February 20, 2011 – 3:40 am Today’s workout was Kenpo X. This workout is getting a lot easier than what it was when I first started doing P90x. I have to focus on increasing the intensity of the punches and kicks so I can get a harder workout, otherwise if I just go through the motion, it is too easy. There were a few times when I went at a faster pace then they did on the screen.
My eating got a bit of track for a couple of days a few days ago (all I ate one day was a lot of oatmeal and some nuts… ), but now I have been doing a lot better eating a balanced diet, and my energy level and workout performance is showing it.
I’ve been trying the recipes in Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. So far, I have like them all. Today I’m going to try and make a batch of the apple cinnamon energy bars and keep them in the fridge for a quick snack.
After this recovery week is over, phase 1 of P90x will be over, and it will be time for phase 2! I haven’t weighed myself in a while, but I’m pretty sure that I have lost weight. I know for sure that I’ve gotten stronger!
February 19, 2011 – 12:00 am Today’s P90x workout was Core Synergistics. I’m on day two of the recovery week. After three weeks of following the same workout schedule, it is nice to have something different.
Staying true to it’s name, the Core Synergistics workout focuses on the core muscles. The hardest exercise for me in this one is the prison cell push-ups. If I was in prison, I would definitely do that exercise because it feels like a full body workout, it gets me winded, and it is exhausting!
I can already feel my core muscles starting to getting sore!
February 17, 2011 – 10:44 pm Yesterday I didn’t do Yoga X (I wasn’t feeling well), so today I did it. I felt great today, and I woke up with a lot of energy.
I can do so much more in Yoga X than I could before. I remember when I couldn’t touch my knee to my forehead while in downward dog, because I had too much stomach fat in the way. Now I can! Losing 50 lbs makes it a whole lot easier.
I also remember when I couldn’t grab my hands from underneath my leg and behind my back while in right-angle pose. Extra fat and inflexibility made it impossible. I remember straining so hard one day because I was tired of not being able to do it that when I finally grabbed my hands, I felt my shoulder start to dislocate (luckily I immediately let go before it got worse)!
Today for the first time ever I was able to do warrior three to standing splits, and half moon to twisting half moon without stopping. It wasn’t pretty or perfect, but I did it! They have always been hard for me. I remember freaking out the first few times I attempted them because I thought they were impossible. I used to wobble all over the place and have to take breaks! There were also several times when I would skip these altogether because they were too hard!
I still have a lot to improve in the Yoga X workout, but I keep trying, and I steadily keep improving!
February 15, 2011 – 10:28 pm Wow, I’ve just finished my 3rd week of P90x, it has gone by fast. After next week it will really start to get a lot harder and more demanding because I’ll start doing two workouts a day 3 days a week. I’ve never followed the Doubles P90x schedule before, I’ve only done the Classic one.
The Classic P90x schedule is hard enough as it is with one workout done 6 days a week. Right now I think I’ll be able to handle doing two workouts a day, but I’m not going to lie, in the past I have often bitten off more than I could chew.
Today’s workout was X Stretch. The most uncomfortable stretches for me are side stretch, plough, glute stretch, frog, and both the single and double leg hamstring stretches.
Sitting in an office chair for hours a day makes my legs and glutes tight, my hamstrings especially. I’m glad Stretch X was included in P90x, because I really need it.
How about that frog stretch, eh? It is so uncomfortable it makes me feel vulnerable! If you want a nice thought, do the frog stretch and get as low as your groin muscles will allow, then think about what it would feel like to have a SUMO WRESTLER COME OUT FROM BEHIND YOUR CURTAINS AND FALL ON YOU. HELLO!
February 14, 2011 – 11:35 pm Today’s P90x workout was Kenpo X. I didn’t start this workout until late at night, and by then I was so tired and ready for bed that I didn’t finish it.
From past experience, I have it pretty well figured out that my chances of doing a workout dramatically decrease if I don’t start it within an hour of waking up. Today was a typical example of what usually happens if I don’t stay on top of it and get it done early.
February 13, 2011 – 12:31 pm Today was the Legs and Back P90x workout and Ab Ripper X. I don’t own any dumbbells to use in this workout, but for now that works out just fine as I don’t feel like my legs are ready for them. For now my body weight is more than enough to get them exhausted.
Over the last few years my work has been done at a computer in an office chair, so when I think about it, it is no wonder why my legs have become so weak. I spend far too much time sitting!
February 13, 2011 – 5:22 am Man, just when I was feeling more confident about the Yoga X workout, today I decided I could do better so I started to lunge lower in the crescent and warrior poses. It made it a whole lot more difficult. My legs were on fire!
I have much respect for the people on the DVD that did the Yoga X workout with Tony Horton. Seeing how well they can do yoga inspires me to keep working at it. The shock at seeing them do the harder poses hasn’t quite worn off.
It is crazy how such a slow paced workout can make you sweat! It didn’t take long at all before I got hot and started to sweat.
I used to hate doing any kind of exercise that was slow, so at first I absolutely hated doing the Yoga X workout. Yoga is slow, calm, and relaxed. It was so frustrating how slow it was! I liked doing fast paced workouts where I could just unleash myself and go as hard and fast as I could.
I’ve kept at it though, and as a result I have benefited from it! Doing yoga has helped me learn how to clear my mind, and relax. It also has helped me improve my flexibility and strengthen my mind and body. When you are holding a difficult pose, it takes a lot of mental strength to keep going! There were a lot of times in my first round of P90x when I just wanted to throw the Yoga X DVD out because it made me ANGRY! I’m glad I kept trying it, because now I like doing yoga!
February 12, 2011 – 2:28 am I feel great. It’s a new day and yesterday’s poor health is gone. I wasn’t able to do the P90x workout the other day, so instead of making myself do it and risk getting worse, I rested.
Now I feel awesome! I woke up, ate a grapefruit, then ate some of the energy pudding I have been making. The Shoulders & Arms workout was great. Resistance bands have been working well for me, but one thing I would like to complain about is that they don’t work well at all for some exercises. Crouching Cohen curls are TERRIBLE with resistance bands, that exercise just doesn’t work well with them.
I experienced something new in today’s workout. While doing Tricep Extensions I was struggling to finish my last repetition. My back foot, which was on the band, lifted up and the resistance band shot up and whipped my back. I pretty much whipped myself because my form was terrible. I’ll have to watch out for that next time.
I can get through Ab Ripper X now without a problem. I’m not saying it’s easy, because it still is difficult. Mason Twists are still the hardest for me, but now I can do them without stopping.
February 11, 2011 – 6:15 am Getting out of bed was harder than usual today. I had a terrible nights rest and frequently woke up sweating.
I’m feeling under the weather, so instead of making myself do the Shoulders & Arms P90x workout I was supposed to do, I’m going to take a break and get better, and then do it tomorrow.
February 10, 2011 – 3:52 am Today’s P90x workout was Plyometrics. It was a great workout. I felt good! I ate my pre-exercise energy pudding snack, and got to jumping.
Got In Touch With The Wild Kangaroo Spirit Inside Of Me
I had a lot of energy, so I was really able to let loose. After doing 30 seconds of the intensified version of jump knee tucks, I was gasping for air.
For me, the most satisfying part about doing P90x is seeing fitness gains. I was able to do so much better in this workout than I ever had.
I’m Very Happy With The Progress I’m Seeing!
I went back and read what I wrote after doing Plyometrics for the first time. Here is what I said…
“Today’s workout was Pylometrics. I really struggled with it. I wasn’t able to finish several exercises, but I did my best. I felt the burn early on and when I saw that I was only 10 minutes in I questioned how in the world was I going to make it through the rest of the Plyometrics workout.”
Read the rest…
Reading that makes me feel great about where I am at now! I can do all of the exercises, and I’m now working on increasing my intensity.
All you have to do to make this workout harder is go faster, jump higher, and squat lower.
Will A Homemade Sports Drink Replenish Me During Exercise?
I’m going to try the healthy sport drink recipes in Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. I ordered it a while back, and it came in the mail the other day. I want to see if drinking a healthy and homemade sports drink during exercise will help me workout harder and maximize my performance by keeping me fueled.
I shall see.
