Days 87 (Yoga), 88 (Kenpo), 89 (Core), 90 (Yoga) DONE!

Finally completed all 90 days of P90X.  This blog post is just about the workouts.  I'll create another post about the results.

I mixed up the final week due to scheduling.  It is too hard to do 90 minutes of Yoga through the week.  So I pushed Yoga to Saturday thinking I'd do Stretch on Friday.  Then I put Kenpo on Sunday and ended normally with Core and Yoga on Monday and Tuesday.

Well, I skipped Stretch.  That routine is only done 3 times during all of P90X and there is tons of stretching in the rest of the routines.  That makes 3 routines I've missed during all of P90X...two Stretches and one Kenpo.  Not too bad.

YOGA

I continue to get better at Yoga.  Everything up to Prayer Twist in a Lunge is pretty automatic now although it is still intense.  Prayer Twist in a Lunge is hit and miss...I'm better than day 1, but some days I can do it the full allotted time and some days I stumble.  I can now do Warrior 3 without stumbling but I'm not as pretty and straight as everyone on the DVD.  Even so, I can stay on one foot and complete the rest of the routine without coming down.  I can't get fully open in half moon but I can general stay up without stumbling.  Twisting half moon is better.  By the way, those are the only moves where I use a Yoga block.  I was able to go all the way down to the ground in all the Chaturangas.  I've never done the extra pushups.  I'm able to hold most of the balance postures all the way through...much better than even a few weeks ago.  I can do Crane twice for 20 seconds each.

I've never had a problem with the floor work.  I do bridge instead of wheel, but I did try wheel the other night and found I could do it...barely.  Haven't tried it during the Yoga workout.  I can put my knees against my eyes during the hamstring stretches.  Yoga belly is going fine...I can get down to just a foot above the ground in the side twists.  Day 90, no one was home so I did the Ohms.  I actually liked it.

KENPO

Nothing really new to report here.  The whole Saunders Cycle is lame.  It is the worst stretch/warmup of the entire P90X system.  I don't even get it.  I'm supposed to do a Prayer Twist in a Lunge as a part of a warmup?  What the hell does that do for me?  The rest of the workout is generally fun and relatively easy.  I find myself getting my second wind at exactly the same time that Horton says he does.

CORE

I've gotten better at since the last recovery week.  In my final workout, I did 50-60 staggered hand push ups.  I can do 15 Sphinx pushups, 14 Prison Cell Pushups and 15-17 Dreya Rolls.  I can do the full routine of Plank to Chaturanga Isos.  All of this is HARD...I'm not saying it is easy.  I can feel I am pushing myself to my very limit.  But I can do it.  I can also start to feel my core engage during lunges.  I've never done that before and I think that is why I've had such a hard time with them...I've only been focusing on my legs.

So there is it...90 days down.  I'll post the final before/after results soon along with other thoughts and where I go from here.

Days 82 (Legs/Back), 83 (Kenpo) and 85 (Core)

Well, I didn't skip a workout but I skipped a whole bunch of blogs.  Let's see if I can recap.

Monday was Legs/Back.  The bottom line on this workout is if you make it through the first half, you are probably going to be alright.  The only really hard exercise in the second half is the toe roll iso lunge.  My balance has improved dramatically since I started P90X.  The only time I need something to occasionally balance myself is the one-legged squats where you touch the floor and come up.  And I've improved on those too.  At one point in the routine, I completed 10 pull ups without a chair...that is the most ever.

Kenpo...what is there to say?  Easy workout but still burns calories.  I can now do the knuckles-front kick-back kick without my foot touching the ground between the kicks.  Once again, balance is improving.

Core is always rough but I can see I must be getting stronger.  I can complete all exercises although I don't go down in Chaturanga Run...I stay in plank.  One cool thing is that I can do the plank/chaturanga isos now.  I used to only be able to go down and up twice.

Of course I used Core to start off my last week.  It is supposed to start off with Yoga but I had to swap the days because I was limited on time...Yoga will be today.  I have to admit, it is getting harder to do the workouts at the end if I focus on results.  I know I will get the same 90 day results whether I do the last few workouts or not.  What keeps me going is that I am trying to focus on integrating P90X into my daily fitness routine.  I've said before, I am going to just keep doing it.  So it isn't about 90 day results anymore...it is about just maintaining a level of fitness.  So that takes the steam out of skipping the last few workouts...they won't be the last few anymore.  I am actually looking forward to starting another round.

Day 81 (Yoga) Getting better and better...

Completed Yoga on Sunday.  It is always a drag to see I'm going to be doing any workout for 90 minutes, but it goes by VERY fast once I start.  I'm continuing to improve.  I completed prayer twist on my first side without a wobble.  The second side wasn't so hot.  Warrior 3 on my first side completed without a wobble and I kept my back leg up through the subsequent moves.  I've found I can keep my balance better if I move my back leg one way or the other in half moon and twisting half moon.  I still use a modified Yoga block during those moves but I found I can twist my body more by focusing on pushing my chest out.  That pushes my high hand more around instead of collapsing in.  Not sure if that makes sense.

For the balance postures, I stayed in tree on both sides.  Royal Dancer seems to be getting harder for some reason...maybe because I am working harder at everything before it.  Leg extensions are getting easier.

Day 79 (Plyo), 80 (Back/Biceps)...Plyo is...fun?

Completed Plyo on Friday and Back/Biceps (+ Ab ripper) on Saturday.

I'm now having fun doing Plyo.  It isn't killing me anymore.  I mean, it is hard but not so hard that I feel like dying.  I no longer have to press the pause button.  Actually, I forgot to blog about Plyo last week.  And I think it started happening last week.  I've said it previously, but much of it is mental.  If you write out the names of the routines and see how it is broken up, you'll see that some exercises are really natural breaks.  And you can mentally prepare to get through the hard exercises knowing you are going to have those natural breaks.  I've learned that once I get through the first two blocks of four exercises (and really, it is about the reach squats followed by the jump switch pickups), the rest of the routine is downhill.  I no longer have any knee pain during the entire routine.

What can I say about Back/Biceps?  I'm now using 60 pounds for lawnmowers and a few more of the back exercises are seeing increased weights.  I'm not really being able to do more weight in the curls right now.  I'm also reaching a plateau with the pull ups.  For the strip set I'm doing 20 pounds twice and 15 pounds twice.  It is just too ridiculous to do 20-15-10-5.  Hopefully, I'll eventually be able to step that up to starting at 25.

Day 78 (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)

Not too much to say about yesterday's workout.  I always think of this as the "weird push up day" as it has all sorts of different types of hard push ups.

Once again, I modified many of the "over the head" exercises by sitting down so I can focus on my arms instead of my back as I am lifting weights above my head.  That seemed to work out well.  I'm always nervous with the tricep exercises as I'm pushing my arms to the max and if they give out, the weights are going to come down on my head.  This might sound dumb, but I've known this to happen to other people.  Ouch.

I've been having a problem with the plyo (clap) push ups for a while.  If I am on my knees, I can do them almost forever.  If I'm not on my knees, I can't do one in the middle of the workout (I can do plenty off my knees if I'm wasted from the workout).  Somehow, I need to find a modification that is harder than being on my knees, but not as hard as being on my toes.  I'll never get stronger unless I can max out on them.

Anti-day 77 (non-Kenpo) So I'm human...

Kenpo didn't happen today.  I took the day off to go to the zoo with the family and one activity led to another and the day finally ran out of steam with the only time to do the workout being right before bed.

I would probably not miss a resistance workout.  But Kenpo...well, its easy.  It doesn't really build anything except a little coordination and balance.  It burns about 700 calories, but I'm not looking to lose weight and I don't imagine I'll lose much cardio capacity by missing a day.

Besides, I am starting to think of the P90X workouts as being integrated into an everyday fitness routine...not just 90 days that reach some arbitrary goal.  I'll be continuing this indefinitely, so I'm not going to beat myself up about missing one day.

So far I've missed one stretch routine in week 8 and now one cardio routine in week 11.  I actually probably would have made this up if I hadn't pushed Legs/Back off one day and ended up with no extra day to play with.

Day 76 (Legs/Back) Finally...feeling/seeing changes

Finished Legs/Back today.  I've had steady but slow improvement on this routine from day one.  Once my balance improved, I think things started to really kick into gear.  I think this is the result of extra strength being added from just being more successful at balancing.  Balance lunges, super skaters, toe iso rolls...all can now be done with no help from hanging on to a chair.  And I think the improvement builds more improvement...the more I can balance, the more small muscles get exercises, the better I can balance, etc.  It has just taken a very long time to start to arrive here.  The only real problem is the deadlift squat (squatting on one leg and coming back up).  I did MUCH better at that one today, but once I start to wobble and get out of rhythm, I can't seem to get it back.

When I talk about feeling changes, I'm talking about pull ups and all the calf exercises.  Regarding the pullups...for the past 11 weeks, I've simply struggled just to pull myself up.  To be honest, I've never really felt this as a back exercise...it has always seemed all arms.  Well today I started to feel something different.  I guess my arms are now strong enough that there isn't so much of a struggle getting halfway up.  But during the last part of the motion, I can now feel the focus in my back...I can really push that part of my body and slowly bring myself up.  I'm not sure if it makes sense the way I'm talking about it.  Let me try to make it more clear...first I'm pulling up with my arms and then I can now feel my back take over and bring me the rest of the way up.  It now feels like I am using all the muscles I am supposed to.  And I'm seeing results.  Although I can do at least 8 of about any type of pull up right off the bat, I could never before do that many after being in the middle of a workout.  I am now approaching that.  And I owe it all to the chair.  By maxing out with the chair and then continuing for a total of 12-15 reps with the chair, I've really allowed myself to build up strength.  Before when I wasn't using the chair and maxing out at 3-4 reps, I was going nowhere.

Regarding feeling it in the calf muscles...all the stuff geared toward the calf would really only make the arches of my feet sore.  I never felt anything in the calf.  Now that has started to change.  I'm not sure if I am doing anything different, but today I was really able to focus on how my calf felt during the exercises.

OK, I'm going to be honest here...when it comes to the muscle, I don't know what the plural of calf is...calfs or calves. 

OK, now onto seeing changes.  I haven't mentioned this before because I didn't want to feel like I was searching for results.  But I can now see definite improvement in my abs.  There is no doubt.  And it isn't from weight loss because I am at the same weight I was when I started.  There is definite definition.  Not sure if it will show up on camera or not, but I can clearly see it.

Day 73,74 (Shoulders/Arms, Yoga) Sitting down...

So I’ve had my first experience losing an entire post after I wrote it…and then losing it again after I wrote it the second time.  Let’s see what happens this time…

Finished Shoulders/Arms on Saturday and Yoga on Sunday.  I was actually supposed to do Legs/Back yesterday (Monday) but you know what…I just didn’t feel like it.  So I used Monday for the day of rest with Legs/Back today (Tuesday) and Kenpo on Wednesday.  Then I’ll start the final week of resistance on Thursday.  Can you tell I’m getting a little burnt out.  Or maybe my luck has run out.  I’ve gotten through almost eleven weeks without any real crisis that has prevented a workout.  I’ve worked out through illness and vacation.  But other than that, the past eleven weeks have been pretty laid back.  Now life it getting busy again and I can see working out will have to be more flexible.  That will all be taken into account once I complete the 90 days and figure out exactly how I’m going to proceed.

Shoulders/Arms went pretty well.  As I mentioned before, I sat down during the exercises (like presses) where weight is above my head.  That took some strain off my back and allowed me to focus on proper form where it counts.  I’ve also learned to keep my body more stable in the exercises where I stand.  Before, I’d look down and see my knees and feet all over the place like an idiot.  Now I’m trying to concentrate on having a very stable foundation.  One thing is that I’ve somewhat peaked out on weight over the past few weeks.  Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise.  I am setting my goal at 8-10 reps, but I don’t think I’m really gaining bulk or strength because I’m not eating more and gaining weight.  We’ll see what happens.

Yoga also went well…pretty comparable to last time.  Was able to do Warrior 3 (although wobbling) on the second side…the first side had some stumbles.  The same thing happened with prayer twist in a lunge…first side had tumbles but second side was good.  Still can’t look up in that prayer twist lunge, but I’m happy I can hold it.  Tree was stable.  Royal Dancer had some stumbles.  Standing Leg Extension had some stumbles.  I can do Crane twice for about 10 seconds.  I stop after that because of knee strain.  Everything else went well.  Still trying to get lower in the second round of side twists.

Day 71 (Chest/Back) Peaking out?

Ah, Chest and Back...where it all began.  This was the first workout of the whole program and it always makes be remember the first morning.  When I started, I was scared...SCARED.  Chest and Back is basically a ton of push ups and pull ups with three exercises that require weights.  I started with five pounds...FIVE!  That is how scared I was (I had never done free weights before).  Now those exercises are taking 40-50 pounds each and I would up it if I had the weights (which I'll have to get eventually).

Also when I started, all I had was a pull up bar that went in a doorway.  That was a disaster for someone of my height...very uncomfortable.  Add to that, I wasn't using a chair or any assist and I was killing myself to get 2-3 reps.  That went on for several weeks before I swallowed my pride and started using a chair in order to get at least 12 reps.  Now, I can at least start out with 8 reps without a chair (although I go way downhill further on into the workout).

The thing is that I'm starting to plateau.  I've reached somewhat of a max rep count that hasn't increased for several weeks.  It stands at about 20-25 push ups (depending on where I am in the workout) and around 12 pull ups (with and without the chair added).  It isn't for lack of effort...I am pushing myself until my arms literally won't work anymore.  Since the third week or so, I've been using push up bars and I've been playing around with forgetting about getting high reps and focusing on just going lower.  I'll admit that I haven't been going as low as I could.  Part of it has to do with the speed that is suggested.  They go so freaking fast on the DVD that it is hard to get low enough. 

However, most of this doesn't matter for this first 90 days.  Because of the P90X schedule, this is the last time I'll be doing this workout.  I won't see it again until the next round.

That's right...I've said it.  The next round of P90X.  But to be honest, there isn't anything really special about that.  I worked out before P90X and I knew I'd continue working out afterward.  I like the way the program is set up and it simply seems like a workout now...nothing magical or too hard.  Three days of resistance plus two days of cardio and a day of Yoga.  It seems like a reasonable schedule that should be effective.  I won't be looking for dramatic change...just simply to keep in really good shape and continuing to improve upon the routines and exercises.

Day 68,69 (Legs/Back, Kenpo)

So I went back to the normal schedule...Monday Legs/Back and Tuesday Kenpo.  No Core as my back didn't seem to like it.  Not sure when/if I'll try that again.

I surprised myself with Legs/Back this time.  I didn't have any problem with some exercises, specifically one legged wall squats.  My balance has also improved...barely needed any chair on the balance lunges (first exercise) and the toe iso rolls.  Actually, the only exercise that really kills me is the deadlift squats...where you are squatting on one leg.  That is a balance AND strength move and I lack in both.  I really struggled through those...wobbling all over the place and I know my form sucked.  I have a tendency to bend over instead of going straight down.  I get distracted by the pace of the DVD.  Next time I do this, I plan on pressing pause and really focusing on my form.

Legs and Back has really risen to the top (or should I say dropped to the bottom) of my least favorite workouts.  I say least favorite, but I can see how much these are helping me.  My knees and legs just keep improving.  So it is a love-hate type of thing.

I really could see an improvement in balance during Kenpo.  I was able to do front kick/back kick without even touching the ground with the kicking foot.  Kenpo isn't so bad...just fairly easy.  And perhaps I need "easy" once a week.  Kenpo is the only workout in which I feel energized throughout instead of wiped out.

Well, that wraps up 10 weeks.  Only two more weeks of resistance and then a "recovery" week.

Day 67 (Yoga) Getting better every time...

Completed Yoga today and performed better than I ever have.  I am beginning to see that statement on several workouts lately.  It is cool to start mastering some of this stuff.

First, I woke up late today.  Usually, I need to start workouts at 9AM on weekdays to get done in time for other activities.  Today, I didn't even wake up until after 9.  I wasn't sure how I was going to fit a 90 minute routine in and I kept putting it off.  I wasn't in the mood to spend 90 minutes exercises.  But finally a window opened that seemed to make sense and I finally pushed play on the DVD player.  Like most other days when I don't feel like working out, once I start the workout my attitude changes.

I was a little worried at first.  For some reason, I found myself kind of wobbly.  I almost fell backward out of Reverse Warrior.  That hasn't happened since I started P90X.  I thought that this was going to be a bad day.  But somehow everything got better.  I finished the whole right angle pose and grab thinking, that was WAY easy.  I still fell out of prayer twist in a lunge on the first side, but was able to keep it in the second side.  The massive improvement was in the Warrior 3 series.  I was able to get into Warrior 3 and hold it on both sides.  I wobbled around a bit, but I was able to stay up on one leg.  That is a first.  As I did last week, I used a "yoga block" (actually the box my weights came in) and was able to get reasonably respectfully through half moon and twisting half moon without bringing the back leg down.  The only problem was through the first series (with the right leg front) my leg burned out trying to come back into crescent pose at the end.

Another huge improvement was tree...I stayed in it without even wobbling on both legs.  The bad news is that I got overconfident and sucked at royal dancer...a pose I am usually decent at.  Standing leg extensions were rough too, but I am making small improvements.  I can do crane now for 10+ seconds but it puts a lot of strain on my wrists so I don't put a huge effort into it.  I have a lot more control in crane through and I can feel myself compensating and moving back and forth to stay up.

Nothing else really special to report.  My lower back felt better for a while after Yoga, but then felt worse through the day.  No modified routine this week...no Core!  Going back to Back/Legs tomorrow and Kenpo on Tuesday.  Once problem I am having is a little bit of what feels like tendinitis on the outsides of my ankles.  This happened a day after Legs/Back last Tuesday...perhaps from the calf raises.  Not sure, but it prevented me from going full out in one of the sitting hamstring stretches (where your foot is against your upper thigh as you bend over your leg).  My ankle felt a lot of strain and I couldn't stay in that position.  We'll see how that goes.

Day 66 (Back/Biceps) Injury II report!

Finished Back and Biceps...essentially a bunch of pull ups and curls.  I was able to increase weight on a number of exercises.  I may actually have to buy more weight...I am doing 50 pounds on lawnmowers and it isn't enough.

But I am feeling a lot of lower back strain.  I first felt this during my last Core workout last Monday.  There is an exercise where you mimic picking up an object on one side and setting it up on a shelf on the other over and over again.  I was feeling a little bit in my back during the exercise, but I attributed it to the normal "burn" you feel in muscles while doing a routine.  Well, perhaps you don't want that "burn" in your lower back.  I think I made it worse on Thursday doing tricep exercises.  I mentioned this on Thursday's blog (day 65) that there is no reason to stand during those exercises as it puts unnecessary strain on the back.

It isn't serious, but enough to make me sore quite a bit...and enough to say screw doing Core during the normal weeks.  I'm going back to the normal schedule of having Kenpo on there until my back feels better.

Day 65 (Plyo) The best so far...

Finished Plyo today and did the best I've ever done.  Forgive me if I've already stated this in previous blogs, but 90% of getting through Plyo is psychological.  If you can mentally break down the workout into the six sections it contains, it won't seem like an endless stream of exercises designed to kill you.

In my case, getting through the first and second sections is the hardest.  I don't have a problem with the jumping that happens in the next several sections, but the first two contain a lot of crouching/squatting that really tires the legs out quickly.  I consider those the hardest and I'm not able to get down and touch the ground by the end of them.  Each section has two exercises that I consider almost breaks because they are easier on the legs.  If you are aware of where these breaks are, you can mentally prepare for them and prevent yourself from giving up during the harder exercises.

Day 64 (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps) Just sit down!

Finished Chest/Shoulders/Triceps yesterday and I've learned the lesson to sit down several weeks too late.  What I am talking about is many of the weights-over-the-head exercises (tricep extensions and shoulder presses).  I have been struggling with some of these because it is awkward trying to stand while moving the weights around above your head.  I've thought about it and talked with others and determined there is no reason to stand during some of these exercises.  In fact, standing takes your focus away from where you really need your energy.  I wish I would have learned this six weeks ago as I could have pushed much harder and been much easier on my back for the past five times I did this workout.

Another lesson I've learned is to pause the DVD during many of the maximum rep exercises.  I am commonly doing push up variations far past the time they do on the DVD.  I'll automatically stop because I've used up the allotted time.  However, I've started pausing the DVD at the beginning of the exercise and then do my max reps.  I'm actually doing this on other exercises that aren't max reps so I can really focus on what I am doing without being distracted by either the pace or banter on the DVD.  I'm not criticizing the program...the pacing and banter was really useful early on.  I just feel like I've moved past much of it and can do this stuff on my own better.

I am really learning how it feels to push yourself to exhaustion.  When I first started the program, I would go until I really thought I was exhausted.  Later on, I learned how to push past that point to REAL exhaustion...like when the muscle isn't just uncomfortable but literally will not operate any more.  Specifically, it seems like push ups do this for me.  It is actually an awesome feeling powering through past what I thought my limits were.

Day 62 (Legs/Back) Oh...its about balance

Yesterday I completed Legs and Back.  Because of the P90X schedule, I haven't done this in two weeks.

One of the benefits of blogging all these workouts is that I can see patterns.  And one pattern is that I never feel good about this workout after it is finished.  Many of the P90X workouts are hard...in that it is hard to lift heavy weights or do it over and over again without becoming exhausted.  Other P90X workouts are difficult...in that it is difficult to actually do the routine because of balance or coordination.  I now realize why I'm so bummed about Legs and Back...because it is both hard AND difficult.

My biggest problem is all the different types of lunges.  It takes a lot of focus to conquer exhaustion and get through them.  Then you combine that with the difficulty in balancing in such a low lunge.  I talked with a friend a work and it seems like P90X lunges are a little odd in that they maintain a straight back leg.  This makes balancing a real problem for me.  I even have problems keeping balance in the warmup lunges.  My issue is really trying to find my center of balance.  Should I balance my weight on my front leg?  This would seem to be the best way to keep balance.  However, this means that your hips aren't necessarily square and pointing forwards...you are more pointed toward the forward knee.  This is a big no-no in Yoga where you are supposed to square yourself straight forward.  In reading this, it really sounds like I am over thinking, but what else am I supposed to do when I can't seem to keep balance?

I think I'll pop in the DVD over the next few days and really look at the form they are using during the lunges.

Even with this problem, I did OK I guess.  I had a chair beside me for balance and really tried to minimize using it.  I was able to do a decent number of pull ups without a chair before having to resort to one.  I did have to make a few breaks slightly longer as I caught my breath...my cardio seems to be suffering somewhat.  I didn't want to do this, but if I didn't take a short break, I knew my performance would seriously suffer.

Day 61 (Core) Mixing up the schedule and fading magic

Today was my first experiment in improving the P90X schedule.  Kenpo is done weekly, but I find it way too easy of a cardio workout and although there is some balance work through the minimal amount of kicking during the routine, the benefits are really limited.  I am committed to the program so I would continue to do it, but I saw an opportunity to tweak the schedule and replace it with something that adds more value.

Core is an excellent workout that focuses obviously on your core muscles while performing other exercises.  For the Classic schedule of P90X, Core is only performed six times during the entire 90 days.  Core is also pretty non-stop and therefore very cardio-like.  I've measured and it burns just as many calories as Kenpo so I don't lose any cardio by switching them out.  Essentially, what I lose in some balance and coordination, I get back in core work.  Mind you, I'm not losing all the balance work.  Yoga is practically all balance and the Legs/Back routine incorporates a lot of balance. 

Another thing...I'm not going soft here.  Core is WAY HARDER than Kenpo.  I am actually making the program HARDER by putting it in.  There is NOTHING in the Kenpo plan that I cannot do very easily.  However, there are a lot of exercises in Core that I won't be able to do for a long time.

The real issue to swapping out Kenpo with Core is how to schedule it.  I've found that the P90X schedule is actually made very nicely to allow for recovery and prevent over training.  Kenpo is on a Tuesday.  However Core is actually pretty chest heavy with a lot of push up like exercises.  Thursdays are always full of chest exercises and those two days don't feel like enough time to rest.  From the advice of Stephanie Osborne, I've decided to put Core on Monday and move Legs/Back from Monday to Tuesday.  The only problem with this is that there is quite a bit of lunge and squat stuff in Core too...hopefully not enough to put me off Legs/Back the next day.  We'll see.

Core went pretty well today.  It can really be an exhausting routine.  Most exercises don't use weight but those that do require very light weights because of the high number of repetitions.  I use only ten pound dumbbells for these.  Some of the more challenging exercises included are Sphinx push ups, Plank/Chaturanga runs and Plank/Chaturanga isos.  Each of these I can actually do by themselves on any given day.  But when you put them in the middle of the workout, they become exponentially harder...or almost impossible. 

P90X has really start to lose the magic for me.  The reason why is that it isn't really magical to begin with.  It is marketed and talked about as if it is some type of supernatural force.  But after 60 days of doing this, I am realizing that it is just a workout routine...three days of cardio and three days of weights.  It is well regimented and put together, but it isn't anything super special.  And after doing it for a while, I begin to realize that it isn't as hard as everyone says.  People actually scare you when they talk about it.  But once you get in the groove, although it is definitely challenging, it isn't impossible.  It isn't walking on water...it is just working out.

Day 60 (Yoga)

Completed Yoga X yesterday to wrap up 60 days.  Nothing really new to report except that I tried using a "Yoga block" (actually the case my dumbbell set came in) during half moon and twisting half moon.  Without the block, I was using my finger tips on the floor as I turned.  This would result in me not being able to turn very far without tipping over.  With the "block," I am able to put my palm all the way down and turn a little farther without the fear of tumbling.  It is still very rough.  However, I have been able for a while now to keep my back leg up through the entire routine.  Prior to that, I am able to get a few seconds of Warrior 3 before I have to come down into standing splits.

Other than that, nothing new.  Still trying to go lower in the second round of the leg twists.  Still trying to go lower in the Chaturangas.  I have never done the extra push ups by the way.  Once again, I felt really groovy after it was all over with.  The routine really does that for me.

With 60 days up, I really don't see much of a difference in my body as far as it looks.  I have a little more Ab definition.  My wife says my chest, shoulders and arms have gotten bigger but I don't see it.  We'll see what happens over the next 30 days.  I am not expecting anything dramatic.

The really cool thing is how good my knees feel.  And just overall, I feel...I don't know...just more spry.  Before P90X, I felt kind of like an old man whenever I would get up or down, especially from the floor.  I don't feel that drag anymore.  I think my body is now just used to jumping, squatting and lunging.

Day 59 (Shoulders/Arms) Increasing weight...

Finished shoulders and arms.  I was able to increase my weight by 5 pounds on almost every exercise since the last time I did this.  That shows I am making an improvement.  However, I did experience a little bit of "two steps forward/one step back" as I progressed.  After pushing myself more than normal for the first half of the workout, my triceps starting to give out a little in the end so some of my reps decreased.

Also, I pushed myself a little too far in some of the initial exercises where the weights are above your head.  I might have slightly tweaked my back.  It isn't too bad...not really an injury...probably because of all the core work I've done over the past two months.  Just a little tight.  Yoga tomorrow will probably help it out.

I've never really done dumbbells before P90X before.  One thing I notice is that I'll pick up weights for an exercise thinking "man, these are way too heavy for what I'm trying to do" while they are still down by my sides.  But I find that once I start the exercise that feeling goes away.  By making just one attempt to see if I can do it, I avoid just setting the weights down and trying something lighter.  I am also noticing that a lot of weightlifting is mental.  You really have to mentally push yourself past the point of discomfort.  Horton says it in one of the videos...something about how people tend to stop WAY too early.  He's right.  We aren't used to pushing ourselves like this during our day-to-day activities.  It really takes a different mindset to push yourself to absolute exhaustion.

Another mental part is taking the energy out of your face.  I find myself straining my face during some exercises as I am really pushing lifting a weight.  Once I realize I am face-straining, I will relax my face and focus on the muscles I am working.  At that point, I find a calm and I'm able to really improve my performance.  I mean, I'm not working out my face here!

Day 58 (Plyo) The best I've ever done

Finished Plyo and did the best I've ever done.  It might have something to do with the fact that I got 8 hours of sleep last night plus a 90 minute nap today.  In addition, because of the P90X schedule, I haven't done this for two weeks.  We'll see if this high lasts the next time I do this next week.

When I say I did good, I mean that I didn't take extra breaks and I got lower and jumped higher than ever before.  I was able to touch the floor through both rounds of Squat Reach Jump and through most of the first round of Run-Stance Squat Switch Pickup (which is right after Squat Reach Jump).  After the middle of the first round, I had to go to the middle of my calf.  I was able to also go lower in Leapfrog Squat and Lateral Leapfrog Squat.  Usually those two are pseudo breaks for me, but this time I was able to go low enough that I really felt the burn in the thighs.  I am usually fried by Run Squat 180 Jump Switch, but this time I was able to get down to the top of my shoes.  I'm not going to be getting to the floor on those for a while.

Another thing...Tony doesn't stress the important things about Squat Jacks until the second round when it is almost too late.  They go WAY too fast in the first round and don't focus on going low (and slow) until Tony mentions it in the second round.  This time I did both rounds at my own pace and low.  My knees didn't complain this time so I must be improving.

One thing that is helping me a lot through this workout is that I wrote out the exercises on a paper and broke them down into their respective five rounds.  At any moment, I can see where I am and what is coming up next.  This helps the workout from feeling never ending.

Day 57 (Chest/Back) Now into the final phase...

Finished Chest/Back and then Ab Ripper later.  Because of the P90X schedule, I haven't done this workout in 5 weeks although I've done a lot of other chest and back exercises.  I didn't expect this workout to be so hard.  I'm not sure if it is truly the 5 weeks or the fact that I'm using push up bars now.  I was struggling.  I couldn't do the same number of reps (as far as push ups) when I last did this routine.  I also felt a lot of effort in my forearms.  I also performed pull ups with a chair after I max'd out without the chair (which was pretty quickly...after 8 pull ups in the first round).  I was able to increase my weight significantly for the heavy pants, lawn mowers and back flys.

Overall, I feel pretty good about the workout.  I pushed myself until my muscles wouldn't work anymore and I was very tight...I could barely lift my arm to wash the back of my neck in the shower afterward.

Ab Ripper also was somewhat of a challenge but not too bad.

Day 55 (Yoga) I need a recovery from recovery

Finished Yoga yesterday.  I was sore...SORE...from doing Core.  I think the past week of sitting in a car for 12 hours followed by Kenpo, followed by mowing grass, followed by Core has had an effect.

Yoga seemed a little harder.  Getting in the bottom of the Chaturanga was more difficult...probably from all the Core push-up stuff.  Still, I was able to achieve my normal goal...get all the way through right angle twist grab without tumbling.  For some reason, I couldn't keep my balance in the prayer twists this time.  And as usual, I couldn't hold Warrior 3.  However, I was able to keep my back leg up all the way through the Warrior 3/Half Moon/Twisting Half Moon routine (except for one brief tumble).  That may have been the first time I've ever done that.  My knee was on FIRE.  I still can't seem to get half moon...it is very awkward to hold...although twisting half moon is easier.

Strangely enough, I was better on the balance moves (tree, royal dancer, standing leg extensions).  Not sure why.  By the way, I'm still starting off standing on the right leg instead of the left as they do on the DVD.  The purpose for this is that your left leg is fried from just finishing the Warrior 3 routine on it.  I can do crane for several seconds, but I'm not pushing it as it is putting a lot of strain on my wrists.  I'll go in and out of it a few times during the minute, but not too many times or as long as they do.

Everything else went well.  I tried to go much lower in the second round of leg twists during Yoga Belly.  Throughout the Chaturangas, I tried to go much lower.

Just realized that I just finished 8 weeks and only missed the X-stretch during recovery week.  Thursday starts the next round of resistance which goes 4 full weeks.  I am actually looking forward to it.

Day 54 (Core) and replacing Kenpo with Core

Finished Core yesterday.  I worked harder on Core than I ever have before, partly because I am getting used to it.  Core is only done four times during the entire P90X schedule and I think you have to do a workout at least 2-3 times before you really know it enough to be able to push yourself.

During the Core workout, Horton tells you to focus on your core while during exercises.  But yesterday is probably the first time I have done that.  Before, I was just focusing on being able to do an exercise or just making it through the hour.

I was actually able to complete all exercises in the workout for the entire allotted time except for the Plank/Chaturunga Iso's at the end.  By focusing on my core muscles, I think I took the focus on how much I wanted to die during the hour so I was able to complete more.

Throughout P90X, one of the things that really motivates me is not being able to do something.  If there is an exercise that I can't even modify to complete, it really pushes me to work harder.  I at least want to be able to do the modified (easier) move.  But with only 6X during the 90 days, there isn't enough time to work on the Core workout in order to be able to improve.

I've brought this up before...swapping out Kenpo with Core.  I think about what I'm missing by not doing the Core more and what I'd be missing by taking the Kenpo out.  The cardio part of Kenpo is easily replaced by Core...they both burn about the same number of calories (700-800).  Without Kenpo, the only significant thing I lose is the coordination and balance of the kicking routines...nothing else in the program covers that.  But without Core, I lose a huge amount of core muscle exercises that I think are really beneficial.

The main hurdle of replacing Kenpo with Core is figuring out how to get enough recovery time.  Core is very arm/chest heavy...specifically with plank/push-up exercises.  It really needs to be separated from the other chest work.  Since Kenpo is on day 6 and most chest stuff is on day 1, there is only 48 hours recovery.  So I've decided to move Yoga to day 6 from day 4 and put Core at day 4.

We'll see how it goes.  This essentially means that the Abs lose a day of rest because Ab X is on days 1, 3 and 5 and also get subjected to Yoga Belly on day 6 and Core on day 4.

Day 51 (Core), 53 (Kenpo) and my first missed workout.

Finished Core my last full day of vacation (Friday).  I didn't necessarily dog it, but I have to admit that I wasn't in the frame of mind to really put my all into it.  I got through all the exercises but I fell apart during the Plank/Chaturunga runs and iso's.  The Sphinx push ups were harder than I remembered too.

Saturday/Sunday was supposed to be Kenpo/Stretch.  I knew I was going to be driving 12 hours on Saturday, so I switched Kenpo to Sunday and essentially just skipped Stretch.  The Stretch workout is only done once during each recovery week for a total of 3 times during the 90 days.  It is also optional as the 7th workout every week.  Practically all the stretches in the workout are already covered in the warm-up/cool-downs of the other workouts so I don't feel like I really missed anything.  However, just to be good I plan on putting Stretch during my next off day so I can officially say I haven't missed anything.

Did Kenpo yesterday as planned.  Nothing really new here.  Kenpo is the easiest of all the workouts for me.  I've continued to toy with replacing it with Core every week.  I see from internet searches that others have done the same thing.  The problem with that is there would only be 48 hours of recovery from all the upper body stuff before I'd have to do another round of upper body with either Chest/Back or Chest/Shoulders/Arms.  It is really hard to tweak the P90X schedule without running into issues with recovery.

Day 50 (Yoga)

Finished Yoga this morning.  Not much to report.  These blog updates are likely to get more and more boring as less and less new happens.

Today's Yoga was very similar to Sunday's.  I got through right angle pose and grab without stumbling.  Prayer twist was better.  Couldn't hold Warrior 3, but did marginally better at the whole standing splits/half moon/twisting half moon.  Although I couldn't always hold the pose (with half moon being the hardest), I tried to keep the back leg up throughout the whole routine.  I stumbled here and there, but I am getting much better. 

I did notice that I've never been getting as low as what they do during the Chaturangas.  I'll work on that.

I also noticed last Sunday that I haven't been getting low enough on the side twists during Yoga belly.  Working on that too.

Day 48 (Kenpo) 7 weeks complete!

Finished Kenpo and week 7 today.  Not much to report.  Once again, proud to get a workout done while I'm on vacation.  Not too long into the workout, I was overwhelmed with the desire to quit.  Being on vacation isn't very conducive to pushing yourself in P90X workouts.  But I kept on and I'm really glad I did.  I haven't missed a workout yet and I'd like to keep the streak going.  Tomorrow is a day of rest, but I'm probably going to do X-stretch as I'm planning on missing it on Saturday when I face another 12 hour drive back to Indiana.  Thursday will be Yoga and Friday is Core.

Day 47 (Legs/Back) Dogging it...

Felt really tired and not into it this morning.  Also, it was difficult to perform some of the exercises in a different environment.  For instance, the walls at this condo are covered in some type of glossy paint that makes it difficult to hold traction on wall squats.  Plus, the temp pull up bar sucks...the ceilings are only 7 ft so if I stand, the pull up bar is at about eye level.  Then I had to switch between working out on a rug which slid on the floor or working out on the floor and sliding in my own sweat.  I couldn't focus, I couldn't keep balance on a lot of things I had been improving on...etc., etc.

I thought back about my posts on this workout and I've always bitched about it.  It is just a rough one for me unless everything around me is going perfectly.

At least I got through it.  I think I accomplished something at least and I know that I will do this again every resistance week.  

Day 46 (Yoga) on the beach...

Well, in a condo on the beach.

Completed my first real workout while on vacation.  Mel was busy out getting donuts while I completed Yoga X.

I tried a new expensive real rubber Yoga mat I got last week.  This is the second Yoga mat I've used.  I've also used an area rug and just on a regular rug.  I can't seem to keep my hands from slipping in downward dog no matter what surface I use...until today.  After giving up on the rubber mat, I ended up doing the whole routine on a very short pile/no pile area rug that was in the room.  It was perfect and I'm going to have to find one like this when I return to Indiana.

I am getting way better at the asanas.  WAY better.  My knees are much, much stronger than they were when I started.  I once again got all the way through the Right Angle Pose and Grab with no problem.

I learned a trick they don't really talk about for the next move, Prayer Twist from Runners Pose.  I saw Tony steady himself with one of his hands while putting the other forearm on the knee to start Prayer Twist.  This is much easier than taking both hands off the ground at the same time.  So you first pull up one hand (the arm that will end up on bottom) and then pull up the other one.  By doing this, I was able to get into the pose fully on one side...the second side was wobbly and I kept falling out.  But even getting one side for the full allotted time is a HUGE improvement.  I still can't look up while doing it, but that will come later.  At least I can hold the position and not fall.

Warrior 3 on my first side was still a failure.  I kept trying to stay in it but couldn't.  But I was able to stay in standing splits and get both half moon and twisting half moon for the most part.  The cool thing was Warrior 3 on the second side...I actually got it and completed standing splits, half moon and twisting half moon without falling out.  Twisting is easier for some reason. 

Once I did all of this, I once again suffered from "two steps forward, one step back" syndrome.  I had burnt out my legs and didn't have what I needed to do the balance postures on my legs.  I just kept falling out.  I was able to do crane more easily than ever though.  I think it may be the harder surface I was working on today.

By the way, I tried using something as a block.  I actually found it harder to maintain balance than just using my fingers or hands on the floor.

Day 44 (Plyo), Day 45 (Ab) Commitment is...

Did Plyo on Friday as normally schedule.  I was to do Back/Biceps today, but I moved it back to Thursday because I drove 12 hours to Florida today.  However, I couldn't do the Ab Ripper portion because I had already done it on Wednesday as a part of flipping my schedule around.  OK, so that is way confusing and not very important.

The important thing is that I actually drove 12 hours to vacation, was worn out, felt like crap, the last few hours didn't go as planned and I still managed to do the workout I was supposed to do.  That means I made it 45 days (halfway through to 90) without missing a single workout.  I feel pretty good about that.

Nothing special about Plyo except that I didn't have to pause the DVD once.  I wrote out a cheat sheet of the exercises to mentally prepare myself.  Many of them are fairly easy so I consider them mini breaks.  By writing the whole thing out, I can push myself through absolute exhaustion during the hard exercises because I know when I will get a breather.  The only real modification I did in the workout was that I simply couldn't get all the way to touch the floor for the rest of the routine after the second round of Squat Reach Jumps.  If I were to go all the way to touch the floor after that, I wouldn't be able to get back up.  So I would just go down to just below my knee.  That is the best I can do. 

Melanie and I are in Panama City Beach for a week.  But I always get up quite a bit before her and I plan to continue workouts while I'm here.  Tomorrow is Yoga.  I brought weights and the portable pull up bar for Legs/Back on Monday.  Kenpo on Tuesday will be easy.   Wednesday is rest (although I may do the stretch).  Then I move on to the rest/recovery week.  Thursday is Yoga.  Friday is Core.  I am swapping Saturday and Sunday to make Saturday stretch (which I may skip or do Wednesday because I am driving home this day) and then do Kenpo on Sunday.

Day 43 (Back/Biceps) P90X injury report!

Today was Back/Biceps...probably my favorite routine.  It is one of the shortest, it goes very quickly and it is very simply...do a bunch of curls and a bunch of push ups.  This workout was actually for Saturday but I moved it up to allow for the drive to Florida.  After Plyo tomorrow, I'll be right back on track for Yoga on Sunday and then my normal schedule.

As far as the injury, well it may be minor but I definitely did something to my shoulder yesterday.  I didn't feel it during the workout, but this morning I had a lot of tenderness in the right shoulder as I lifted it up into a fly motion...like you are raising your arm to get something off a shelf.  It isn't the soreness of working out...it is definitely a minor injury...a zing during that fly range of motion.  It didn't keep me from my workout today and it might not affect anything as I only have Plyo, Yoga, Legs/Back and Kenpo and then I'm into a recovery week.  It might affect Core, but that isn't until next Friday.  I hope it is healed by then.

Day 42 (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps) Don't smash your face

As I mentioned before, had to shuffle to workouts to accommodate my drive to Florida on Saturday.  Today was Chest/Shoulders/Triceps.  Pretty straightforward.  Not much of an improvement from last week, but I am definitely pushing myself to muscle exhaustion throughout the workout.  For instance, I tried Plyo push ups on my feet today.  They come in the later half of the workout so by that time I'm pretty fried.  Outside of the workout, I had found I could do them on my feet and not on my knees, so I figured I would "bring it."  Well, I was a little too fried apparently.  I went down, pushed up, got some air, barely got my hands together, came back down and my arms collapsed and I ate carpet.  Needless to say I finished on my knees.

I also tried one-armed push ups on my feet.  I had also done this outside of the workout and wanted to try it.  Unfortunately, I was too fried by this time to accomplish it.  However, I'm good enough on my knees I can do it almost indefinitely.  I just have to find some way to transition that to my feet. 

All in all, this was a great workout.  I pushed as hard as I could and didn't leave anything back.  I won't see this workout again until the second week of Phase III. 

Day 41 (Kenpo) Six weeks down

Yesterday was Kenpo.  Not much to report.  I have to go faster and push myself harder than what is going on in the video in order to keep sweating.  If I do that, it turns out to be a decent workout.  I can tell my balance and coordination is getting better.  I can focus on my whole body while doing the kicks...focusing both on balancing on my standing leg, leaning over and getting my kicks up there.  That is something I couldn't previously do.  Before, it was more just about getting my foot up there somewhere.  So all of that is a great improvement and something I didn't anticipate coming.  I had been toying with replacing this workout with Core Synergistics, but I think I will stick with Kenpo through the remainder of the 90 days and I'll see what happens.

So six weeks down with no missed workouts.  Even through severe allergies.

My schedule for the next few days will be modified.  It would normally be:
Wed: rest
Thurs: Chest/Shoulders/Tri
Fri: Plyo
Sat: Back/Biceps

But I need to drive 12 hours to vacation in Florida on Saturday.  So I'm shifting the rest day to Saturday and moving everything up one day.  Not sure how well that will work.  I am still sore from Legs/Back on Monday and doing Plyo so soon (on Thursday) is a little scary.  Plus, I may need to mow the grass on Thursday before we leave.  So Plyo and then grass?  God help me.

Day 40 (Legs/Back) Two steps forward...

...and one step back...but I think it is a good thing.

What I am referring to is a phenomenon that I'm seeing in these workouts.  You do them once...they are HARD.  You do them again and you start getting better at the first exercises, but once you get tired during that workout you start to drop off a cliff a little and you actually get worse at the second half of exercises.  However, as you continue to work out, that cliff gets a little later and later.  My assumption is that it will disappear and then I'll get better at the entire workout from beginning to end.

This is what is happening to many of the workouts and today's was no exception.  Many of the exercises in Legs/Back require balance as well as strength.  I had neither when I started P90X.  I developed strength first and now the balance is coming.  I'm no longer afraid to go lower in the lunges.  I actually feel my knee getting stronger.  I'm started to use weights in many exercises to make them harder.  Of course, this means I'm getting more wasted as the workout progresses.  But as I said, I think that point will move more and more forward.

Another thing that is allowing for progress...using a chair on pull ups.  Today I was able to start off with 10 unassisted pull ups.  My goal is to always to twelve so I finished with two using the chair.  As the workout went on, I was able to do less and less unassisted, but I still tried to finish with twelve even if I had to use the chair.  I truly believe I was making no progress just maxing out at 2-4 unassisted.  I really need to get 8+ reps in any way I can in order to make progress.

As I said before, my balance is improving.  I am able to complete 1. Balanced Lunges, 11. Deadlift Squats (one legged) and 11. Toe Iso-Lunge without (mostly) using a chair for balance.  This allows me to put more into it and feel the effect more.

Another note...I've stopped counting calories.  I'll post more about nutrition in a week or so when I have time, but I've been eating ~3500 calories a day and burning on average 700 or so.  My weight has stayed steady.  I have a general idea of how to eat to maintain this, so there is no real need to keep counting.  Also, it seems like counting is making me eat more...it is a psychological thing where I know if I can eat more, I will.  I'll keep with a diet that typically is 20-25% protein, 25% fat and ~50% carbs.

Day 39 (Yoga)

 Finished Yoga today.  Got though the Right Angle Pose grab stuff without tumbling.  Still couldn't get the balance to do the Prayer Twist from Runners Pose.  Made some improvement on Warrior 3, but with the right leg down I still couldn't hold Half Moon.  Was a little better at Twisting Half Moon.  I had to come down a few times from exhaustion in my right hip.  When I switched to standing on the left leg, the reverse happened...I couldn't hold Warrior 3, but I actually was better at Half Moon and Twisting Half Moon and I don't think I had to come down at all.  All of this is a significant improvement.

Anyhow, I think it is time to use a Yoga block.  Well, not a real one...that would be a waste of money.  It turns out that my individual season sets of Star Trek: The Next Generation are about the same dimensions. 

I've learned something about the balance poses (other than I suck at them).  They start with you standing on the left leg...bad idea as you just ended the whole Warrior 3/Standing Splits/Half Moon/Twisting Half Moon thing on your left leg.  It is fried.  I would recommend starting on the right leg as it has had some rest.  I was able to do crane a few times for a few seconds.  My limitation isn't really balance.  It is really putting a lot of strain on my wrists.

I also think I need to change the surface I'm working on.  The first time I did this, it was on carpet.  Well, I didn't want to destroy our carpet with sweat stains, so I put a cheap area carpet down and I've been working on that.  There are two problems with that.  First, during the Asanas I find my hands slipping on it.  Second, during the balance poses I think it is too soft which affects my balance.  I tried a Yoga mat a while back on the carpet and it didn't seem to help.  I'll have to think about how to solve this one.

Day 38 (Back/Biceps) P90X and SEX...

P90X and sex...

Both have the letter x in them.

Per google stats, I sucked in about a bazillion people with the "I quit" post...I was wondering how many I would suck in with this one.

Did Back/Biceps today.  Used the chair for pull ups in order to get a decent rep count.  This is the only resistance exercise where I actually feel the post workout ache DURING the workout.  I think that means I am doing it right.  Burned 748 calories.

Did Ab Ripper right after in order to get it over with for the day.  Burned 203 calories because my HR was still up.  If I do it in the evening, I think I only burn 100.

Some info regarding calories burned...somewhere in the P90X workout literature (I think it is in the diet guide), the estimate that you burn on average 600 calories a day during the program.  That is probably right when you average in the rest day.  For the past two weeks, I've probably averaged eating about 3500 calories a day.  Subtract out that 600 calories and I'm netting 2900 calories a day.  Previously, I've found that I maintain a steady weight (no gain or loss) at about 2200-2300 calories.  So, I should be gaining weight on my current diet.  However, I'm not.  We'll see if that continues over the next several weeks.  I've tried to stack my diet with protein.  I'm averaging 25% protein, 25% fat and 50% carbs.  I've cut out practically all junk food except for a few hundred calories of Coke I haven't been able to kick.  I also find myself eating small portions very frequently through the day...meals with lots of high protein snacks mixed in.

Still not seeing much of a physical difference.  I don't comment much about that because previously I've found that it takes about 3 months of an exercise to start noticing a change.  It probably isn't coincidental that the P90X program is 3 months.  My expectations are actually low.  My guess is that my waist fat will remain the same but I will build more definition (although not much size) when this is all over with.  But my knees and back are way better than when I started so even just that would make this worth it.

Here's the workout sheet for today:

Day 37 (Plyo) Some days you just don't have it

I don't know if it is the full week+ that I've had severe allergies, the allergy medication, all the workouts catching up to me, the lack of carbs...I don't know, but I was dragging it today about 30 minutes into Plyo.  Another possibility is that I'm getting better at these workouts so I'm pushing hard the first half, leaving less in the tank for the second half.

Plyometrics is the hardest workout of all 12 discs in the series.  Google it and I think everyone will say it is the worst.  But it also burns the most calories (1078 today) and it really pushes you.

I didn't feel too bad starting off.  Here is the overview.  Some of the exercises I term, "mini breaks."  That is not because I am taking breaks, rather it is because they are much easier than the other exercises.

1. Warmup: no big deal, but the 30 prayer squats starts to wear on me every time.
2. Jump squats: I can go all the way down and touch the floor every time now.  A big improvement.  I just focus on gravity bringing me down (a new approach for me to many of the exercises throughout P90X) and then exploding up.
3. Run-stance squats: No problem although a knee would occasionally complain if it got twisted too much during a landing or squat.
4. Airborne Heismans: I consider these almost a mini break. 
5. Swing Kicks: I've never had too much of a problem on these.  Good cardio, low impact.
6. Repeat last 4: Not a big problem.
7. Squat reach jump: Again, I could get to the floor on each, but I started running out of steam.
8. Run-stance squat switch pick-up.  Not as hard as the squat reach jumps, but running more out of steam.  I don't think I was touching the floor for the second round of these.
9. Double Airborne Heismans: Another mini break.
10. Circle Run: I try this with the towel and I snag the towel every time.  Now I do it without the towel.
11. Repeat last 4: This is where I faded.  I think I had to take extra breaks here.
12. Jump Knee Tucks: fading...
13. Mary Katherine Lunge: fading further...
14. Leap Frog Squat: I consider this another mini break, but I was already fading...
15. Twist Combo: Another easy one, but I was already fading fast
16. Repeat last 4: OK, this is where I was really bad.  I feel so much like shit that I actually paused the DVD and laid on the ground for a moment.  I pondered stopping.  I only rested for maybe 60 seconds...enough to get my heart rate under control...to about 70% or so.  It may be bad to stop moving like this in a workout, but I'm glad I did.  It actually gave me enough energy to finish.  I started again and repeated the previous 4.
17. Rock Star Hop: Couldn't do this the first few weeks because of knee issues.  Have no problem now.
18. Gap Jump: Easy...kind of a mini break.
19. Squat Jacks: Tried to go slower and lower as Horton suggests, but the knees really didn't like that so came up a bit.
20. Military March: Easy...another kind of mini break.
21. Repeat last 4: Once again, despite the easy exercises, my HR was topping 90% and I had to take extra breaks.  I felt bad about it, but there simply was no way I could continue without them.  This wasn't about not pushing myself...it simply was that my body wouldn't do it.  And sometimes you have to listen to your body.
22. Run Squat 180 Jump Switch: I was getting my second wind here.  These weren't as hard as what I was thinking they'd be.
23. Lateral Leapfrog Squat: Easy...kind of a mini break.
24. Monster Truck Tire: Easy...kind of a mini break.
25. Hot Foot: These are hard, but not because of cardio. 
26. Repeat last 4: Here is where I started feeling better.
27. Bonus Round.  I always feel good when I get to this point because I know it is essentially a cool down for me.  None of the exercises are hard or push you very much.  It involves Pitch & Catch, Jump Shot and Football Hero.
28. Cool Down

So there it is.  I took a look at my HR monitor and saw that it took me about 65 minutes to complete this workout.  That means that all my extra breaks only added up to about 5 minutes.  I'm not going to feel too bad about that.  I think some days you simply don't have as much gas in the tank.  I can't feel too bad about any cardio workout where I burned over 1000 calories.  I know I've completed this thing before and I will again.

Day 36 (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps + Ab Ripper) Post workout guilt

The feelings I get after some of these P90X workouts are sometimes very odd.  Although I'm completely exhausted during the workout, once I've recovered for a few minutes I commonly feel as though I should have...could have pushed myself more and that I dogged the workout.  I'm not sure how accurate that really is, but sometimes I can't shake that feeling.

Today was the second time doing this particular workout.  The number and type of push up exercises is rough.  I've had some severe allergies and some medication I'm taking is making me drowsy.  I could tell that was affecting things right away...in fact I'm proud of myself that I was even able to work out.  I made the mistake of not looking at my previous number of reps on each exercise as I began to do them today.  Subsequently, I didn't make the proper goals.  This is reflected on the workout sheet...you can see I didn't do as many reps of many of the exercises.  One exception right away was the Floor Flys (which I don't use a paper plate on...I just move to the right or left).  I was able to correct for the proper weight on some exercises this week which allowed me to max out at 8-10 reps instead of more.

A few other notes...

Exercise 13 Side-to-side push ups seems almost identical to 7 Floor flys without the paper plate.  The only difference seems sequence (13 alternates sides where 7 has four reps on one side then four on the other).

I had some type of breakthrough with one-arm push ups.  Although I still do them on my knees, I did 10 and was able to do plenty more.  I'll probably do them on my feet next time.  Once again, the secret is to really twist your body into them.  Also, I put my hand right below where my face is.

I was also able to make very good contact with my hands on the plyo push ups (once again on my knees).  I tried them on my feet but I'm not ready for that yet.

The only exercise I really bombed out at was 10 two-twitch speed push-ups.  I did four fast, three slow, four fast and then fell apart.  I also don't get as low as I should on these.

I have learned a secret to these push ups though...let gravity do the work and then explode up.  It seemed like I was doing some type of unnecessary work to get down...especially with the fast push ups.  Just let gravity bring you down and then focus on pushing up. 

Some of the tricep exercises worried me.  I kept feeling like my triceps were going to give out.  And if that were to happen, the weight is just going to crash down on me.  Well, it hasn't happened yet so hopefully it won't.

Oh yeah...one more thing.  I tried Ab Ripper X right after my workout (I usually do it later in the evening).  I would NOT recommend this.  It is MUCH harder when your heart is still racing and you are exhausted from the previous workout.  However, I was still able to complete it, even with the modified (hands up) moves.