Day 5.5 (Abs)...Stick figures work!

Tonight was a 15 minute Ab routine night.  I mentioned before that I was stuck watching TV too much for this, trying to figure out what they were doing.  Well, I made a stick figure cheat sheet and it was like day and night.  I'd highly encourage it.  I could just look down and know exactly what the exercise was and then focus completely on doing 25 reps instead of rushing to try to figure it out.  Got a LOT out of the routine.

It makes me think that all the workouts will get better as I get to know them more.

Tomorrow morning...Kenpo.  Previewed the disc.  It looks way easy.  However as I got further into the disc I could see the models were sweating profusely.  Maybe it will surprise me.

Yoga Moving Asanas Cheat Sheet

This is what I have from my notes of the ~40 minutes of moving asanas.  This isn't perfect...just a startign point to help me prepare for the moves.  I may edit this later.  Other descriptions are in the P90X book starting on page 53.  These aren't descriptions of the poses, but rather what you are made to go through to get to each one.

Remember, except for some of the twists, your forward arm is always the same as your forward leg.  For instance, if your right leg is out front and an arm is to be pointed outward, it will be your right arm.

Runners Pose

1. Plank
2. Vinyasa
3. Upward Dog
4. Downward Dog
5. Right heel up
6. Swing right knee forward (I will call this the forward leg)
7. Go back to #1 and repeat with left heel/leg

Crescent Pose

1. Go through Runners Pose for right leg
2. Rise to Crescent Pose right
3. Revert back to Runners Pose for right leg
4. Repeat but with left leg

Warrior One

1. Go through Runners Pose for right leg
2. Rise to Warrior One right
3. Revert back to Runners Pose for right leg
4. Repeat but with left leg

Warrior Two

1. The exact same as Warrior One except right after you pose Warrior One, you switch to the respective (left or right) Warrior Two and then go back to Warrior One and continue.

 Reverse Warrior

1. The exact same as Warrior Two except right after you pose Warrior Two, you switch to the respective (let or right) Reverse Warrior and then go back to Warrior Two and continue.

 Triangle Pose

1. Go through Runners Pose for right leg
2. Rise to Warrior One right
3. Go to Warrior Two right
4. Go to Reverse Warrior right
5. Straighten forward leg
6. Revert to Reverse Warrior right
7. Revert to Warrior Two right
8. Straighten forward leg
9. Reach forward hand out and down to ground and the rear hand up
10. Come back up to previous position (with straight forward leg)
11. Revert to Warrior Two right
12. Reverse Warrior right
13. Warrior 2 right
14. Warrior 1 right
15. Revert back to Runners Pose for right leg
16. Repeat but with left leg 

Twisting Triangle (less positions...wonder if they were deleted in error...end up in same triangle position but with hands reversed so your torso is facing a different direction)

1. Go through Runners Pose for right leg
2. Rise to Warrior One right
3. Go to Warrior Two right
4. Straighten forward leg
5. Rotate torso to facing forward
6. Reverse hands...now back hand (left) is front and goes down instead of the right in Triangle
7. Come back up to previous position (with straight forward leg)
8. Revert back to Runners Pose for right leg
9. Repeat but with left leg 

Chair to Twisting Chair (Prayer Twist)

1. Plank
2. Vinyasa
3. Upward Dog
4. Downward Dog
5. Jump up to hands
6. Chair pose (like you are sitting on a chair with hands up)
7. Up to tip toes with hands up
8. Back down and twist to right
9. Up to tip toes with hands up
10. Back down and twist to left
11. Up to tip toes with hands up

[ NOW 30 MINUTES INTO THE DVD...15 MINUTES MORE ASANAS TO GO]

Right-angle Pose to Extended Right-Angle Pose and Grab

1. Swan dive down
2. Up to flat back
3. Down to plank
4. Vinyasa
5. Upward Dog
6. Downward Dog
7. Right heel up
8. Swing right knee forward but keep foot off the ground
9. Runners Pose (right)
10. Warrior One (right)
11. Warrior Two (right)
12. Reverse Warrior (right)
13. Warrior Two (right)
14. Reach with forward hand (right)
15. Forward elbow on forward knee
16. Forward hand on floor, back hand up
17. Back hand forward
18. Back hand up
19. Back hand behind back
20. Forward hand between legs, grab back hand and clasp
21. Unclasp, back hand up, forward hand on ground
22. Warrior Two (right)
23. Reverse Warrior (right)
24. Warrior Two (right)
25. Warrior One (right)
26. Go gack to #3 (plank) and repeat with left 

Prayer Twist from Runners Pose to Side Arm Balance

1. Go through Runners Pose right
2. Left elbow on forward knee, hands in prayer
3. Back to Runners Pose right
4. ? Need more notes
5. Repeat but with left 

Warrior Three to Standing Splits & Half Moon to Twisting Half Moon (seem to be combined)

1. Go through Runner's Pose right
2. Crescent Pose right
3. Lean forward
4. Warrior 3
5. Fingers on the floor
6. Rotate away from forward leg
7. Half moon with rear hand up
8. Fingers on the floor
9. Rotate into forward leg
10. Twisting half moon with forward hand up
11. Fingers on the floor
12. Revert to Crescent right
13. Repeat with left

 [NOW 45 MINUTES INTO THE DVD]

Next...

10 minutes balance postures
18 minutes floor work
7 minutes Yoga belly
5 minutes stretches
5 minutes complete B.S.

Day 5 (Legs and Back)...something is better than nothing

This morning I woke up and the thought of doing a bunch of pull ups was not that excited.  I was just not feeling it.  In my mind, there was a child screaming, "No!  I'm not going to do it!  You can't make me!"  But I turned on the DVD player and started going through the motions.

The legs and back workout is mainly lunges, stuff up on your toes, squatting stuff and pull ups for the back.  I will admit, I didn't push myself on the pull ups as much as I should have.  But as I put in the title of this blog, I am assuming that something is better than nothing and I'm glad I got through the workout.

Another thing I am learning...this first week is really more about figuring out what your are supposed to do (and how to do it) rather than really making tons of progress.  Many of the lunge exercises I simply couldn't do well because I didn't have the balance I needed.

A second thing I learned today was to wear solid footwear.  In previous workouts (except for Yoga), I had been wearing loose fitting wrestling shoes.  For today's workout, I really needed tight fitting tennis shoes and a solid surface to stand on.  Without that, you are falling all over the place when you are trying to balance.  Another thing that affects balance is trying to watch the TV.  Hopefully as I progress, I will remember more of the moves and not have to watch.

One thing that went better than expected was my right knee.  I've learned that I avoid pain if I keep the right form.  I really need to make sure my knee movement is aligned with my toe.  If I do that, the pain rarely comes.  I only had to stop doing one of the last exercises...the 80/20 split lunges.  But I might not have had my form correct for that one.  I actually think these exercises will help my knee.

Anyhow, I got through it and I'm looking forward to trying it again.  I've saved the Ab ripper for tonight.  I'll look over my notes for it and be more mentally prepared for each exercise.