Day 17 (Shoulders/Arms) Not much to report...

Completed Shoulders/Arms today.  Last time for this workout (and Thursday's Chest/Back) for 5 weeks.  The bummer is that it took 3 weeks to figure out exactly what weights to use on the exercises (to max out at 8-10 reps).  Oh well, at least I'll know what to start out with again.

It was hard to start the workout today.  Kept stalling.  I think that is why it is important to put the workout before some other deadline I have to meet (like getting to work, etc.).  That way I can't stall too long.

Today I'm feeling some left knee MCL tenderness from yesterday's Plyo.  It is better than it was after last week's Plyo so I'm not too concerned.  Plyo is really the only thing that affects that ligament and I won't be doing that again for 2 weeks.

Tonight after Ab Ripper, I'm going to study the Yoga DVD.  I've got over half of the asanas down but I'm shaky on the rest.  From experience I know if I am prepared for the moves, I can perform them much better.

Day 16 (Plyo) Fatigue, hints of results and quitting Coke

Today was plyo.  HR monitor says I burned 1110 calories which seems hard to believe.  I was definitely feeling like I was going to die 30-40 minutes in...leaning against things during the breaks.  But I made it through.  I could not do the rock star hops today...my knees have a problem with that one.  I tried to keep moving through that portion though.  Every once in a while through the workout I'd feel some knee pain, but it would go away once I correct my form...for instance, making sure I my knee was always aligned with my foot.  Once again, NOT watching the TV was the key through much of the workout.  By not watching, I can really focus on what I am doing...my form and intensity...and perform much better.

I am starting to see some results although they are minimal.  I've lost about 3/4 of an inch around the waist but I haven't lost any significant weight...that means I'm potentially losing the fat and gaining muscle at the same time.  That is exactly what I was hoping for.  That is also something I was VERY skeptical of even being possible.  I'll see if the trend continues.

I am pretty wasted much of the time.  I'm trying to eat more calories (healthy foods) and sleep at least 7 hours a night.  Still, I feel a lot of fatigue.  However, I'm not really feeling sore that much anymore.

Part of the fatigue might be that I've cut WAY back on Coke (the soda variety).  By the way, if you are someone who struggles with this, I can tell you how I've been doing it.  Every time I crave a Coke, I mentally say, "OK, you can have a Coke...but you have to drink a full bottle of water first."  By the time I'm done with the water, I don't crave the Coke anymore.  That strategy is working very well.

After this week, I'll be starting the "recovery" week next Thursday.  Perhaps that is what I need.

Day 15 (Chest and Back) Getting into the right state of mind

Today was the first day of week three.  Once again, I do the same 6 routines this week as I have the past two weeks.  After that I won't be doing these same 6 days for about 5 weeks.

I am noticing that I am mentally just waiting for each workout to end.  It is a state of mind that really prevents me from pushing myself because I'm always thinking, "OK, this is going to be over soon."  I'm really going to try defeat that mentality and to focus on each exercise as I'm doing it.  Otherwise, I'm really just wasting time.  If I'm not really pushing myself, I'm going to get through 90 days and not see any results.  You can't really go through autopilot on this program if you want to see a difference.  It is really about exhausting your muscles on those last few reps.

I got my pull up bar yesterday and installed it.  It feels MUCH more comfortable to do pull ups with the ceiling mounted bar than the bar in the doorway.  Unfortunately, that didn't equate into me being able to do more pull ups.  I am pull up challenged.  I can do 6 the first time and then I go downhill from there.  I start (incorrectly) using my body's momentum to pull me up and then get in trouble with swinging from the bar.  By the end of the workout (6 sets in), I am lucky to do 3.  However, everything else in the routine is improving.  Still, I feel like I could have pushed myself further on everything if I could focus more on the task at hand instead of when the tasks will be over.

I didn't get a chance to talk about nutrition yesterday.  I am not going by the P90X nutrition guide.  It is hard enough to find over an hour to exercise.  I decided a week ago that I was just going to try to eat "better."  I've cut out the junk food to a great degree (I was probably drinking 600 calories of Coke a day) and to focus on more high protein foods and limit portion sizes.  I'm not trying to lose weight...I'm just trying to make sure the food I eat can theoretically be incorporated into building more muscle instead of building more fat.  I'm really on the fence on if I believe you can truly lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.  We'll see.  It looks like I am about 2 pounds lighter now than when I started.

It is funny to read everything about P90X and how the program relates to weight.  Clearly, there is some conflict between the marketers of the program and the designers.  In truth, the program is not about weight at all...it is about becoming more athletic...more physically defined, stronger and with increased cardio capacity.  It is not necessarily about getting bulkier or smaller...it is more about getting defined or "cut."  However, it is clear the marketers were very sensitive about the need to talk about losing weight.  So you see that sprinkled in here and there.  Many of the success stories talk about weight loss as a component of what was accomplished.

Anyhow, it feels really good to know I'm starting week three.  Plyo is tomorrow.  Hopefully I don't end up jumping and cracking my skull on my new ceiling mounted pull up bar.

Day 13 (Kenpo) Two weeks down!

Finished Ab Ripper X last night...got completely through it without breaks...and Kenpo this morning.  The hardest thing with Kenpo is balance during the kicks.  I'm still wobbling around, especially during the back kicks.  Also, when he threw in the combo blocks (I think he called them star something...) I got lost and ended up just flailing my arms about like an idiot.  My HR monitor says I burned 912 calories.

I started to feel some left knee pain about 20 minutes in but it went away.  I think it is just getting used to it.  Tonight I mow the yard...hopefully that doesn't make anything worse.

Can't believe a week is done.  I really can't believe I've done two weeks already.  It has gone by so fast.  One more week of this routine and then "recovery."  I'm scared of the next phase from what I am reading about it.

One cool thing...I get the ceiling pull up bar tomorrow and will be able to install it before the big day of push ups and pull ups on Thursday.

I'll post tomorrow (during the "day of rest").  I haven't said much about diet or how I'm approaching it so I'll try to touch on that.

Day 12 (Legs/Back) Something is better than nothing...part II

This is becoming my least favorite workout.

From my learnings last week, I wore tennis shoes.  But that didn't help much.  Things were much the same story as last week.  The major problems are balance, form and my hatred of pull ups.

Balance and form...what can I say?  This is like Yoga day 1 all over again.  Step one is figuring out what they are doing.  Step two is trying to figure out how I'm going to do it.  Step one wasn't so bad...I've learned now to pause the DVD and take my time to figure out non-cardio workouts and how to get in the correct form.  Step two is harder.  I simply do not have the balance to get into a deep lunge without holding on to something.  My assumption is that holding on to nothing will ultimately train you to balance.  But I'm just not there yet and my guess is using a chair for balance is better than not doing the exercise at all.  Still, it was hard and took quite a long time to get through the workout.

I am hating pull ups.  I am waiting on a ceiling mounted pull up bar to come in the mail (probably at least a week away) and until then I am using a door mounted one.  This sucks because I am 6'3" and it is hard to keep my feet off the ground...for God's sake my knees almost hit the ground when I'm fully extended.

Plus, it is a Monday morning.  Who is motivated to do a ton of pull ups at 6:30AM on a Monday?  Not me!  I admit, I dogged it at the end. 

Here's a run down of the troubles...

1. Legs-balanced lunges: lunge with your back leg straight and your back foot on a chair.  I can't do this unless I am holding on to something.  I end up holding on to the chair and putting my back foot on a bench.  I have to make sure my front foot is WAY forward in order to prevent my knee from going less than 90 degrees.  It is tricky to get the form right.  Also, I put my back toe on the bench, not the top of my foot.
2. Legs-calf raise squats: I couldn't do this a few weeks ago.  Now my knees are fine with it.  Squat down and then come up on your toes.  I used weights.
3. Back-reverse grip chin-ups: hatred.  I still cannot do many reps of these.  In fact, I am worse than when I started.
4. Legs-super skaters: once again...hard to balance, but easier if I put my toe to the ground (which I have to).
5. Legs-wall squats: I have these down
6. Back-wide front pull ups: hatred
7. Legs-step back lunge: balance, balance, balance.  Have to use a chair.
8. Legs-alternating side lunge: just have to make sure the direction of my knee is the same direction as my foot.  If not, this hurts the knee.
9. Back-close grip overhand pull ups: it doesn't matter what the variety is...they all suck and I hate them all
10. Legs-Single-leg wall squat: I could do this last week.  I couldn't this week.  My right knee just wasn't cool with it.  I tried though.  I'll keep trying.
11. Legs-deadlift squats: not too bad.  Didn't use weights.
12. Back-switch grip pull ups: yeah right.  No way with my bar.  I'm too low and hanging and switching grips with my knees up...not going to happen.  Maybe this will work when I get the new bar.
13. Legs-three way lunge: just have to keep the knee and feet aligned...otherwise the knee doesn't like this
14. Legs-Sneaky lunge: no big deal
15. Back-reverse grip chin-ups: suck
16. Legs-chair salutations: Yoga has helped me with this.  I can push myself through these.
17. Legs-toe roll iso lunge: balance...needed to use a chair.
18. Back-wide front pull ups: suck
19. Legs-groucho walk: no big deal.
20. Legs-calf raises: used weight here.  No big deal.
21. Back-close overhand pull ups: suck
22. Legs-80/20 Siebers speed squats: Really have to focus on keeping the "20" leg to the side and keeping the knee/toe aligned.  Good form is critical to not hurting your knee.
23. Back-switch grip pull ups...yeah right.  Dogged these and didn't even care.

Another learning...get rid of the throw rug on these.  For some of the stuff, you are lunging across the room and you want the floor to be level through out.

So, I'm glad I actually got through the workout, but I'm disappointed that I didn't get more out of it.  I will probably do a walk through of the workout just to get the forms right and get straight exactly what I need (chairs to balance, etc.).  Once again, watching the TV makes things worse, especially when you are trying to balance.  I need to find some other focal point.

Day 11 (Yoga) Improving!

Did Ab ripper last night and Yoga today.  I'm really improving on both.  Honestly, it is mostly mental.  The more I know about an exercise, the more I can mentally prepare for it and the less I have to watch the DVD.  All that adds up to performing better because I am more focused.  I did not use the cheat sheet I created, but I know making it a few days ago helped me remember stuff to do today.  So it was worth it.

I've also let go of a lot of things...stuff like "I can't pause the DVD" or "I have to quit when it gets hard" or "I MUST be able to do what they are doing on the screen."  Once I let go of those things, everything got better.  It is also pretty amazing how it seems impossible to continue to do something after 15-20 seconds, but you see you only have 10 seconds left and somehow you are able to continue to push through.

As I suggested, I couldn't do some of the Yoga stuff...specifically some of the later Asanas.  But they admit that those are advanced.  So I don't beat myself up about it.  I mean, it is only the second time I even tried.  I don't give up and just watch the screen...I keep trying as they are going through it.  I will eventually get it.

No one should poo poo Yoga.  I think it is easy to blow it off...you aren't running or lifting anything heavy.  But this stuff is awesome.  It really trains your fine motor control.  And it is HARD.  Just wait until you are 15-20 minutes into it.

Today I was actually able to concentrate on breathing through the poses.  I didn't have my breathing coordinated as much as they wanted, but I did enough that it made a difference on being able to focus and balance.  I still blew off the last 5 minutes (corpse pose...fetal pose).  I'm just not into the spiritual stuff.

One thing I learned is that I 'm going to have to get a mat.  The first week I did it on our carpet along with the other P90X routines.  I learned really quick that I was going to ruin the carpet with my bodily secretions so I got a short pile throw rug.  However, when that gets wet I simply can't keep traction.  I'll pick up a mat before next time and see how it goes.

Once again, I really have to thank my awesome wife for watching the kids all this morning while I was upstairs.  I couldn't do it without her support.  I love you (Melanie...not the readers of this blog)!

Day 10 (Arms & Shoulders) SORE!

Sore...as in from day 9.  I could tell as yesterday went on there was something wrong with my left knee.  I'm pretty sure it is MCL tendinitis.  The knee felt unstable and weak and there was occasional pain on the right (inside) side.  It must be from all the jumping and turning in the plyometrics.  I think I'm going to switch to normal tennis shoes for that workout and see if it improves.  If it doesn't, the program gives you the option to switch over to Cardio X instead of Plyometrics, but I would be bummed about that. 

I was pretty worried about it through this morning but as I warmed up for today's routine, the pain went away and the leg felt stronger.  I pushed myself more today...tried to get enough weight to max out at 8-10 reps.  And the secret I learned for today is: press the pause button.  If I don't have enough weight, have too much weight or I don't understand the exercise, I should press pause.  And I did that and it really paid off.  This isn't a cardio work out and there is no reason you can't stop for a moment and figure out exactly how to make the most of what you are doing.

Today I also made some small investments.  I purchased a pull up bar that attaches to the ceiling rafters and some push up bars to take the stress off my wrists.  The pull up bar will look a little odd in the upstairs loft where I work out, but God bless my wonderful and supportive wife who said that didn't matter to her.  The pull up bar I have fits in a narrow doorway.  Being 6'3", I have to bend my legs behind me just to get them off the floor as I go down.  I think this is making the pull ups way harder than they should be (perhaps explaining the low reps I am getting).  It will be interesting to see if that is the case or if I am just a weakling.

OK, off to do the 16 minute Ab routine and then Yoga tomorrow (which I previously thought was today).

Thanks for reading.