energy was just the last 5-days finally catching up to me.

I did the Shoulders/Arms/Abs workout around 5pm today and I really was able to BRING IT! I used the green bands (40lbs) through the first 12 exercises and then switched to the red (30lbs) for the bonus round. The bonus round had me running on fumes. I am happy because I did more reps on almost every exercise this time compared to last week and I increased my band weight. I can feel my strength and stamina increasing. I love P90x so far!

My left shoulder was still a little tender but I took a couple of advil and pushed through. I am glad I did because the workout really stretched me out and the shoulder feels awesome right now. It is more of a pain than an injury. Big difference between the two.

I am going to post pictures again on day 15 (the 1/6th mark). My wife says she can already see the difference in my body. When the gym opens again I will go weigh myself also. My clothes are fitting me so much better then they were 11 days ago!

Anyways, I am going to go walk my dogs and then cook some steak up on the grill with some mixed veggies for dinner. I think tomorrow is Yoga again. I may wait until it is dark and do the workout with candles on just to set the Yoga mood -- or maybe not.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90 X Day 9: Plyometrics

Hello and welcome back to my P90X Review Blog! I am still without power so I am typing this again using my wireless aircard.

Had a very hard day today. We finally are starting to dry out here in Houston so I was able to get some clean-up done in the yard. I had six - 40 gallon garbage bags full of debris in just my front yard today. I probably have double that in the back which I will try and do tomorrow. The good news is our weather is incredible - Low 80's with hardly any humidity! The real problem down here is that we cannot get gas. All the stations are still without electric and therefore the pumps do not work. The few stations that are running on generators have lines 3 and 4 hours long!

And to make matters worse my electric company, Entergy, os reporting that my county could be without power for 3 + weeks!! I am praying these reports are not true because that is going to be brutal.

I did good again today with my diet. My wife and I had egg whites (on the grill) and wheat english muffins with peanut butter for breakfast. I had a protein bar for a snack and grilled chicken breasts for lunch. I then had a turkey jerky for a snack. We found out a few restaurants were open south of us in Humble TX so for dinner we ended up at Hooters! No, I did not have wings and beer. I had a grilled turkey sandwich minus the bun and unsweatened iced tea. I REALLY wanted a beer but I have been doing so good that I passed.

I did my Plyo workout around 9:30 tonight. I had to burn a couple of candles for light - it was sort of cool. I did much better with this workout than last week. I actually was able to do almost all the reps and focused on getting some height on my jumps -- but still landing soft. It is amazing how the second time through your form significantly improves. The plyo was again a beast of a DVD but I feel great afterwards. My energy level makes me feel like a teenager again.

Tomorrow is Shoulders & Arms & Ab Ripper X. My left shoulder felt a little better today but it is still pretty tender. I wanted to ice it after the workout but all of our ice has melted so that blows a bit.

Thanks for Reading.

Jeff

P90 X Day 8: Chest/Back/Abs

Even without the luxury that is electricity I was able to get in my Day 8 Chest and Back video. I used my laptop that was hooked up to my car and ran an extension cord from the garage up to the workout room. I felt very dedicated after rigging together this device!

My house was extremely uncomfortable due to the heat so I had the sweatest workout to date. It was much easier today than last week since I remembered most of the exercises and was comfortable with them. I felt great on the pull-up bar and can already feel progress being made. I need to go weight myself this week.

Ab Ripper X was even not as brutal today! I made it through the whole thing without feeling like I needed to vomit and actual hit all the reps a couple of times. I am sort of proud.

I somehow tweeked my left shoulder today on the pull-up bar and as I type this it is aching pretty bad. Tomorow is Plyometrics so that will give it a day to rest. Doing to well now to let a minor pain slow me down.

Even though we are living like we are in a Third World Country I have been able to stick to my diet throughout this whole ordeal. I did have one light beer on Saturday but considering the circumstances I think it was okay. I have been eating grilled egg whites, turkey sausages, chicken, beef, pork and shrimp (as I typed that the Third World Country joke seems rather lame). On Friday night I knew we were going to lose power so I made a Protein Shake in the Blender for the next morning.

What sucks is that the stuff we were unable to grill in the fridge has to be thrown away. All the time I spent aimlessly wondering the grocery store aisles looking for the P90X diet items is wasted! Oh well. I guess once a grocery store opens up again I will start from scratch.

Thanks for Reading.

Jeff

P90X Day 7: Rest Day/IKE Day

It is Sunday night and I am able to get on my computer using my Sprint AirCard and my car adaptor for power.

We survived IKE. It was 12-hours of intense 100-mph winds and rain. My house luckily had no damage. Unfortunately, many of my neighbors were not as lucky as IKE knocked over trees all over the place.

We have no power but are trying to make the best of it. It is very hot without the A/C or fans.

We have no idea when the power is coming back but we have a bunch of water and have been cooking on the grill.

Jeff

P90X Day 6: Kenpo X

This is my lovely wife Annie. She did the Kenpo X workout with me today. We both really enjoyed this workout! She is in pretty good shape and it gave her a great cardio workout. It was just what I needed coming off an intense Legs & Back day.

As with everyone of these videos I was a sweaty mess after the workout. It was very fast paced and the kicking and punching and blocking made me feel like Daniel Larusso. That means Tony Horton was Mr. Miyagi.

Annie made it through the entire workout and then she said she wanted to try Ab Ripper X.

I went downstairs to make the recovery drinks and walked outside to make sure nothing was lying around loose in my yard. I was talking to a few neighbors and out the front door came Annie. I was outside for maybe 5 minutes and Ab Ripper X is 16 minutes ...hmmm. She said it was too damn hard and hurt her back! ABX claims another Victim!

It is 2:20 on Friday and the wind is picking up outside. IKE is still 10-12 hours away from making landfall and we are already getting high winds. It is going to be a very long couple of days with 100MPH winds expected for a 12 -hr period. We have a bunch of food in the freezer and about 6 cases of bottled water. I also filled up all three tubes in my house.

Please think of all of us in the Houston area and maybe even say a little prayer.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 5: Legs/Back/AB Ripper X

Today was an interesting day. Got up early and had a Protein Shake with Banana. I then had to drive down to the Heights in Houston do look over a case with a Doctor and then immediately run over to another appointment. By this time it was about 11am and another Doctor called and had a patient in the chair and needed help. I slammed my protein bar on the way there while listening to the radio about IKE. Luckily all my afternoon appointments rescheduled so I was able to get home for lunch and had a chef salad. This was a blessing because traffic was getting very heavy since all the people (a million plus) South of Houston were all evacuating and I would have got caught up in it if I stayed out any longer.

My phone was ringing off the hook all day and I had a ton of things to do to prepare for the hurricane and I needed a break: Enter Tony Horton and Legs/Back/Abs!

This was a great workout. Twenty-three different leg and back exercises that just kicked the crap out of me! This may have been my favorite workout so far. We moved from lunges to pull-ups at a very brisk pace and I felt like I really was able to BRING IT today.

Then I did AB RIPPER X and that good positive feeling went right down the toliet. This is now my third time doing ARX and I took a step back. I worked so hard on Legs and Back that I had nothing left for Abs. I made it all the way through but it was not pretty. Thank God that I had the wonderfully delicious P90X Recovery Drink waiting for me!!

So, to Recap: Legs - Awesome; Back - Wonderful; Diet - Excellent; Abs - Awful.

Tomorow is Kempo X day and I think it is going to be fun.

The city of Houston is closed tomorrow and we have been advised to stay off the roads and get ready for the storm. This means I have no accounts to see or call so I basically have an "office day" tomorrow. I have a 9am conference call and right after that I plan on hitting Day 6 hard.

Friday night IKE is supposed to be hitting so chances are I might not be able to post for a few days since we will probably be with out electric. Luckily, Saturday is the Stretch/Rest day so it should not impact my routine too much.

If I have to I will plug my laptop into my car and do the videos in the garage!

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

P90X Say 4: Yoga

Let's say that their is a flexibility scale from 1-10. One being the least flexible and 10 being the most. I am about a two!

I am not sure if I enjoyed Yoga. I am sure that my body did not.

It was an 1:30 long. I was pretty tired at the end but it really loosened my otherwise stiff and tight body. The first half hour was pretty simple to maintain the proper form but it progressively got more difficult as the last hour went on. Some of the poses were impossible for me to even attempt but I tried and next time I am sure it will be easier. Maybe I can become a three on the flexibility scale!

I did okay with the diet again today. I took a Doctor out to lunch so it was a real test to not eat bad. We went to a Brazillian Steak House (Protein Heaven!!) and I passed on the bread, had a small salad with fat free dressing and then had a small filet, some pork and a small portion of chicken. I exceeded my calories at lunch so I skipped my mid-afternoon snack. I am defrosting a Tilapia which I will have for dinner.

I am feeling very good right now and my energy level is higher than it has been in years and this is only day 4. I am very impressed with P90X so far.

It was hard to clear my mind today for Yoga (like Tony suggested at the beginning of the video) because I am getting very concerned with Hurricane IKE. The most recent models have it going up the west side of the Houston area. This means the NorthEast side or the Dirty side of the storm would be right over us. Right now I am planning on staying home and not evacuating, but if the storm intensifies we may have no choice but to leave.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

P90X Day 3: Arms/Shoulders/Abs

I was sore today people!!

The pain in my quads made it hard to sit, little bit of grunting getting in and out of my car today. That being said, I feel awesome otherwise. I have more energy than I have had in a long time and I am sleeping like a champ. I have never been a sound sleeper and I usually wake to the slightest noise but since I started this diet and workout I have been sleeping great. Maybe just a coincidence, maybe not?

Started the morning with a protein shake mixed with skim milk, banana and a watermelon slice - it was excellent. Had a protein bar for my mid-morning snack and a chef salad with turkey, ham, cheese and fat-free ranch for lunch. My midday snack was 1 oz of mozzarella cheese stick and the recovery drink. BTW - the P90X Recovery Drink tastes great.

Today's workout was intense as usual. It was paced very quick and as usual I was soaked at the end. I used the Green resistance bands (I think they are 50 lbs) for all of the arm and shoulder exercises, except the straight arm flys, used the red (30lbs). The burn was good and I hit most of my rep goals. I will look forward to doing this again next week, unlike Plyometrics which almost killed me.

Then I rolled right into AB RIPPER X. It is brutal. I absolutely love it. I did much better this time than during Day 1. Still felt like I was going to vomit a few times.

So, going to make the Beef and broccoli Stir Fry from the Nutrition Guide for dinner. It looks good.

Tomorrow is Yoga. Not sure how I feel about this.

On a more serious note it looks like Hurricane IKE has a real good chance of doing some damage here in the Houston area. The weather sites are saying it will hit late Friday or early Saturday. I was here when Rita came through 3 years ago and it was hard to see so many struggle. So, if anyone is actually reading my daily drivel please keep my family and the entire Gulf Region in your prayers.

Thanks for reading!

Jeff

P90X Day 2: Plyometrics

Day 2 is in the books!

I read that some people call Plyometrics "The Beast", that name is deserved.

I got up early today and had a Protein Shake with Skim Milk and a banana. I then had my SuperPump 250 pre-workout drink and planned out my entire week for my job. I was pretty sore from yesterdays workout but I was still pumped to get started.

I then went upstairs to do my workout. I was tired after the 8-minute warm-up! This was not good!

Plyometrics was a beast and I may have sweat more in those 58 minutes than I ever had in my life. You probably could have rung two cups of sweat from my clothes -- it was that intense. But, I made it through and really had to push for the last 10 minutes. I felt a small ting of pride when I finished.

Today was my first day doing this program that I had to also work. I am an outside sales rep and basically live in my car. I do not have a normal nine-to-five type of job that has scheduled breaks. I skip alot of lunches and end up eating fast food because of time constraints.

So, today I packed a cooler with bottled waters, protein bars and a chef salad. I was able to eat all these while driving between appointments at my scheduled times. It was actually cool to have everything in a cooler in my back seat. Felt a little like camping. Except without the woods or a tent or...okay maybe it wasn't anything like camping but I still enjoyed it. I am going to get used to this new style of eating in no time!

I am off to grill some Swordfish for my last meal of the day. Tomorrow is Arms and Shoulders - should be fun since both are already sore as hell.

P90X Day 1: Chest & Back

It has been Brought!

A little piece of me died this morning. Luckily it was a piece of stomache fat.

I started day one with a Protein Shake (Gladiator/Vanilla flavored/Skim milk) and Banana for Breakfast. I then mixed 2 scoops of SuperPump 250. After about 30 minutes the SP250 had me full of energy - I felt great and highly recommend this for your pre-workout drink.

The Chest & Back workout starts with warm-ups and stretching. I actually had a nice little sweat going. Then it jumps right in: Push-ups, Pull-ups, Chin-up, Lawn mowers .... Click here to see the exercises and my results. It totaled 12 different exercises and towards the end I was REALLY feeling the burn. Then when you think you are done Tony informs you we are going to do it all again. This is when you feel the pain. A couple of times I felt like I was going to pass out but keep pushing through. I could not believe how much I was sweating!

After you finish the 24 grueling exercises the hard part is just beginning: AB RIPPER X!!!

This is 15 minutes of non-stop core ripping. My form was pretty bad doing most of the AB exercises. Hopefully this will improve over the nesxt 89 days. AB RIPPER X is killer. I was dropping curse words throughout.

I am drinking the P90X Recovery Drink as I type this and it is very good. I am going to look forward to drinking this after each workout!

My first day review of the P90X in one word: Awesome!

If I can keep this up for 90 days I am going to be in the best shape of my life.

Anyways, I have my diet planned for the rest of the day: Protein Bar Snack, Chef Salad Lunch, Cheese stick and Protein Drink snack, Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner. Protein Galore!

Here are my Pre-Day one Photos (hello fatty!) and you can see my measurement on the Fit Tracker Link on the right:

Thanks for Reading -- Time to go watch the Steelers beat up on the Texans. Yes, I live in Houston but I am from Pittsburgh.

Go Stillers!

Jeff

It is Time to BRING IT!

The P90X FINALLY arrived yesterday evening! After only 10 short days of waiting.


I received the 12 DVDs, 3 Resistance Bands, P90X Recovery Tub, Nutrition Guide, Fitness Guide and the Chin-Up Bar. I also received the P90X Plus (+) so I guess I will be doing that 91 days from tomorrow! The nutrition guide is a little overwhelming when you first start reading it but by about the middle it really starts to make sense. The Beachbody writers stress that the nutrition part is the key to results. Drop the crappy snack food and stick to the program.


I am ready to BRING IT starting tomorrow morning. Today I am going to install the ChinUp Bar above a guest bedroom and go grocery shopping and plan my entire week based on the nutrition guide. Last night I bought push up handles and a yoga mat so I am just about ready!

I cleared away my gameroom and it will now become my home gym:

I finished watching the Intro DVD and I am pumped up. I would start right now but I promised Mike we would stay on the same day and he cannot start until tomorrow.

So, next time I post will be after the Day 1 workout! Wish me luck at Bringing It.

Jeff

The P90X Fit Test

Today I did the P90X Fit Test with my wife Annie. She is in very good shape and it was fun to compare our results to each other.

The P90X creators recommend doing this test in order to see if you are ready to do the videos. I guess if you fail miserably at the Fit Test you probably need to hit the gym before you begin the actual program.

As for the test it had some challenging exercises. The reason I did this was so that I would have a baseline to measure my results at the end of 90 days other than the pictures I will post soon.

Here is the link on Google Docs with the stats: Fit Test

Here is the order and results of the 8 exercises of the Fit Test:

Resting Heart Rate -- Jeff 74 bpm; Annie 57 bpm.
My Weight -- 181 lbs

#1. Pull-Ups: Test says men should do 3 and women 1.
Jeff 3; Annie 1/4

#2. Vertical Leap: Test says men should do at least 5 inches and women 3 inches (I've always had decent ups).
Jeff 23.5 inches; Annie 9.5 inches

#3. Push-Ups: Men should do at least 15 and women 3 (I was burning after this).
Jeff 29; Annie 21

#4. Toe Touch: Minimum for both men and women is -6 inches.
Jeff +2.5 inches; Annie +8

#5. Wall Squat: Minimum for both men women is 1:00 minute (This was hard).
Jeff 1:07; Annie 0:22

#6. Bicep Curls: Men shoud do minimum of 10 curls at 20 lbs, women 10 at 8 lbs.
Jeff 51 reps at 20 lbs; Annie 31 reps at 20 lbs

#7. In & Outs (Abs): Both should do a minimum of 25 reps.
Jeff 26; Annie 30

#8. Heart Rate Maximizer: This measures your heart rate after 2 minutes of jumping jacks.
Jeff started at 138 bpm and ended at 94.
Annie started at 168 and ended at 77.

Overall I feel like I did pretty well and this has me pumped up to get started. My tracking number says it should be here on Friday. My friend Mike received his today and from what he tells me a lot needs to happen in terms of prep before we can start.

Anyways, if you are considering the P90X I recommend doing this Fit Test. It does give you an idea of where you are physically and where you hope to be in 90 days.

Jeff