I'm feeling great!

The dog bite didn't slow me down after all... I'm feeling fantastic! Chest and back this morning was such a good workout... and it's so funny that as I look back at my fist week this round (and in my very first round), I was so nauseous and so tuckered out. I'm so glad I stuck with it and didn't collapse under the exhaustion the first week and under the stress of the dog bite. Yay!

This may be a pipe dream, but I hope that, like my friend Greg, a single-digit body fat percentage is at the end of this!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Chest and Back X, Ab Ripper X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast-->coffee, Activia yogurt, banana, power bar

Kenpo and Activia

HI guys!

The days following my incident with I was dog bit have been really interesting. I know the antibiotic the doctors gave me to ward off infection are supposed to be helping me, but they've done such a number on my system that it actually made me ill to work out or eat, hence I did not blog for a couple of days. Amazing what some yogurt (which a friend of mine suggested) will do to regulate your system. I actually feel like digesting food again... and also like working out again. Opted for Kenpo today partly because it's my favorite and partly because it was just what I needed to chase away some bad dreams that caused me to wake up really in a snit and really short tempered with my poor pups this morning. I feel better now, physically and emotionally.

Let's go do this day.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Kenpo X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast-->coffee, Activia, banana, power bar
Lunch--> green salad, steak tips, power bar
Dinner--> steamed vegetable medley, grilled pork chop
Snack--> power bar

Once bitten, twice shy....

Spent a lot of the day at the hospital thanks to a dog bite. Just now got home at 4:30pm PST after a shot of antibiotics in the ass and a really bizarre afternoon trying to stem the bleeding. I'll see how I am feeling before bed... may do Yoga X then. If not I hope people will understand and forgive.

"Johnny Combination"

I wonder if that's the "Johnny-" name Tony Horton would give me because I have been mixing the dumbbells with the bands for the Shoulders & Arms workout.... I don't know. I'm still feeling pretty good this week. Ab Ripper X is still an exercise in endurance!

Nothing really profound to say this morning. I'm working out, meeting some friends for lunch, another for coffee later, and am probably going to do some Christmas shopping! Panera Bread gift card and a B&N card for Mom.... USC sweatshirt for Dad.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Shoulders & Arms X, Ab Ripper X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast--> coffee, Raisin Bran in 8 0z. skim milk.
Snack--> Apple
Lunch-->
Dinner-->

Yes, MUCH better!

I survived Plyo X yet again! And actually this time, I felt pretty good after it was all over. I wonder if it's my body remembering what to do under these conditions, or if it's because it's warmer since the landlord turned on the heat finally! It doesn't matter, really. What's nice is that everyone in the house is in a good space. I don't know if it's because it's Friday or what, but Rodney and Jake (my dogs) are being playful today. On every 30 second break, they were jumping down from the sofa, clamoring for attention and licking the sweat from behind my knees. All around, it seems there's a good vibe. I'd say that's a good sign.

I forgot to log what I ate yesterday, but suffice it to say that lunch was wonderful One of the student workers in my office made this salad with cabbage, shredded rotisserie chicken, dry ramen noodles, scallions and some kind of sweet ginger dressing. It was wonderful! I was especially happy that after everyone in my office got to have some, the student let me have the rest. I'm going to have to get the recipe and post if for any of you who are interested.

Hope you have a good weekend!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Plyometrics X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast--> banana, coffee,2 Nurtigrain bars
Snack--> Power Bar

MUCH better

Awright!!!! I'm feeling great after Chest & Back today! A few things that made my life easier this morning:

- Bands for pull-ups on round 1, pull up bar for round 2.
- Having written everything down that I did last week. Thanks to that I, was able to set a reasonable, achievable (and in some cases surpassable) goal
- Going to do Ab Ripper X tonight instead of right after. I was doing that on my first round eleven months ago, and it actually felt better to burn some calories before bed rather than wear myself out completely and get frustrated during Ab Ripper because I was so tired.
- Blogging about it!

More later...

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Chest & Back X, Ab Ripper X

Week 1 Review

One week down and eleven more to go. It was certainly a tough one. I took some time to review how I was feeling the first time I did this back in January 2010. If memory serves (and my entries are certainly a good memory jogger), then I'm right where I should be, which is feeling shocked at how hard the work is, embarrassed that I can't seem to keep up with the videos, but also hopeful that I will see progress as I keep going. The best part of all is that experience has taught me that I have every reason to be hopeful.

Today, what also lit the pilot light behind my belly button was that a friend of mine on Facebook posted that he was now down to 9% body fat... that, and seeing a picture of how he looks now with his BFP in the single digits was a HUGE motivator today! I'm not usually competitive, but man... when you see hard work pay off so handsomely, you really want it for yourself! That combined with the fact that a few people are following along on this blog again and wishing me well from afar or (even better) joining me on this journey through P90X is a nice little puff of air on an ember that will hopefully be a good fire!

So today was recovery day... and I think I have recovered. Chest & Back and the infamous Ab Ripper X await me in the morning. The DVD is loaded... play is ready to be pressed!

Let's do it!

KENPO X ROCKS!

This is still my favorite of the cardio workouts! I always feel fit and strong during this one. Not always flexible, perhaps, but strong and fit both mentally and physically.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Kenpo X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast--> 8 oz. OJ, banana, Honey Nut Cheerios and skim milk.
Snack--> Power Bar, apple
Lunch--> carrots, hummous, turkey patty
Dinner-->green salad with mushrooms (olive oil and salt), 2 slices of bread, scoop of whey protein in 8 oz skim milk, banana

Truncated, but still as sore as if I had done the whole thing

I lollygagged in bed for half an hour this morning, resulting in my having to shorten the Legs & Back X workout if I was to get Ab Ripper X, breakfast, shower and dress-time in before I hit the road. I still worked just as hard. Ab Ripper X has once again become my sworn nemesis. When I have time, I am going to have to look back and see how I was feeling at this time when I did my first round of this in January 2010. If memory serves, I was dying then too.

I WILL SUCCEED! DAMN THE LACTIC ACID... FULL SPEED AHEAD!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Legs and Back X, Ab Ripper X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast--> Banana, Coffee, Honey Nut Cheerios and skim milk.
Lunch--> Carrots, hummous, roast beef sandwich on 12-grain
Snack --> Power Bar
Dinner--> Turkey patty, green salad with olive oil and salt, 3/4 cup of herb stuffing

Too sore to be bendy

Yoga X today. This is probably right behind Shoulders and Arms X in terms of my favorite workouts. It's been a while since I did this on a Sunday morning, and I forgot how nice it can be to start out the day like this. I'm still really sore from the Plyo workout, and it makes it tough to be as flexible as I like. But still, experience has taught me that I need to ride out these first couple of weeks in order for it to feel natural. You know, it's funny how I have to remind myself of these little things. At least I am not doing that set of mental gymnastics that I put myself through the first time where I would see the infomercial on TV and hopefully think 'Now, that is going to happen to me too, right?' It will again... because it has before.

That's my little meditation for the workout. :)

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Yoga X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast --> banana, 8 oz. skim milk with a scoop of whey protein and about six strawberries, coffee

The word I want to use rhymes with "quick"

The interesting thing about being in Los Angeles now is that you actually see and sometimes meet people who appear in the movies and videos you've seen. It's happened many times since I've been here. Luckily, I am not one to fawn over these people, but I do notice. As circumstances have fixed it, I see one of the people from the P90X videos on something of a regular basis. We've met, and while this person proved to be very nice at first, some time has passed and he has proven to be something of a consummate jerk. Ordinarily, I wouldn't care, but seeing this guy in today's workout left a real sour taste in my mouth. The sad thing is that it's my favorite of all the P90X workouts... or was. Luckily I finished it all the way through, but I had to turn away from the TV and set the video for "music and cues." Call it stupidity if you wish, but hey I'm only human. I still took action, and I still brought it. Once again, I'm seeing that all the obstacles are in my mind. And they are, but this one was particularly odd. I certainly never expected to run into it.

C'est la vie. {shrug}

Anyway... combined the weights and the bands today. Want to use the dumbbells more than the bands, but I do want to also be mindful of my limitations. Why cause myself harm, right?

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Shoulders and Arms X, Ab Ripper X
TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast --> spinach omelette, banana, coffee w/ skim milk
Lunch--> power bar, glass of milk, banana
Snack--> small slice of pumpkin pie (I know I know)
Dinner--> 1/3 rotisserie chicken (white meat), spinach salad, about six forkfulls of stuffing.

ZOMG

I don't know what he Z stands for, but I know it puts OMG a step up. And that's how I feel. I sure would lie to attribute my fatigue to the fact that I was sick with a fever last week, or that I am getting older, but the fact is, I don't know what's to blame. I'm even having trouble finishing the workouts this time around! It makes me mad!

Even so, I am not dogging it. I am indeed doing my best... just wish I could forget the rest right now.

Even though the flesh is weak right now, I am glad that I didn't overdo it last night at the Thanksgiving day table. I actually had only one helping and ate a reasonable sized portion. Aunt Sadie makes a wonderful brisket! Thank you m'dear! And huge thanks to my family in the OC who had me over last night. It was a fantastic night!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Plyomertics X

TODAY'S MENU:
Breakfast: Honey Nut Cherrios and 8 oz. skim milk, coffee w/ 1/2 & 1/2, half a bottle of Tropicana orange juice.
Lunch: leftover turkey, stuffing, corn, slice of pumpking pie (I'm sorry but I can't let that go to waste!)
Dinner: 1/2 rotisserie chicken, a couple of forkfulls of stuffing, corn

Okay folks, here we go again....

I've slacked off long enough. I was really good about this for a few months in the beginning of the year and got great results... till an injury stopped me dead in my tracks. After I lost my job last summer, I was back in the basement where it was nice and cool, pumping it out with Tony & Company... Didn't blog, but as doing the work. Even so, I fell off again after moving to LA. Guess I was hoping that access to USC's facilities and all the eye candy in the form of Division I athletes was going to keep me motivated. It didn't. Eye candy is nice to look at, but it still provides absolutely no structure.
This has worked in the past... injury or no injury, job or no job. Time to get back to what kept me going, working hard, and excited about what I was doing and the results I was getting. I'm even going back to blogging about it... it kept me accountable. So, tune in... I'll be writing again every day and waxing eloquent about the workouts and about life.

The magic question, of course, might be: "Is it a coincidence that you are picking Thanksgiving (i.e., the "eatingest" holiday of the US calendar) to start again? It is... entirely. Either it's going to be today or it will be never. This is less a pre-emptive strike against the upcoming holidays as it is a pre-emptive strike against that endless cycle of saying "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow" and knowing deep down inside that tomorrow never comes!

So... back to Tony's rather impotent humor, Dreya's enviable abs, Adam's seemingly unachievable torso, Dominic's bounciness, and Pam Ba-BLAM! And back to the accompanying hard work....

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU:
breakfast --> egg salad sandwich, banana, coffee
lunch and dinner --> everything on the Thanksgiving Day table! (heh heh)

So far, so good!

While Plyo X wore me out (as it always has) yesterday, today's workout was the real acid test for whether or not I was ready to get back to it.... shoulders, biceps and triceps. Guess what? I PASSED! Granted I used the bands instead of the weights, and lightened the resistance on the shoulder exercises, but I think we're back on track here... I feel great! I'm so happy to be getting back to this. It's like a little structure has come back into my life.

Because there is no time like the present...

Why wait for Monday to roll around? Might as well get going now, right? That's what I said today. It was either start back again today, or maybe not start again at all. Oddly enough, today was supposed to be the day that I finished my first round of P90X. Instead it turned out to be the day I started again. Ironic, but hey... that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

So after a while of not dong this, I am doing Chest and Back for what feels like the very first time. I'm still amazed that this workout has the capacity to make me nauseous, but it also today made me feel like I was starting anew again. I did baby my shoulder a bit because this was the workout that caused the injury in the first place, so my reps and my intensity weren't as high as I would have liked for them to be. I'm going to trust that there is room for improvement and try to remember that it's really critical that I not hurt myself again.

It was also surprising to see that Ab Ripper X was not the same experience as it was almost three months ago. If muscle has memory, them much of the memory must be in my abs. I was not as fast as I was at the end of the first sixty days, but I also am surprised to see that I am not taking breaks in the middle of it like I used to when I first started, and that I am able to keep the rep count up to at least 25 of each exercise. That was great news.

All in all, it was a good workout. I'm glad to be back on this again. It sure will be nice to not only see results again, but also to have this piece of my structure back in place. Thank God for second chances!

Ready to get going again

It's been a successful "try-and-see" week. I seem to be over my shoulder injury and I am ready to get back into doing this like I was meant to do it! It's probably not necessary to start at Square One again, but I think I want to do so, just because it'll be like starting fresh again. It's also good for the humility I think.... I don't wanna get into the whole thing of "Oh, So-and-so who started this with me is now ahead of me." Please. This is supposed to be fun, not a contest. And if there is anything that I have learned from my first sixty days with P90X it's that my main competition is myself and the barriers are all in my mind.

HERE WE GO!

I'M BACK!!!

Down but not out, I have gotten back on the P90X horse after it bucked me off and caused me a three-week long convalescence. There's still a mild tenderness in my shoulder, but no longer do I have that primal, agonizing ache through my shoulder that had me wondering if I would ever use my arm again normally. On the advice of a friend, I am easing my way back into this. Cardio X today... X Stretch tomorrow... Cardio X again plus Ab Ripper X on Wednesday... Yoga X on Thursday... Kenpo X on Friday... X Stretch on Saturday... and rest on Sunday. Sound like a good way to get back into the program? I my repeat that if I am not feeling decidedly better after the first week, but I have a feeling that I will be able to get back on it. I will probably start again at Square One with the Phase 1 workouts and see what happens.

Okay folks! Here we go again!

UNCLE!

Okay, so much for my big plan to just do recovery week stuff... for some reason last nights session of Cardio X made my shoulder worse. There's been a low, primal ache all night since the squat runs. So I think I am off to the doctor.

I'm actually really upset, bordering on depression of sorts. It's like... I found something I really loved to do that was physical and fun and WORKING, and now I can't do it! It's not friggin' fair!

I'm still eating as per the diet, but I think this may be the end of the P90X experiment for now...

I may be getting a bit melodramatic, and this whole entry may be unnecessary, but just in case, I"m going to ask you all to please consider this program suspended, and ask you to bear with me while I get some needed medical care.

Thanks everyone for all your understanding, support, encouragement, and friendship through this.

Okay, I'm getting worried...

I think I really did a number on my rotator cuff... maybe worse than I realize. The pain is dull and not noticeable most of the time, but every once in a while there's a flare-up that's crippling. Happened yesterday while I was doing the star blocks on Kenpo X. As you can see, for most of the week until today, I've been able to go through the rest of the workouts, including yoga and the back workout this week without much difficulty. Sometimes there's a low primal ache initially that subsides after a few minites of exercise. Last night though, it was bad, and the ache is pretty constant.

So here's my idea (and I am hoping you P90X grads will chime in as well on this thought)... Today is the last day of my workout week, meaning it's "Rest or X Stretch" day. Today I'll rest and start a "mid-phase recovery week" on Thursday which will involve a lt of yoga, Core Synergistics and Cardio X (will have to lay of Kenpo X for a week since the punches and the star blocks seemed to have exacerbated my shoulder). I'll see how I feel after that, and if I see a little improvement I'll decide on whether to go on with Phase 3, do another recovery week, or just stop altogether. Sound feasible?

I sure would be sad if this were the end of the road for P90X for me. I mean, don't get me wrong... if it is for now, I will pick it up again, but I have really been having fun with this and loving the changes it's produced in my mind and body. I'm just hoping it's not.

Oddly enough, that I may have to stop worries me more than what I may have done to my shoulder.... that's no so healthy, huh?

I'm hoping a P90X grad will chime in with some hopeful words here.

Should have done this upon awakening...

I discovered today that I enjoy Kenpo X much better in the morning when I first wake up versus in the afternoon right after work. Will have to remember that. I still put my all into it, but between the aching rotator cuff and the general stress of the day, it was something of a lackluster workout today. I'm going to give myself a B for today.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Kenpo X

Feeling better!

I have to admit I was a bit timid about working out this morning knowing that it was legs and back. While my shoulder is a lot better than it was a week ago, I was still worried about hurting it again on the pull-ups and chin ups. NO need to worry after all... everything went smoothly. That was a huge relief given that leg day is probably my least favorite of all of them... good thing it gets followed up with Kenpo tomorrow! I love me some Kenpo!

So yes, I'm feeling better... In fact I think I'm feeling great!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 1/2 grapefruit, 1 Polly-o String cheese, 2 soy sausage patties on a whole wheat English Muffin, coffee.
LUNCH - Sliced smoked turkey on 12-grain bread, handful of baby carrots, 3 tbsp hummuus w/ pine nuts, power bar
DINNER - 2 Boca Burger patties, green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, 1 container of Muscle Milk, slice of 12-grain toast
MIDNIGHT SNACK - 8oz glass of OJ

Glad to have my support team back!

Jake's on the mend and was vigorously licking my ears while I was in the plough position this afternoon. It's good to have him back to his old self.

Yoga with this sore shoulder was really tough at first. Doing the vinyasas was tough; I'd go down to chataranga and my shoulder would come brightly alive the first few times. Although the pain subsided eventually, I began to wonder if I had really hurt myself worse than I thought. I mean, don't get me wrong... it's not hurting anything like it was a few days ago, but it upsets me to think that I might have slowed down my progress. Is this another "mental wall" my mind is trying to put up? Sure hope not.

Even so, it was good for the spirit for sure to do yoga today. I'm still seeing a lot of progress which is always encouraging. I'm now able to hold the half moon and twisting half moon poses for longer stretches. I remember when I couldn't even get my leg off the ground for either of those poses or for Warrior 3! Crane pose is still remarkably difficult, but I have the feeling it's because I am not doing something correctly. Ah well... I'm still seeing growth, and that's always good.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Yoga X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - oatmeal with raisins and almonds, coffee
LUNCH - not too hungry today for some reason. Just had a couple of protein bars.
DINNER - Leftovers from last night

Progress Despite the Pain

I used the bands this afternoon for the Shoulders & Arms workout. Hated doing that, but I just thought it would be best to err on the side of caution with this injured shoulder. It still aches a bit right at the top, but I was still able to keep going anyway. While it was encouraging to see Mr. Haas in the video doing the same thing, it still felt a bit like dogging it. I really like using iron for the arms and shoulders and couldn't do it today. Still got as good a workout in as possible... did my best and not only forgot the rest, but left it by the side of the road to fend for itself!

One cool thing that happened during the Ab Ripper X workout: I was finally able to do the cross-legged sit ups! Hard as hell, but I loved it! Totally turned my internal fire up a few degrees! WOOOOOOOO! I'm loving Phase III!

TODAY'S WORKOUT -Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU -
BREAKFAST - Scrambled egg whites, 4 strips of turkey bacon, 1 banana, 1 slice of 12-grain toast, coffee
LUNCH - slice of whole grain toast, can of minestrone soup, protein bar
SNACK - protein bar
DINNER - Grilled pork chops, wild rice, peas, protein drink

OW!

That exclamation is not just for the hurt rotator cuff I mentioned yesterday.... that is still bugging me a little and I am dealing with it with some Tiger Balm, ice, and Ibuprofen. I'm sure it will feel better soon.

No, the real OW is for Jake, one member of my support team who just got back from the vet after having that "special surgery" that is needed for dogs his age. It was so hard for me to see him so spaced out and lethargic last night, and also (in his moments of consciousness) looking at me with such sorrow as if to say, "I can't believe you let that happen to me... why?" I felt like the world's worst dog owner last night and for a little while this morning too. At least his big brother, Rodney, has been looking out for him and seems to understand the "gravity" of the situation. When they curl up together on the couch, there seems to be a sympathetic lick on the forehead from Rodney, like he's saying, "I know, kid.. been there. You'll be alright."

I suppose that Plyo X first thing in the morning is a suitable punishment for such treachery. However, let's just say instead that it was helpful to me to channel all that negativity into getting off the ground and getting the poison out of me through my sweat glands. I do feel a bit better, and it was nice to come home and see the little guy somewhat back to his old self... running up to me with his ID tag in his mouth and his tail going back and forth rapidly. Maybe tomorrow he'll be licking me in the face again as I cool down. If so, I think all within ME will be back to normal.


TODAY'S WORKOUT - Plyometrics X

BRING IT!!!!

Started Phase 3 today with a blast from the past... the Chest and Back workout! I was amazed to see that I added a minimum of at least five reps to every exercise! That resulted in a HUGE surge of energy to my soul! I may have overdone it a bit as a result... my left shoulder is a bit sore now, but I will ice it, take some Alleve, and see if that helps.

Ab Ripper X tonight... let's rip that mutha apart!!!!

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - banana, blueberry muffin, cup of coffee
LUNCH - sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, handful of baby carrots, small green salad, scoop of whey protein in 8 oz milk
SNACK AFTER WORK - dried cranberries, a coupleof handfuls of almonds, a couple of handfuls of raisins.... call it trail mix
DINNER - can of beef barley soup, slice of 12-grain bread

90 Minutes, 1 Thought

And the thought for the 90 minute workout today was this:
"God, I offer myself to you to build with me and to do with me as you will. Relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do your will. Take away my difficulties that victory over them maybear witness to those I would help of your power, your love and your way of life. May I do your will always."

Today I am letting go of: total loss of the truck and the concurrent phone calls to the insurance company and the ex, the fact hat my replacement at work started today, that it's time for Jake to have his "pockets picked," tomorrow's job interview, the outcome of any job that I have applied for recently, what will happen at the upcoming Board Meeting for my current company, all money matters...

Just lifting the rug of my mind... sweeping all that under it... laying it flat and walking away. Taking care of the body in which I live. The rest is not for me to solve tonight.

Bedtime now.



TODAY'S WORKOUT - Yoga X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 1/2 grapefruit, 1 cup oatmeal with 1 cup of skim milk, coffee w/ cream
LUNCH - sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, carrots, 1 banana, 8 oz skim milk
SNACK - handful of dried cranberries, handful of almonds
DINNER - 2 Boca Burger patties, handful of baby carrots, 2 tbs hummus, glass of cranberry juice

A for effort... please?

Hi sports fans! Sorry about not writing yesterday... It was just X-stretch after a rather mellow day with the critters and the laundry. This morning, on the other hand, with Core Synergystics was not a lot of fun, unfortunately. Mr. Horton wants us to "engage the core" as much as possible while doing this workout. To my credit, I did do it as much as I possibly could, but I still don't feel real good about how things went and felt today. It seemed more "disengaged" than anything else... like it wouldn't engage on purpose for some reason. I don't know why that is.... I really felt it on Friday when I did this, but not so much today. Should I just blame it on Monday? Yeah... why the heck not. Oh well, it's time to "forget the rest" after doing my best 'cause I don't need that inner barrier going up again for any part of this day. See ya tomorrow for Yoga X.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Core Synergistics

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - banana, whey protein in 8 oz of milk, whole wheat English muffin, coffee
LUNCH - grilled chicken breast, handfull or two of carrots, 2 tbsp hummus, protein bar
DINNER - burrito (carne asada, refried beans, rice, lettuce, spinach tortilla)

Why I love Kenpo X

Becasue it's this


and this


and a little of this


combined with this


and some of this


and it makes me feel like this


Simple, right?

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Kenpo X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - scrambled egg whits, 3 strips of turkey bacon, 1 banana, 1 cup of coffee
SNACK @ 11AM - protein bar
LUNCH - sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, glass of milk, 8 fresh strawberries, protein bar
SNACK - handful or two of dried cranberries, same of almonds
DINNER - grilled chicken, chicken Medley rice, green salad with lite italian dressing, whey protein in 8 oz of milk
MIDNIGHT SNACK - protein bar, frozen berries

Interesting how much "easier" this got...

It's funny how, after not doing it for a month, I come back to Core Synergystics and it was not only "easier" (meaning that I was able to do it without collapsing every other move and dying of a sore midsection), but also much more fun! I guess that's more evidence that this is really working. Wonder what else I could possibly get better at after not doing it for a month.... nothing I can think of right away. Still, it was kind of a neat "acid test" for my physical progress, not to mention a real morale booster during the "doldrums" of recovery week.

Beyond that all is well in my little corner of the world. The stolen truck was unfortunately declared a total loss today, but hey... in this day and age where insurance companies hold suspect every claim for the possibility of fraud, mine has been absolutely wonderful to both me and my ex, who had possession of that car. It's made that little bit of humble pie more palatable. Beyond that, I am actually enjoying the snow out here! Can't drive anywhere, but it's okay... I kinda want to be a hermit this weekend and enjoy the company of my dogs and a few good movies. I'm also jolly because I got the last carton of milk the store had too! YAY! MORE PROTEIN SHAKES!

Anyway, hope you all have a good weekend. Kick-ass Kenpo X tomorrow!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Core Synergistics

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 1/2 grapefruit, strawberry banana muffin, cup of coffee
LUNCH - can of minestrone soup, handful of almonds, protein bar
DINNER - 2 Boca burger patties, 2 tbsp of hummus, a couple of handfuls of baby carrots, glass of milk, 3-4 large (fresh!) strawberries

AUM........ zzzzzzzzzzzz

Yoga X before bedtime last night.... nice way to end the day. But I was so pooped after it was all over that I didn't write last night.
Ah well.

YESTERDAY'S MENU
BEAKFAST - 2 soy sausage patties on a whole wheat English muffin, 1/2 a grapefruit, coffee
LUNCH - grilled chicken with Montreal spices, green beans, protein bar
DINNER - 8 oz steak, serving of broccoli, serving of asparagus, whole wheat dinner roll, slice of vanilla cake for dessert (I'm bad, I know)

Quick Week 7 Review

I'm in a bit of a rush this morning, so this is going to be a real brief review of week 7:

BEST - Feeling great and seeing some physical changes that I really like. The compliments haven't been too bad either! Oh, and most important, I'm still having a lot of fun.

HARDEST - Watching myself on cam compared to the videos was also a real insightful experiment, but I see I still have some places to work on form. Thank God there's another month ahead where I can continue to improve on that.... and a whole lifetime after that too!

WORST - Nothing really. All in all, it's been a very good week.

I have to admit that I am already starting to think about doing this again a couple of weeks after I have finished Week 13, and I am hoping I have just as much fun next time around. Wonder how I can make Round 2 a little more interesting...

Maybe I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it.

Just stretching tonight? Heck with that!

I needed some catharsis after a decidedly odd day. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that after finding that the stolen car I mentioned in another entry turned up completely trashed in Southampton, the IRS Form 990 which had me and the financial agent at work pulling out what's left of our hair, and that the person who is replacing me at my job starts work a week from today, I really needed more than just stretching today. Cardio X preceded that hour of X Stretch tonight.... and that was probably a really good decision.

Anyway, I still can't believe I am almost done with Phase 2... it went by so quickly! Well, the recovery week starts tomorrow. Will be nice to do some Yoga after work, I think. If nothing else it will cleanse out a lot more weirdness waiting on the other side of the night.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Cardio X and X Stretch

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - spinach omelet, 3 strips of turkey bacon, 1/2 a grapefruit, coffee
LUNCH - grilled chicken breast with montreal spices, slice of 12-grain bread, serving of green beans, protein bar
DINNER - same as breakfast minus the bacon and the coffee, 1 whole grain English muffin
MIDNIGHT SNACK - I woke up ravenous so I had a couple of handfuls of cashews, a handful of dried cranberries, and a couple of tablespoons of dry oatmeal.

You're so vain, you prob'ly think this workout's about you... don't you?

Well, the workout is indeed all about me, but it was not exactly vanity that drove me to turn on the camera and watch myself today. I will say this much: when you don't have someone watching you while you do this, it's hard to know whether or not your form is good. I suppose it's the same principle that drives every one of these muscle-bound thugs at the gym to stand in front of the mirror while they are working out.... well, in most cases.

Anyway, I decided to run the camera again while I did Kenpo X this morning. No video this time, but I did watch my own form while following Mr. Horton's cues. I was able to see that most of the time my form was good, but surprisingly it was not so good on my side kick. I say "surprisingly" because I always thought it was the strongest of all my kicks... even when I was doing Tae Kwon Do. And it probably was when I was doing it everyday under Master Kim's tutelage (and Master Poos before him). I saw today on the camera that compared to my back kick, which I always thought was the weakest of my kicks, I wasn't getting my knee up enough. It looked more like I was just putting my leg out. Granted, this isn't Tae Kwon Do training that I am doing, but I was taught better than that so I should be doing better than that, right? And hey, had it not been for the camera running at the same time, I wouldn't have caught that and decided to make room for improvement.

So yeah, still feeling good... still excited about the final phase too. Onward and upward!




TODAY'S WORKOUT - Kenpo X

TODAY'S MENU

Looking down the barrel of another recovery week

Well, there's nothing really profound to say today; I think I spent all my creativity on posting yesterday's movies and doing the half-moon pose for Yoga X. All I know is that I am looking down the barrel of another recovery week, and I am hoping that I enjoy it a little more this time around. Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X today... Kenpo tomorrow.

TODAY'S MENU -
BREAKFAST - banana, coffee, protein bar
LUNCH - vegetarian chilli, sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, 1 Polly-o string cheese
SNACK - protein bar
DINNER - Thai chicken peanut sandwich with hummus and puta chips, heaping scoop of whey protein in 8 oz skim milk

There's a moon out tonight!

See this pose? It's called the Half Moon, and I finally did it today! Only took seven weeks of doing Yoga X and continually falling on my face, but I finally did it! Yay!
So yes, everything was right on the money for Yoga X today. My balance was good, my spirit was calm, and my dogs were sleeping (hahaha). Yep, all was well today.

I'm debating spending the money on a yoga block or two, but I have to admit, I get a small kick out of the fact that I use a copy of Homer's Iliad as one. I think it shows that the classics have many uses. Am I right?

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Yoga X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - strawberry banana muffin, coffee
LUNCH - protein bar, grilled chicken salad, 1 Polly-o string cheese
DINNER - sesame chicken, stir-fry vegetables, white rice

And here's the video!

Made a video myself today!

Yep, you read that right. I actually recorded myself doing the Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X workout. I'm still processing and editing it, but you will see that I am indeed doing the work, and that Rodney and Jake are supporting me through it. I'll probably post it later today.

But still, recorded or not, it was kinda neat to have on one half of the screen the P90X video and on the other half a visual of me doing the work. It was a neat comparison shot that got me paying attention to my form and pace a lot more than normal. Made the workout fly by a little faster.... and it also made me push myself a little harder too!

On the topic of visuals, thanks to everyone who has said that the difference between me at Day 3 and at Day 30 is indeed obvious. I'm starting to think so too. But someone did comment that the ligt in te pictures is so terrible that it is really hard to tell the biggest differences. So allow me to re-post the black-and-white Day 3 shots along with some olor pictures taken today (in the middle of Week 7 of 13) in natural daylight. The differences are much obvious now... even to me, and I am REALLY happy about it and proud of myself for keeping up with this:









So there you are! The mot audio-visual intensive entry to date!

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - Spinach omelet, 3 strips of tukey bacon, 8 oz OJ, cup of coffee
LUNCH - sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, baby carrot sticks, protein bar, 1 Polly-o string cheese
DINNER -

It's Friday...

...and accordingly, my brain punched the clock a long time ago. Hence, I have nothing particularly profond to say this evening. My knee is giving me a little trouble, so I opted for Cardio X and a few sets of push-ups today. Definitely not the easier softer way to do Cardio X instead of Plyo X, but I probably could have done a little more work had it not been for the knee. So added the pushups. Now I am going to get my sweaty rear-end into the tub and soak.

Still can't believe I am just about halfway through! I looked back at my entries from the first week and am amazed. I remember being tired and thinking I was going to die, but it seems like so long ago. It's almost like I saw it on TV rathar than something went through. Weird, huh?

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Cardio X and about 40 pushups (4 sets of 10-12)

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - Oatmeal with skim milk and a large glass of OJ, coffee
LUNCH - sliced smoked turkey on 12-grain bread, serving of sugar snow peas, protein bar
SNACK - handful or two of almonds
DINNER - grilled chicken salad with light Italian dressing, 1 whole grain English muffin, scoop of whey protein in 8 oz skim milk

The secret to doing a one-handed push-up...

... still eludes me. Even so, I have really come to like the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps workout the best of all of the resistance workouts. Those floor flys are a killer, but they are a lot of fun to do. I actually tried using a dumbbell to do them this morning, and while it was hard to maintain the plank posture, it was kinda fun rolling the dumbbell along the floor and doing the pushups; that way proved to be so much more fun and intense than sliding a plastic plate along the carpet.

The loathsome Ab Ripper X is tonight... I'd hate it a lot more if I weren't seeing results, though!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps; Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - blueberry muffin, coffee (no sugar), glass of milk
SNACK - bottle of Naked juice (Protein Zone)
LUNCH - 2 Boca burger patties, a couple of handfulls of baby carrots, 3-4 tbsp hummus, protein bar
DINNER - don't go there... I kinda went hog wild at the Chinee buffet, but didn't eat a lot of greasy fried stuff... lotsa sushi, lotsa sauteed broccoli, lotsa pork pot stickers and a cuppa red jello. ugh.

Halfway There! - Week 6 Review

A day late, but not a dollar short! Here it is:

BEST- With week six completed, I am really most happy to see that I have stuck with this commitment for so long... long enough to see a substantial blog and also long enough to start seeing some changes in my body as well. My friends who looked at the 30-day pictures said they saw a difference; I didn't, but I am starting to see one now. The ab lines are coming back, and for some reason, I think the small, but present love handles have vanished... either that or my shoulders have just gotten broader. And I actually am inclined to believe it's not just wishful thinking! I look back at that blog entry that I wrote about a month ago about seeing the infomercials and wondering if I am going to get results too, and I am amazed at how oddly hopeful it seemed. I'm glad I hung in there; I think it's happening now! Beyond that, the support I have been getting from my buddies Chris (who is a P90X cohort) and Johnny (who's got the kind of body I'd be glad to have) has just been awesome. Thanks guys!

HARDEST - Well, having a birthday and all the attendant baked goods that came with it was not easy, but I don't think it destroyed anything I have worked for, and I don't think that my new good habits have gone to pucky because of it. I can't really explain the crash in energy that I had in the days following, but I don't think the two are linked. We all have some off-times... had 'em when I was swimming, when I was doing Tae-Kwon Do, and also when I was getting sober. They happen, and I accept it. I'm still going o give all I have physically and mentally to this, tired and wobbly or not.

WORST - Just that mid-week crash, but like I said, we all have off-times. Even with the off times, I am still trying to push myself... the three bands I used on back day are proof of that.

So there you are.... Week 6 and half the P90X program done!

Hi-YA!!!!

Kenpo X.... I brought it. It may not have looked like it to someone watching from the outside, but I did.

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 1 cup oatmeal in skim milk, 4 strawberries, coffee, handful of almonds
LUNCH - can of ham & bean soup, whole wheat English muffin, protein bar
DINNER - grilled salmon in Montreal spices, brown rice, sugar snap peas, glass of milk, protein bar

Count 'em... 3 BANDS!

Decided to try the bands on the back and biceps workout. Again, it was mostly to see what I can work with and what I am going to have to try the next time I have to travel and there is no alternative BUT to use the bands for back work. I was very nervous about this because I bought an over the door "robe hook" and laid the bands over it, and every time I did the "chin up or "pull-up," I was worried about the hook breaking, flying at me like a projectile in a slingshot, and splitting my head open. Luckily that didn't happen. What's interesting, however, is that I only felt like I had done an appropriate amount of back work when I put all three tensions (light, mid AND heavy) on the handles and used them together. And even then, it was not nearly as rigorous as it seemed using the chin-up bar! Hmmm.... I don't think I loafed in the back department by doing that, but it sure wasn't the same deal. I know one thing is for certain.... the legs got their usual amount of torture and agony this morning! I BROUGHT IT!

Ab Ripper tonight before bed!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAEKFAST - chicken scramble (yum!), glass of OJ, and coffee.
LUNCH - steak tip salad with lite balsamic vinaigrete, 1 Polly-o string cheese, 1 protein bar
SNACK - 1/2 cup almonds
DINNER - 2 Boca burger patties, 3 tbsp hummus, a couple of handfuls of baby carrots, scoop of whey protein in a cup of skim milk.

Happy birthday to me!

It was a great day. Thanks to all my friends and family who called emailed or texted. Love you all.
Yoga X before bed to clear the mind before sleeping tonight.

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - Blueberry muffin, scrambled egg, coffee
LUNCH - can of vegetable soup, leftover grilled Chicken Breast in Montreal Spices, protein bar
DINNER - leftover grilled Chicken Breast in Montreal Spices, wild rice, green beans

BIRTHDAY DESERT - FRENCH SILK PIE!!!! YUM!

I don't get it...

I broke a sweat, lifted some heavier weights on some exercises, and did more reps compared to last week with this workout... so how come I feel like I dogged it? I still had a ton of energy after it was done. Hell, I did about 50 pushups before Ab Ripper just to try to burn off some steam!

Well, I'd like to attribute to a stronger upper body than before, and that may indeed be the case. Could just be simply that I am feeling good... real good! Besides, whatever qualms I had about not being tired after Back & Biceps were quelled he moment I did Ab Ripper X today. Really felt that one, as usual!

Well, it's been a good day so far. The wash is done; I am worked out, clean, and fed; and I am turning 35 tomorrow! YAY! All good stuff!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 6 slices of turkey bacon, whole wheat English muffin, 1 whole grapefruit, 1 cup of coffee
LUNCH - Subway (6 inch whole wheat sub with grilled chicken, American cheese, shredded lettuce, a litttle bit of onion sauce), apple slices, protein bar
SNACK - 1 Polly-o string cheese
DINNER - grilled chicken with Montreal spices, wild rice, serving of green beans

Busy day yesterday...

With a professor visiting to conduct interviews for the students here at Oberlin, I kinda got swamped and didn't have time to blog yesterday. Even so, I did my Plyo X yesterday, and didn't wuss out by going to Cardio X. I still don't like that workout very much, but I am sticking with it.

Mr. Horton's blog post was very interesting.... about creating an environment for change to happen. Check it out: http://tonyhorton.blogspot.com/2010/02/change.html

Nothing profound to say right now, just eating breakfast and drinking my morning coffee. Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X today.... will write again after that.

30 Day Comaprison Shots

Just a few. The black and white ones were taken on Day 3, and the sepia toned ones were taken on Day 30.

Okay, heck with modesty... Is there a difference? I need the truth.

My Cheering Section

Thank God for Rodney and Jake on mornings when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed... like today. Just in a foul mood following the news from ASU and the even more unpleasant news about the car being stolen. Picked a fight with a politically conservative friend on Facebook over global warming less than 30 minutes after waking up, bemoaned the unpleasantly cold weather and the snow, and then brought the worst attitude to working out shortly afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard at P90X this morning, but there was no joy or catharsis in it. And yet after all that, the dogs (who have been watching their silly biped of a pack-leader jump around like a weirdo in the morning for the last five weeks) came right in dring the cool down and licked my face and wagged their tails as if to congratulate me on the hard work. That never fails to make me smile and turn my mood around.... and I smiled brightly and genuinely. I believe their support is going to carry me through the rest of the morning at least.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - oatmeal with skim milk, orange, coffee
LUNCH - chicken burrito (grilled chicken, shredded lettuce, rice, black beans pueblan verde, flour tortilla), protein bar
DINNER - cup of egg-drop soup, 1 serving of Moo Goo Gai Pan, 1/2 bowl of white rice fortune cookie, protien bar.

Week 5 Completed

First week of Phase 2 is done now. So time for the usual weekly review:

BEST - This was overall an excellent week as far as training went. Traveling with P90X was a cool experiment, which I think went well. Gives me some hope for an upcoming extended business trip that I have coming up at the end of March. Definitely seeing improvement with reps and form, but also starting to see some changes in the physique, I think! May have seen some ab lines and broadening of the shoulders! Even if it is just wishful thinking, it made me feel pretty good about the work I am doing!

HARDEST - Doing cardio at the right heart rate... I thought I was a little high this week during Plyo, Kenp and CArdio, but maybe not. I consulted with some colleagues, and they told me not to worry.

WORST - I don't think there WAS a worst part, this week! Aside from being rished a bit when I ate my meals, I think the worst parts of the week had nothing to do with P90X (e.g., not getting the job at ASU and having the car stolen), but instead were dealt with by using P90X. It kinda kept me from flying off the handle too much when those things came to pass.

So basically an "A-" week! (patting self on the back)
Week 6 starts tomorrow!

Forget stretching...

I'm doing Cardio X tonight!

I'm so upset... I just found out hat I didn't get a job I wanted in Arizona, and not a second later the ex calls me up to tell me that the car we still owe money on just got stolen! What a crummy way to start the evening! Would rather pound something than relax, and would rather wear myself out with something physical like exercise than something mental or emotional like worry or resentment.


TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - spinach scramble, orange, 1 Polly-o string cheese
LUNCH - sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, can of vegetable soup, protein bar
DINNER - a couple of handfuls of turkey jerky, large salad with lite Italian vinagrette, 1 whole wheat English Muffin, glass of OJ, protein bar

Kickstart My Heart!

I love Kenpo X! Always a good workout, and always one that I feel I have accomplished the most when I am finished. Today, my heart-rate was a little higher than normal (180 bpm as opposed to 160-165), but I didn't feel winded or light-headed, nor did I feel like I was overdoing it. I used to get that my pulse up that high when I swam competitively too, but never worried about it and never had any truly adverse side effects that I know of. Oddly enough I was able to increase my distance per stroke (DPS) at that pulse rate, even though 160 bpm is the target heart-rate for maximum DPS. I always figured it was just that I had a high resting pulse (which I do... 92 bpm is my resting HR) and that this was the appropriate range for me. Am I wrong for thinking like that? Should I be concerned? Is it truly risky to do cardio at that HR, or is it a non-issue? Anything I should do about it if it is risky?

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Kenpo X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 2 vegetarian sausage patties on a whole wheat English Muffin, 1 Polly-o String Cheese, 8 oz orange juice, coffee
LUNCH - turkey sandwich on 12-grain with lettuce, handful of baby carrots, 4 or 5 strawberries, protein bar
DINNER - steak salad with balsamic vinagrette, 1 slice of 12-grain bread, 1 Polly-o String Cheese, 2 tbsp hummus with pine nuts, protein bar for desert

Silence is golden... and results are platinum!

Oh, the joy of doing the P90X workout with just the music and the cues! Discovering that feature was sheer bliss!
I know I have been harping about it a lot lately but as you will see, there are whole threads on Realjock.com dedicated to Tony's awful jokes: here's just one. But seriously, for all the guff I'm giving the man, I can't deny that he's come up with a good system that has caused, (or is causing, in my case) a lot of people get off the couch and do something physical that actually yields dome results. Today I actually saw them too... up to an additional four more reps in each of the pull ups, and the oddest thought during the legs workout which was: "I could add some weight and do these!" The barrier in the mind is coming down big time! Tired I may be, but I feel like a zillion bucks... and the other day when I was on vacation in the mirror, I thought I started to see some lines down the tummy that looked promisingly like abs re-appearing! Could it be...?

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Legs and Back X, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - protein shake with strawberries
LUNCH - turkey sandwich on 12-grain with lettuce, handful of baby carrots, protein bar
DINNER - steak salad with balsamic vinagrette, 1- Polly-o String Cheese, protein bar for desert

Home Again Home Again... Jiggety-jig

Good to be back home after a nice vacation. Huge thanks to my friend Tom for being an awesome host and for a fun, relaxing weekend! Back to work on Monday... and although there was no call from ASU asking me to drop everything and stop by for an interview, I feel pretty good about how that whole thing is going as well.

Anyway, did Yoga X after a four-hour flight home, which is such a weird sensation. Flying tires me out for some odd reason (I mean really... all you're doing is sittin' there) and doing yoga right after it is no easy chore because yoga, for all it's ability to clear the mind requires a huge amount of physical exertion! I really tuckered out fast, but brought what I could.

Legs and back in the morning tomorrow, and abs that night. In between, I'm going to pick up my dogs, whom I have missed terribly, and enjoy a nice turkey sandwich... it's been too long since I had one!

Phil is my new hero!!!

He actually told Tony to get out of his face while he was working out... I love him! Even so he gave ol' Tony a hug after it was all done. Still that he can actully convey to the man what was on mind makes him okay in my book. Even so, had a great workout today and really felt the burn in the Chest, Shoulders & Triceps workout. Used the bands, and boy let me tell you that using them is NOT the easier, softer way! It was flippin' HARD! But I really felt good after that. Ab Ripper X is still the sandpaper on my soul, but I am still plugging along at it. Went bowling for the first time in a while... Boy do I suck! But I had so much fun!!! Hate to be going home tomorrow, but it will also be good to get back home, see my dogs, and resume my life!

No, I didn't forget...

I did indeed do my plyo yesterday, and can't thank my host enough for letting me move the furniture in the living room so that I could jump around like a moron. I had not forgotten how hard plyo is, but I did forget how much space it takes to do. At any rate, here I am, nice and sore and a day behind in my blog, but no biggie. The time difference kinda threw off my eating schedule, so it ended up being two VERY large meals instead of three normal sized ones. Ate pretty well and made good choices, but ended up at Cold Stone Creamery for dessert where I had a small but glorifyingly fattening and diabetes-inducing cup of goodness with no regret! Up yer nose widda rubber hose, Tony!

Hey we all need to indulge a little bit on vacation, right? :-)

Shoulders, triceps, chest and abs today... And maybe more Cold Stone? Heh heh...

Back, Biceps, and Oatmeal!

Ah yes! Back to the good ol' "iron work" that I love and Ab Ripper X that I love to hate! Now I'm feeling energized again! Really like it! Had to switch things up this week and do Back & Biceps X this morning instead of the planned Chest, Shoulders & Triceps because I am going out of town this weekend, and just want to take the tension bands to do some working out. Since I like to do the back work with a chin-up bar (which I can't just pack and take with me), I figured I'd do the stuff requiring that first and then do Chest et al when I am away and only need something simple like bands. So I'm mixing it up a bit.

Today's breakfast was my first bowl of oatmeal in a month..... oh oatmeal, how I have missed you! We have a lot of catching up to do, you and I. Reunited and it feels so goooooooooood....... Starting to make changes now in the diet too. Phase 2's meal plan is actually much closer to how I eat on a normal basis, so I am actually really glad to see that in the month ahead.

All's well beyond that! More anon!

Week 4 and Phase 1 Completed!

Hi folks! Feeling much better after last night's God-awful headache. Because of lack of time, I opted for X Stretch instead of Yoga X this morning, but I feel that it was an okay modification for the end of recovery week.

Well, Phase 1 and week 4 are now done. I have to admit, but for Kenpo and Core Synergistics, this week was not a lot of fun. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be. I guess I like the action and high intensity of the workouts that I was getting during the previous weeks. Kinda looking forward to getting back into that.... well, I say that today, but just watch... after the workout I'll be begging again for the nice slow pace of recovery week again!

Nah... it's gonna be good to getting active and sweaty first thing in the morning again! I know it for sure!

So here's the best, hardest and worst for the last week, and for Phase 1:

BEST: I can really see a change in my flexibilty, my energy, and my attitude after this week. I've lost nine pounds (which is funny because I didn't think I had nine pounds to lose), and I am also seeing a very positive change in the way I am preparing and eating my meals. True there is a little less spontaneity at mealtimes, but there's also a little more thought going into what I eat and when. More than anything, I've really fallen in love with this program despite Tony's really pitiful sense of humor, and have started not only facing but also dismantling a barrier in my mind about the results I am anticipating. People, both P90X graduates and cohorts, have been telling me not to give up two minutes before the "miracle" happens, and I am trusting in those words. Oh, and it's been really nice to meet some people who have not only gone through this program, but are supporting me as I do the same. Thanks ya'll!

HARDEST: Hardest part of last week was wanting to get out there and really pound the exercises out like I am used to, but having to dial back and relax and stretch... settle for more cardio than "iron-work" (as I like to call it). As much as it drains me, the "iron-work" makes me feel the best, physically and emotionally, and I really missed it. I guess this is also part of the philosophy of "muscle confusion," but right now the muscle between my ears is the most confused... but I am trusting that this is part of the program. And as for Phase 1, the hardest part was overcoming the barriers in my mind, obviously.... about all parts of this program, both the exercise routines and the change in diet This blog has been a huge help in just getting things out of my head so that I can focus on the training and the meal plan, and I am hopeful that I will see some change in my psyche and attitude as I review the pages of the last month.

WORST: Took my "30 days" photos today... and I just don't see any huge transformations yet. It's a little disheartening. I know that I've got to keep at it and not expect to wake up with a brand new body overnight. It's tough, though. You'd think that after the kind of work I put into this last month I'd see more, but I don't. I should really just be content with the very significant progress in attitude, general fitness, flexibility, and eating habits that I mentioned above. Even Mr. Horton says it too: "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was your body." It's one of the few clichés in his repertoire that I can not only live with but also with which I can agree wholeheartedly. Still going to do my best and forget the rest.... what else can I do? I'm sure it will be worth it.

So... overall a pretty good Phase 1. I'm traveling for the weekend, so this next week will not only be the beginning of Phase 2, but will also be the first experiment I have had with traveling and doing P90X. Will probably write from home tomorrow night, but will be writing from out of state Friday and Saturday for sure!

Thanks again guys!

Skullcrusher

Bad headache tonight. Will do yoga tomorrow.

Core Synergistics, take 2

This is still a pretty intense workout. I still have no idea if I am doing everything right, but I did focus a little more on keeping the core tight while I did this and did feel a difference from last week where I was just trying to learn the exercises while doing them. I'm still surprised at how quickly this workout goes... either that or I'm actually losing a sense of time while I do this workout. Either way, it's proven to be a good way to start out this Monday morning.

Although I will complete Phase 1 on Wednesday, this week (February 1- 7) will be my first time to travel with P90X. I'm heading for Arizona this coming weekend for a little vacation (and hopefully an in-person meeting with the folks at ASU), and am bring ing a few of the CDs, some bands, and of course I am bringing "it!" ("it," of course, being my usual intensity and stick-to-it-iveness). Will be sure to let you all know how it goes!

TOday's workout - core synergistics

today's menu
breakfast - protein shake w/ strawberries and a banana, coffee
lunch - leftovers from dinner last night
snack - whey protein in 8 oz skim milk
dinner - grilled chicken breast sub on wheat with lettuce,American cheese, and a little sweet onion dressing; apple slices; water

Nothing profound to say today

Just doing X Stretch today and taking care of Adam. All is well.

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 2 soy sausage patties, whole wheat English muffin, 1 Polly-O string cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee
LUNCH - carrots and hummus
SNACK - protein bar
DINNER - Grilled chicken with montreal spices, steamed vegetable medley, wild rice, glass of skim milk, protein bar for dessert

Sabum-nim Kei (trans. "Honor the Instructor")

Dear Grandmaster Kim,

It has been at least 20 years since we have seen each other, but I think of you and your family often. What you all provided for me for the years that I was your student at Blue Dragon Tae-Kwon Do in Maryland was invaluable. Your impact on my life was profound and wonderful. And while I regret telling you that I never continued with my Tae-Kwon Do training after my teens, I thank you for not only providing me guidance, but also with tools that gave me physical strength, mental stability, and emotional discipline. While I am currently in a different regiment of training today, I still draw on those skills every day. Thank you again, sir, for being my teacher; I have never forgotten your wisdom and your instruction... and I never will.

With deepest respects,
Adam H_______

TODAY'S WORKOUT - KENPO X

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - spinach omelet, 1/2 grapefruit, 8 oz skim milk, coffee
LUNCH - Asian Sesame Chicken Salad and whole grain baguette (at Panera)
SNACK - Protein bar
DINNER - wild rice, vegetable medley, 2 Boca burger Patties, banana, scoop of whey protein in 8 oz skim milk

And right they were!

Core Synergistics is HARD! Tried to keep the core muscles engaged as per Mr. Horton's "tip of the day" but I'm not sure how successful I was. I sweat buckets and did my best, but I somehow had the feeling I was supposed to keep my abdomen taut through the whole thing. If that was the case, I am not sure I did that correctly. If not, I need to just stop thinking. Well, either way, I get to do it again on Monday; we'll see what happens then. Still, it was great cardio and it really flew by quickly! I like this workout! Kenpo X tomorrow... and you know I love that one!

Phone interview today with ASU! I'm really excited... this is a good opportunity. My friends Johnny, Tom, and Drew are rootin' for me! I hope to give them good news this evening... wait... strike that... I WILL GIVE THEM GOOD NEWS THIS EVENING!!! Howzat?! :-)


Bring it!

TODAY'S WORKOUT - CORE SYNERGISTICS

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - Protein shake (strawberries and chocolate whey protein)
LUNCH - 2 Boca Burger patties, serving of raw baby carrots, 2 tbsp hummus
SNACK - protein bar, banana
DINNER - grilled salmon with Montreal spices, wild rice, vegetable medley

1st Day of Recovery Week

Did Yoga X for Day 1 as prescribed. Always good for mental and spiritual health.... balances are still tough, but the flexibility is getting better. Everyone who has done this program says tomorrow's workout, the Core Synergistics X is a killer! I'm going to preview the video to see what I am in store for...

Got paid and tax returns came in today... so I could grocery shop! Yay! Now, what to do about that tenant...

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 4 strips turkey bacon, whole wheat English Muffin, glass of skim milk (8 oz), coffee
LUNCH - apple slices, 6-inch chicken breast sub with lettuce, cheese, and a little sweet onion dressing
DINNER - large steak (9 or 10 oz I think), serving of broccoli spears, 1 cup cooked corn, glass of skim milk (8 oz)

Week 3 Finished!

Yes folks.... that's it for week three! And as usual, here are the best, worst and hardest:

BEST - Again, huge improvement in terms of performance... but discovering that the barrier is in my mind was probably the best part. In a weird way this was a relief... it made every workout much better this week because all I had to do was shut the mind off and move. No thinking about the stupid infomercials... hell there wasn't even any pausing to "visualize what I wanted to see when the 90 days was up! With that mindset, I really felt energized by the time Legs & Back day came, and I think I was at the top of my game during Kenpo X!

HARDEST - Discovering that the barrier is in my mind was also the hardest part. I'm my own worst enemy and my own harshest critic. Getting out of my own way is always the toughest thing to do. Thank god for the Yoga and Stretch days... all that drifts away. More than anything, those two days are more about mental and spiritual care than stretching and bending, as far as I am concerned.

WORST - Eating habits were off kilter this week. Finding the Dove chocolate covered almonds in the freezer was both a blessing and a curse. Granted they were a cheat food, but they were also great for a needed pick-me-up during this really hard week which only got harder when my tenant wrote a rent check that bounced. Chocolate does help in a situation like that, and although I didn't go overboard with them, I did make them gone over the course of the week (only a few a day). So much for sticking to the diet. The other problem with her rent check bouncing was that it made it harder to shop for groceries this week. Luckily, I still had enough supplies in the kitchen to stick with some semblance of the meal plan, but as you can see on the preceding days of this blog, I wasn't exactly making the best choices for meals. All I can say is that payday is this Friday, and my tax return is on it's way in... this will pass.

So the next week is "recovery week" as far as the exercise plan is concerned. Yoga X twice this week, Core Synergistics X (a new program for me) twice this week as well, Kenpo X once mid-week and X Stretch twice. I have to admit... it sounds like a rather dull week to me, but according to the little booklet taht came with the DVDs, this is a time for my body to "recover from the hard resistance training and focus on tightening the midsection... which will supposedly enhance the adaptive process. Well okay.... {shrug} I'm not asking questions, I'm just doing it.

TODAY'S WORKOUT - X Stretch

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 4 strips of turkey bacon, 1 whole grain english muffin, glass of milk, coffee
LUNCH - 2 Boca burger patties, 1/2 a serving of asparagus, glass of milk
DINNER - 1/2 serving of asparagus, grilled chicken breast with Italian Seasonings, 1 Polly-o string cheese
SNACK AT MIDDAY - 1 tangerine

I have been looking forward to this....

KENPO DAY! I really love it... I could go for a few more days of this versus Plyo. From what I understand, I'll have quite a bit of it next week! Cool!

TODAY'S MENU
BREAKFAST - 4 slices of turkey bacon, whole grain English muffin, tangerine, coffee
LUNCH - can of vegetable soup, two Boca burger pattties, 1 Polly-o String cheese
DINNER - grilled chicken with Italian seasoning, steamed asparagus, wild rice.

The barrier is in my mind...

... and it's coming DOWN!!!

By the way, Ab Ripper X proved to be 1000 times more palatable when I set the DVD for "Music and Cues." I'd call that one more brick falling out, wouldn't you?

TODAY'S WORKOUT - Legs & Back X, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - Protein Shake, 1/2 banana, coffee
LUNCH - Subway: 6 inch chicken breast on whole wheat with American cheese, shredded lettuce, and a little sweet onion dressing
SNACK - a couple of handfuls of cashews and a couple of handfuls of pistachios
DINNER - wild rice, brocolli... no chicken because I forgot to thaw it!!!

"Do your best and forget the rest!"

Mr. Horton says this in just about every video of the P90X series. I'm starting to realize "the rest" in my case are all those mental gymnastics I was putting myself through last night about the infomercials.

Nothing more profound to say. Time to do the laundry.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Yoga X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - 2 soy sausage patties, whole wheat english muffin, 1 Polly-o string cheese, coffee, glass of milk.
LUNCH - can of Progresso Lite Southwest Chicken Soup, protein shake with berries
DINNER - "Saturn" salad from Liquid Planet, bottle of OJ
INDULGENCE - slice of pumpkin cheesecake at Starbucks.... and I regret it not!

That's me too.... right?

It's later today on Saturday, January 23rd. Just spending some quality time with the dogs, and watching some TV with them. And of all things, the P90X infomercial comes on TV, and I'm watching it again with the same amount of hope that I had when I was someone who didn't own the DVDs. It's so weird to me that even today when I am already well into this program that I can see those infomercials and think "What if that were me..." The truth is that it is me... I'm becoming a part of that now. But the trouble is that even though I am doing this and loving it, my mind keeps insisting that I can't believe everything I see on TV... or even on these videos! Even so, I just would love to love the results that I get as much as the people on the dumb infomercials appear to do. I know that when I started this program I was not terribly out of shape, and I was never ashamed of the way that I looked (nor had I any reason to be). But boy it sure would be nice to have that kind of evidence (at least for myself) to see that commitment paid off and paid off handsomely.

I keep thinking back to the early days of my sobriety, over 13 years ago... I was 21 years old and had such a bad attitude at meetings. I'm lucky that anything anyone had to say to me got through to me at all! Back then, I was always afraid that someone was going to tell me that I was too young to have it.... that I really needed to go back out there and suffer some more with my addiction before I was really ready to get this. That fear always drove me to work harder in my sobriety. Yet even as negative as I was back then (and as driven to succeed as I was in spite of my bad attitude), I was still hopeful in the same kind of way that I am now. I really wanted to be able to laugh at stuff that had happened in my past like I saw other people in meetings doing, and I really wanted my painful past to become the kind of experience, strength, and hope that others were sharing with me. And yes it did eventually happen, but it took a lot of time and effort. And although I know that this is not exactly the same thing, in a weird way it is... for some stupid reason, I keep thinking that the benefits won't be mine to reap or that I won't "get what I am promised for playing the game." And yet it's driving me to keep at it. I know that's a rather selfish attitude, but hey... I'm trying to be honest.

It's moments like this that I kinda wish I had a "P90X sponsor" the way I have one to "coach me" in my sobriety. Hell, there are times I wish I could talk to Mr. Horton himself and ask him just one little question: "I'll still want what I have and be happy with it when I am done, right?"

I hope a P90X graduate somewhere reads this and knows what I am talking about... If you're out there, please say something.

P90X-periment

While Ab Ripper X today was it's usual 16 minutes of masochism, today's round of Shoulders and Arms X was a good time to experiment with weights, reps, and bands. Here are the results of said experiment:

1.) Though I really wanted to try it and succeed, increasing weight and decreasing reps was not the answer... back to what I did last week.
2.) The black resistance band indeed proved to be as heavy duty as the box says, and it gave me a hell of a good workout... first time I ever tried using one!
3.) pushing myself to do more reps with the same weight was a success... actually increased the number of lying tricep presses that I did last week.

So, there you are... Moral of the story? Don't mess too much with something that works.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Shoulders and Arms X, Ab Ripper X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - spinach omelet, 1/2 banana, 2 slices of turkey bacon
LUNCH - leftovers from last night's dinner
SNACK - protein bar, whey protein in skim milk
DINNER - leftovers from last night's dinner
SNACK @ MOVIES - unbuttered unsalted popcorn, can of Fresca

JUMP for my love!

Please note the change in attitude... two weeks since my first Plyo X and I've gone from being "hopping mad" and exhausted to jumping for joy because this time I was right on pace! I still tough on the knees and my balance isn't very cat-like, but I'm so glad I didn't wuss out and do just the regular Cardio X like I was thinking I might do this morning (see that? told on myself people...).

TODAY'S WORKOUT - PLYOMETRICS X

TODAY'S MENU:
BREAKFAST - protein shake, 1/2 a banana, coffee
LUNCH - grilled chicken salad, protein bar
SNACK - glass of cranberry juice
DINNER - 2 grilled pork chops (small), steamed broccoli, brown rice
DESSERT - chocolate-banana shake (cup of skim milk, chocolate flavored whey protein, 1/2 banana)

The numbers are in...

... AND THEY'RE UP FROM LAST WEEK! Wooo! Getting in at least three more reps in each exercise of the Chest and Back X workout! I just love seeing progress! Still a bit nauseated halfway thorugh the workout from all the up-ad-down motion, and I have to take a longer break mid-workout so that I don't ralph, but I am just thrilled to see and feel a difference since Day 1.


Ab Ripper X tonight... you know how I feel about that workout. Man, I'd better be able to bounce a quarter off my tummy by the time this is all done!

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
CHEST & BACK X - between 12 and 15 reps on 24 exercises, using chin up bar in door frame for pull-ups, dumbbells for heavy pants and lawnmowers, and small tension band for back fly
AB RIPPER X - complete, but tough

TODAYS MENU:
BREAKFAST - mushroom omelet, 1/2 grapefruit, banana, coffee
LUNCH - 2 Boca Burger patties, handful of baby carrots, 1 serving of raw snap peas, 2 tbsp of plain hummus
SNACK - protein bar
DINNER (out at Chinese buffet) - crab maki sushi (6 pieces), veggie maki sushi (4 pieces), egg maki sushi (2 pieces), 1 serving of chicken and broccoli, 1 small bowl of cherry Jello

Week Two Complete

So far, so good.... I seem to be on the right course, and enjoying both the exercise and the blogging. So, in the usual fashion, here's the best, hardest and worst of this week:

BEST - This week saw a significant improvement both in attitude and in performance. I'm getting used to following the diet with some modifications, of course. I am also seeing that when I do this in the morning, I'm (oddly enough) more relaxed at work and tend to move at a more reasonable pace... all good things.

HARDEST - Remembering that this is going to take time, and trusting that the hard work will get me results.... that's the real hard part. I still want to see overnight change, which is unrealistic. However, I am at least able to "catch myself and bring myself back" when I go there.

WORST - Ab Ripper X is getting increasingly harder. I'd like to think I am just pushing against a threshold here, but I genuinely dread the days that it is part of the training despite the fact that it's the shortest of all the workouts. Hoping at least for a better attitude there next week.

Anyway, that's it.... X Stretch tonight and back to the the grindstone tomorrow morning.

TODAY'S MENU -
BREAKFAST - cheese omelet, 2 strips of turkey bacon, 1 banana, 1 cup black coffee
SNACK - protein bar
LUNCH - grilled chicken salad with lo-cal Italian dressing, 1 Polly-o string cheese
DINNER - 1 cup snap peas, handful of baby carrots, 2 Boca burger patties

Ka-POW!!

Kenpo X this morning. My form was better; Master Kim would be a little more pleased with me today, I believe. Mr. Horton, on the other hand, might think I was dogging. Any of you P90X graduates find his pace on this workout a little too fast, or is it just me?

No Adam... it's just you. Heh heh heh...

Here's hoping for a better Tuesday!

TODAY'S MENU -
BREAKFAST - protein shake, 1/2 banana, 1 cup black coffee
SNACK - protein bar
LUNCH - grilled chicken salad with lo-cal Italian dressing, 1 Polly-o string cheese
DINNER - 1 cup carrots, 3 Tbsp hummus, 2 Boca burger patties
DESSERT - scoop of chocolate-flavored whey protein and 2 strawberries in 8 oz milk (blend in blender...YUM!)