Recovery Week, Part Deux - #Can'tWait

The second recovery week is here, and with nearly 50 days of P90X complete, I feel like a new person. Even when I got into shape two years ago, I wasn't this strong. The changes have been simple, but significant, and here are some highlights:

• I can do 8-10 pull-ups after struggling with just one 50 days ago
• I can almost complete the entire AbRipperX workout without stopping - I couldn't imagine getting halfway through at first since my abs were definitely my weakest muscle group
• Clothes I haven't fit into in two years are starting to fit again
• I see muscles on my body I haven't seen in 10 years - and there are more of them this time (I was pretty skinny as a 19-year old)
• I've lost 17 pounds and 4.5 inches from my waist
• I have more energy all the time
• I still hate Yoga

My goal is to lose about 35 more pounds  and get down to single digits in body fat. For that, I have a long way to go, being at 19% (down from 24%) right now, but with 40 more days left of round one, I know I'll be fairly close at day 90. Again, at least I'm not where I was 50 days ago!

As if P90X wasn't hard enough, we have done doubles in order to maximize our results. I can proudly say we haven't missed one workout. I know the best results will come in the last 30 days, so I'm excited for that. What I am not excited about is the fact that instead of three two-a-days, Phase III takes it up a notch and has you do four two-a-days each week. We are so busy, that we've had to do some two-a-days back-to-back, which wasn't fun. Now, we'll really see what we are made of after this recovery week!

One other note about "recovery" week - there are two full sessions of YogaX for a recovery week. What kind of sick person would incorporate double Yoga into a week where you are trying to get right mentally and physically? No matter what, we'll take the challenge head on and be better for it.

One final note... I definitely need the Powerblock adjustable weight system. I've been looking on Craigslist for quite some time, and they are hard to find. Everything I've read says they are the way to go. The price tag can be a deterrent at almost $400 direct from the manufacturer, so I'm trying to wait and find the best deal. Either way, I need more weight.

The bottom line is that this process has been fun, and getting into shape was very necessary. For someone who prides myself on being athletic, this decision was a no-brainer. Like I tell all of my friends who ask me about P90X, the thing you choose to improve your fitness can be anything - as long as you commit to doing it. Motivation comes in staying focused on the goal, and not getting discouraged by setbacks. I am excited to see what the future holds and look forward to seeing this through to completion.

Then, we'll do it again... but probably not doubles!

The Last Vinyasa

If you have followed this blog, then you know how well-documented my hatred of Yoga X is. Again, I say that tongue-in-cheek because I do know how beneficial it is, and I am sure glad when I'm done. In other words, the difficulty of the program assures me that it is working. The fact of the matter is that the level of discomfort is high throughout, and coincidentally, it is also the longest single workout. This is where my dislike of Yoga X comes from.

With every P90X workout, the best part is when it's over, and Yoga X is definitely no exception. The DVD is 1 hour, 30 minutes, and by the time you finish what seems like 45 minutes of Yoga, the clock somehow still says you have about 1 hour and 15 minutes left - I honestly believe disc #4 is broken. Finally and mercifully, the clock does make its way down to the 45 minute range, and that is when you see the beautiful words on the screen, "Last Vinyasa".  It is worth noting that by the time you see this, you are sweating like crazy, your limbs feel like putty, and you all you want to do is lie down.

That Last Vinyasa is the time when your body and mind say, "We've made it this far, so what's another 45 minutes going to hurt?" It got me to thinking about how this is such a microcosm of life. Think about the last major life accomplishment or achievement you completed and when your own "Last Vinyasa" came. It may have been a rigorous final semester of your college career, or maybe it was a final job interview after a series of them. In any case, you had more work to do, but you knew there was an end in sight. Yoga X feels like it's never going to end, but at least there's that Last Vinyasa to push you forward.

I can't wait for the the end of this round of my P90X journey. I know I'm not there yet, but at least it has been a fair amount of time (38 days) since I initially pushed play. I feel so much better, and the results are really starting to show, so figuratively speaking, I may be closer than I think to my Last Vinyasa.

Weights, Nutrition, and Motivation

My buddy Mark asked me if I was hitting the golf ball further as a result of P90X. I would say that I am not hitting the ball further yet, but I'm at least hitting it in the vicinity of where I should be once again. I didn't realize I was so out of shape, that it was affecting my athletic performance in a number of ways. The increase in flexibility is what will make a big difference in my golf swing, and I can feel it every time I tee it up.

Doing doubles is hard work, and my knees are starting to feel it a little. Yesterday, I did Plyometrics (alias "The Beast"), and walked 18 holes of golf carrying my bag. This was a total of 5.5 hours of physical activity, and I felt fantastic afterward. Plyometrics will have you dripping sweat, but like I said in an earlier post, it feels like I just got back from practice, which was always a feeling I loved.

Thirty-five days in, I have noticed that the program has gotten easier (not EASY). I still "don't wanna do no Yoga", but at least I can do Yoga. The new Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps exercise is extremely difficult. Slow motion and plyo push-ups are serious! At this point, it seems like the inches and weight aren't coming off as fast as it did initially, but I'm just going to keep grinding because I know it's working. I have slacked on the diet a little bit - not too bad, but just enough to make me want to re-focus. No matter what, there is absolutely no way I'm not going to finish this program.

One great aspect on the nutrition side is that we discovered Lean Shakes from GNC. They are a PERFECT meal replacement and great supplement to the program with 25 grams of protein in each bottle. Besides the fact they taste delicious, they are relatively inexpensive as far as supplements go. We tried Whey Protein from Vons, and frankly, it was gross. I also like Cliff Builder Bars as a great snack and source of protein. Other good snacks include bananas, carrot sticks and strawberries. I love brocolli, and you can eat as much of that as you want, so I usually steam some and take it to work as a snack.

I want to invest in some better weights, I got a cheap Gold's Gym set from Wal-Mart for only $40, and you can go from 5-15-20 pounds per hand, but 20 is not enough for me for a lot of the exercises, so I just end up doing more reps on weightlifting days. From what I've been reading, the Powerblock set is the way to go in terms of weights. The challenge with the weights I have is that I can't change them quick enough, so I just end up using one weight the entre time and adjusting the reps to get a burn. I think the Powerblocks would alleviate that, plus the ones that I want can go up to 50 lbs. per hand, which is all I'm going to need for the  whole program. It will be a substantial investment, though, retailing at roughly $350. I think it will be worth it since I'll probably never buy weights again after that.

With our schedules getting busier all the time, it is becoming a challenge to workout every morning, so we have had to do a couple late-night sessions, which are difficult. It is definitely worth it to get it out of the way in the morning if possible. Now, with doubles, if we miss the morning, that commits us two workouts in the afternoon / evening! The bottom line is that neither of us have missed a day, and that's what counts. Knowing that gives us the fuel to keep pushing play.

Keep Pushing Play

This weekend, my wife and I had a blast going up to LA / Anaheim for a sports day. My Christmas present was Lakers' tickets, and we decided to catch the hockey game in Anaheim on the way down to San Diego.The biggest question of the day was how were we going to fit in our workout with such a busy day planned. Because it was a weekend, we had slept in and did not do our usual morning workout. After spending a full day watching sports, and eating a little too much, we got home late and were exhausted.

Failure was not an option here, so we sucked it up, changed into our workout clothes and pressed play on "The Beast", better known as Plyometrics. It was the hardest day of P90X I have had up until that point, but the feeling of accomplishment I got once we finished was absolutely worth it.

A lifestyle change is no joke, and it is difficult every step of the way. However, when your best friend helps you every day, it makes it so much easier and more meaningful. For example, we both broke down and ate some things we shouldn't have as we watched the games, but we have since picked ourselves up and kept focus.

As I mentioned before, I felt good about the 30 day pictures, and I know that the 60 day photos will motivate me even more than the ones from 30. I can feel my muscles growing after a workout, and I think that's why I crave it so much. When I first started the program - especially Ab Ripper X, I used to wonder how I would ever be able to get through it all. Now, I am already confident that I will surpass what challenges lie ahead.

This has been a lot of fun.

30 Days... Doubles, Please!

So today is day 30 and I must say that we have been putting in serious work! None of this was supposed to be easy, but nothing worthwhile or substantial ever is. I feel stronger than I have in a long time, and I know I'm just scratching the surface. We did 30 day photos today and the difference was more noticeable than I had anticipated. Here are some stats:

11.6 pounds lost
4% body fat down
3 inches gone from the waistline

The less glaring results thus far are factors like increased energy, flexibility, and self-confidence. The program is so fulfilling, that we have decided to proceed with the "Doubles" phase for the next 60 days. This will mean an extra hour of hardcore cardio three times a week. The first day was yesterday, and I felt amazing after it was done! I'm finding myself craving the workouts, and Doubles will feed that need every time.