P90X+ Day 14: Kenpo Plus

Quick update today. Fired up the Kenpo Plus workout today. Love it! Lot's of cool new moves and lots of energy. The Gladiators were even more fun this time since I knew what the heck I was doing!

Back to work tomorrow. I'll be working out in the afternoon or evening and plan to post some stuff then- including my thoughts on the Plus so far and my future plans for the entire program. Updates soon....

P90X+ Day 13: Upper Plus

Day 13 brought the second weekly round of Upper Plus. My wife got me a nice set of adjustable dumbbells for Christmas. They change from 5-25lbs. This was my first opportunity to try them out, so I broke them out.

Overall, I had fun using them. It was nice to try some fo the curls with weights for a change.

I felt like I had decent energy levels today. I brought it hard. I felt pretty winded by some of the moves though- especially the spiderman pushups. Though I did up my reps on that move! I then did Ab Ripper X instead of Abs Core Plus.

Sunday will be Kenpo Plus workout!

P90X+ Day 12: Yoga

Friday was Yoga Day. I did the best I could. I was feeling completely exhausted from the past 2-3 days. I fit in my workout, gave it what I could, and moved on. Yoga is not my favorite thing to do and I struglle every time with my focus. It just isn't entertaining.

P90X+ Day 11: Rest Day

Christmas Day proved to be too hectic to fit my Yoga workout in. So, I made it my rest day.

P90X+ Day 10: Total Body Plus

Today's workout was the Total Body Plus workout. As I stataed last week, this workout is really a rocker! You are moving, sweating, and pushing yourself pretty much non-stop.

Here's an idea of how intense this workout is- the warm up for it is over 9 minutes long and includes things like the dive bomber pushups (a legend from P90X), squats, lunges, etc. It is like a mini-workout before the workout!

I was out late last night, so my energy levels were low. Combine that with the fact that due to traffic (and my lack of foresight) I didn't eat a lot before the workout mid-day. I had basically a protein shake at 7am and didn't eat again until after my workout ended at 3:30. I bonked hard during this workout. I need to make sure I eat properly, and I think I'm going to add more carbs back in. I still managed to burn about 615 calories, so I brought it pretty well considering!

I will be leaving you now to go wrap presents, hang with the in-laws, eat some food, and do the Santa thing with the kids. It's going to be another long night.

Hope everyone has a nice Christmas!

P90X+ Day 9: Intervals Plus

Today was an intervals day. This was my second time through this workout and I was really looking forward to it. I feel like it's a great overall cardio workout with lots of variety. It really is a butt kicker. I think it's harder then the plyometric workout but easier on the legs/knees.

I brought it today. I burned over 700 calories again in just the intervals section alone. I did the Abs/Core plus after and burned another 300 calories. Over 1,000 calories burned again!

One of the toughest moves for me is the 3 Point Push Ups. The first 20 seconds are no biggie. You hold yourself in plank. Then you stand up. Repeat. The second 20 seconds, you add a push up in plank. And the last 20 seconds, not only do you go as fast as you can, but when you stand up, you jump up. Plus there is no stepping back to plank. You jump into plank. It's a killer. My heart rate was way up during this one!

HEading home to PA today to see my parents and exchange gifts with them. Then the wife and I are heading out with a bunch of my old friends from high school. I'm going to try and take it easy with the booze!

See you tomorrow!

P90X+ Day 8: Upper Plus

Today was the Upper Plus workout again. I'm not sure why, but I felt really strong today. I think it's a combination of finally getting over the cold/sinus infection I've had for about a week and a half, combined with finally getting back into working out. Taking that week off was nice, but combined with the final week of P90X (which is a recovery week), I could definately feel it last week when I got started again. I felt weaker, with slightly less endurance. Not today!

Today I didn't use a chair for at least half the reps for every pull up move. I blasted through some of the other moves as well, really upping my reps. One move I felt really strong in today was the frog push ups. This is a move where you do a push up, then jump your feet up to the outsides of your hands and then back. Then you go faster! I really pumped through those. My arms were shaking at the end and I collapsed in exhaustion. Good times!

I also decided today to go back to the ab basics by doing Ab Ripper X instead. I just really don't feel like I get a good enough ab workout with Abs/Core Plus. It's a great overall total body workout, but it's just not ab-specific enough for me.

And I realized how much I missed Ab Ripper X when I tried doing it today. After essentially three wekks away from it, I struggled a bit. I still got through all the moves, but wasn't able to do some of the advanced options and could feel the burning in my midsection. It was glorious!

Loke I said, I was brinign it today. I burned a total of 779 calories in the workout. 587 during Upper Plus (vs 483 last week). Total calories were down slightly when Ab Ripper X is included (779 today vs 799 last week). However, the Abs/Core Plus is longer, and gets your heart rate up more as it is more of a total body/core workout.

Tomorrow is the intervals workout. I'm excited to do this again. I'm also off the rest of the week, so I'll be able to workout at my leisure......

P90X+ Day 7: Rest Day

Today was a scheduled rest day on the program. I took full advantage of it by playing with my kids and hanging out with my wife. Watched some football too.

Back in gear tomorrow. See you then!

P90X+ Day 6: Kenpo Plus

Today was the last of the "new" workouts within P90X+. This one is a new Kenpo workout called Kenpo Plus. It's 42 minutes long and is non-stop moving, kicking, and punching. It was a lot of fun.

One of my biggest issues with the P90X+ program is how little time Tony takes demonstrating and explaining new moves on the DVDs. In the original program, he explains how to do each one and usually does a rep at the beginning that doesn't count just to show you. With the "Plus", he doens't really explain it. This has lead to a lot of me having to pause anrewind the DVDs as I try and figure out what I'm doing.

This was especially the case with the Kenpo Plus workout. There are a lot of really great new combinations and moves, but I was constantly having to stop an go back just to figure out what was going on. For example, one of the coolest new moves, The Galdiator, was also one of the hardest to figure out how to do. It's basically a jump kick and down punch, but the way you do it isn't natural to me. You do 30 secinds from one starting stance and 30 seconds from the other. It took me quite a while to get this down.

That being said, I tried to bring it the best I could. I was also tired having spent most of the day at the mall with the wife and kids trying to finish up all of our last minute shopping. So working out was not something I was looking forward to. But, I still burned 685 calories. I'm sure I'll burn more the next time once I'm more comfortable with how to do the moves and can just concentrate on bringing it!

Tomorrow is a rest day. I may go for a run or something depending on my mood.

P90X+ Day 5: Upper Plus

Today was a repeat of the Upper Plus workout. I am still fighting a nasty cold or upper respiratory thing (have been for over a week). I tried to bring it as hard as I could. I ended up burning 799 calories between the Upper Plus and the Abs/Core Plus. Not too shabby.

I was a little more comfortable with everything this time around. I was more familiar with the moves and how to pace myself throughout. I feel a little better about this workout. Last time I didn't really feel like I got a great workout- today I did.

One thing I was really pleased about was my ability to really bring it in some of the moves. In particular, the "L" Chin ups. This move is one where you do a chin up, bring your knees up, extend your legs out (like an "L"), and then bring them back in and go down and repeat. I generally still use a chair for all or most of my chin ups and pull ups- though it's pretty far away from me and I barely have a toe on it (I think it's a mental thing). Anyway, tonight I was able to do 5 of those "L" chin uos with no chair and then still cranked out a few more after with the help of the chair. I was pretty happy. I felt pretty strong.

I also felt like this time through Abs Core Plus was my best so far. I really tried to concentrate of form and bust through the moves. The hanging moves are still the toughest ones, but I feel like I made good progress on all of them and felt a nice burn in my stomach today.

Diet went well today. I had a whey protein shake for breakfast and a small bowl of berries for snack. Lunch was some lean beef tips and green beans. Afternoon snack was a protein bar. Dinner was some turkey chili.

I'm excited to try the new Kenpo Plus workout tomrorow. See you after!

P90X+ Day 4: Total Body Plus

So today I tried out Total Body Plus for the first time. My overall impression of this workout is very positive!

This video has one goal: to rock you from head to toe. And it delivers! The variety of moves and the degree of difficulty really make this workout stand out from the rest. It is a great way to get your butt kicked!

One of the hardest moves for me was probably the balance curls. You use weights or bands and do curls. All the while, you need to raise one of your legs in the air and balance for 30 seconds. It is intense. Concentrating on your balance forces you to engage your core, and you are working your arms too.

Another tough move is the 3 & 3. This move lasts two minutes. You do 3 squats while holding weights. Then you put the weights down and do 3 pushups. Then you do 3 pull ups of your choice. Then repeat! Fun times.

I felt like Igot a great workout. I tried to bring it as hard as I could while still learning the moves. I managed to burn 663 calories. I feel pretty good about that.

Diet is going well. Breakfast was a whey protein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was some lean roast beef and a small salad with fat free ranch. Snack was a recovery drink. Dinner was some beef and broc.

Stay classy and thanks for stopping by!

P90X+ Day 3: Cardio X

Today was supposed to be Total Body Plus. however, I had a champioship soccer game tonight and didn't want to do something to make me too worn out or sore for the game. so I made the executive decision to swap tomorrow's workout with today. And because of time issues, I did Cardio X instead of Yoga.

I will be doing the Total Body Plus tomorrow and after reading Jeff's review of it, I am looing forward to it!

P90X+ Day 2: Intervals Plus

Today was my first try at the Intervals Plus workout. If you aren't familiar with the Intervals training theory, it is basically using varying degrees of intensity to allow you to work at your max heart rate for short periods while giving you active recovery time. Overall, it is usually highly effective- especially for peak cardio results. My college lacrosse coach used interval sprint training to get us into shape in pre-season and then to maintain our fitness during the season.

This workout is a real bear. It kicks butt, and I loved it. There are tweleve exercises. You do each one at three different intensity levels. 1/3 of the time at 60% intensity, 1/3 at 80% intensity, and 1/3 at 100% intensity. There is a nice mix of cardio, plyo, and kenpo moves in there. You do all 12 moves in a row. Then you take a 1 minute water break, and then repeat the workoput in reverse order.

One move that was pretty fun/tough was the 3 point push ups. You go down for a 1 count, then come up for a 1 count. This is the 60% move. Then after 20 seconds, you go down and hold for a 2 count, then up for a 2 count. This is 80%. Then the 100% effort move is a down for 3 counts, up for 3 counts. Tony also stresses engaging your core during this move. When you focus on keeping a flat back, tight butt and abs, it really burns!

After the intervals workout, you do the Abs/Core Plus workout again. I did much better today as I was a little more familiar with the moves. The moves felt much tougher today and I made it a point to really engage my core more this time. The hanging up and overs were tough today. This is where you hang from the bar, bring your knees up (together) from one side and twist them over to the other side. Then you put them down and then repeat going the other direction. TOUGH!

I wore a heart rate monitor for the first time. Jeff was talking about how many calories he was burning so I wanted to see how many I was burning. During the Intervals alone I burned 725 calories! I kept it going through the Abs/Core workout and finished at 1090 total calories burned!!! I really felt like I brought it and can't wait to see how many I can burn when I can breathe again (I still have that nasty cold).

Diet went well today. Protein shake for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was a garden salad topped with shredded turkey breast and fat free ranch. Afternoon snack was my P90x recovery drink. Dinner is a protein shake and small salad with a little leftover beef and brochalli from last night.

See you tomorrow!

P90X+- Day 1: Upper Plus

Hello all! I'm back and ready to tackle the next finess challenge- P90X+. I started today along with Jeff (from DangletheCarrot) and Matt. I had taken a week off to relax and recover following my P90X completion. So, aside from a pretty nasty cold/upper respiratory thing going on, I was ready to BRING IT!

So, today was the first day. This workout is called Upper Plus and is a total upper body workout hitting your shoulders, back, triceps, and biceps. Yes there are still plenty of push ups and sit ups. But the variations are groovy.

I'll talk about two of my favorites from today. The first is the 7 point pull up. If you are using a P90X pull up bar, you know that there are some other handles/grips that aren't used. Well, this exercise has you do one rep on every grip working out to in, and using reverse grip a few times for a grand total of 7 different pull ups on one rep. It is intense! I made it through 3 rounds which I felt good about since it was the first time through and I had taken the week off.

The other great move on this workout was the Spiderman pushups. You basically have one are out further then the other and bring a leg in (like SPiderman crwling up a wall). You do a push up like that, then swithc your hands and feet and do it again. It is great and I really felt a good burn from it.

Also new to this workout routine is the all new Abs/Core Plus. This take sthe place of the Ab Ripper. I liked some of the moves, but some I'm not a fan of. In particular, there are a series of moves that involve hanging from the pull up bar. I felt like my shoulders were going to explode doing these and it really hurt my form.

On the plus side there are a few killer moves. The Cherry Bomb is a bear! You start in banana, roll on your side, roll back, bull in (like an in and out), then balance on your butt and extend your arms and legs, then back to the in and out, then back to banana. It's a killer!

I started back on phase ! of the diet plan which is the low carb higher protein section. I did well for my first day back on it. I started off with a whey protein shake for breakfast. Snack was a Myoplex Lite protein bar. Lunch was a chef salad with fat free ranch. Afternoon snack was a cheese stick. And dinner was some beef and brochali stir fry over a spoonful of brown rice.

I'll be back tomorrow for an all new Intervals Plus workout!

Final Photos

OK, so here are the final "graduation" photos from the P90X program. Overall I'm pretty pleased. While I'm not"ripped" , I'm still night and day different from where I started.

There are a few more shots, and some easier ways to view the photos by clicking on the link to the right under the "Pics" header. Especially cool is the 1/30/60/90 day progression photos. You can really see the differences!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me along this journey. There are many of you like Jeff (my workout partenr and the man responsible for talking me into this), Matt, Tai Chi Monkey Girl, and my wife Danielle, who helped me immeasurably with words of inspriation, motivation, encouragement, etc.

Day 90- Yoga X

Today is Day 90. It was a Yoga day.

I still hate Yoga. But I got through it. I figured I should close it out right. I did fine on all the Warrior poses. Worked my tail off in the balance poses. I held a crane for over 10 seconds today which is my best ever.

Overall, even though I hate Yoga, it has probably made the biggest difference for me in the program in terms of overall health and flexibility. I was the world's least flexible guy before this. I couldn't touch my ankles, let alone my toes. Now I can grab my toes. So I can see the improvement big time!

Since today is the last day, I will be posting my photos soon. I will probably check in sometime soon to give my final measurements, etc as well as discuss my overall review of P90X. Then I'm taking a week off to rest before starting on P90X+ with Jeff and Matt on the 15th of December.

Day 89- Core Synergistics

Today was the last tango with Core Synergistics.

I just love this workout. If I had to pick one workout of all the discs that I have and could only do 1 forever, this one would be it! It hits your entire body and keeps you moving and sweating. It's a killer.

One of the toughest moves is the dreaded lunge/kickback/curl/press move. It's 20 reps of sheer hell. I can feel my shoulders burning at rep 10 and I'm only using 8 lb weights!

Another killer is the prison cell push ups. You start from a standing position, jump down into push up position, do a push up, bring your knee in fast, do another push up, bing the other knee in, do a push up, and then stand up and put your arms in the air. That's 1!!! It goes for like 90 seconds and you hae to do as many as you can. It really works you hard.

So, tomorrow is the last day. I will probably try and do the yoga. I will also try and get pics up tomorrow night or Saturday and do my final measurements, etc as well as give my review and overall impressions on the program. On 12/15 I will be joining Matt and Jeff for P90X+. In fact, the DVDs are in transit right now!

Day 88- Stretch X

Day 88 was a stretch X day. I actually didn't do the official stretch x.

What I did was get to my soccer game early and spent about 30-45 minutes warming up and stretching before my soccer game. Got a nice sweat, the played 90 minutes plus outside in the 20 degree weather. Good news is we won in a penalty shoot out. Bad news is I felt like we played at the North Pole. It was freezing!

Day 87- Kenpo X

Today was the last Kenpo workout on P90X! I'm a little sad, but since I'll be starting P90X+ soon, I'm sure I will be doing more Kenpo sometime soon!

I brought it as hard as I could. I put everything into every punch and kick. I really tried to hit with my whole body on eveyrthing. When you do that, it really takes the intensity of the Kenpo up a notch.

Nothing more to say really. Did ok on the nutrition side. Two wheat waffles with peanut butter for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was a turkey and swiss with fat free ranch on wheat. Snack was a cheesestick. Dinner was some grilled chicken (with a touch of hot sauce for flavor) and some peas,peppers, and potatoes.

Tomorrow is stretch X. I will probably skip that. I have soccer game tomorrow night, so I'll stretch then, plus play 90 minutes in the cold!

Day 86- Core Synergistics

Today was Core Synergistics. As you can see in the pics above, it is quite the workout. I was a sweaty mess! The wife took a couple pics because she couldn't believe how sweaty I was.

This workout is a killer. I forgot how much fun it was! It is 48 minutes (after warm up) of sweating, moving, and kicking butt. There are some killer exercises in this. The prison cell push ups are tough. As are the reach up and under push ups. Then there is the boat to bow move- killer. My abs feel like they are going to pop off during the bow!

But by far, the hardest two moves are the plan to chaterranga run and then the plank to chaterranga iso. These are where I could really see how much my strength and endurance have improved. A moth ago I couldn't complete these. Today, I got through both with no problems! There were beads of sweat pouring off my face during the iso moves, but I held firm with nothing touching the ground on the chatteranga except my fingertips and my toes (and I think my nose touched a few times- but that doesn't count, right?).

Feeling great right now. I'm not sure how dramatic the changes will be from 60 to 90 days in my pics, but I can tell I feel evenb better then I did 30 days ago.

I have also purchased the P90X+ and plan to start that with Jeff and Matt sometime in December. I have an issue at the end of January where I'm going on vacation to Hawaii (I won a trip there from work). So that week, I hadn't planned on working out much. Hopefully, I will either skip that week and come back and pick up where I left off. Or I'll talk the wife into letting me do it while I'm there and pack the bands and the videos. I'll play it by ear.

Kenpo tomorrow! See you then!

Day 85- Cardio X

Happy Sunday! I decided to do Cardi oX today. Just too much going on.

Got a nice sweat going. I really like the variety in this workout. It keeps things interesting. I love the core work in this one as well. The steam engine move kicks my ass every time. This is a move where you put your hands together behind your head. Then you bring your knee up to your chest and bring the opposite elbow down to your knee. If they touch- even better! You do one side, then the other and repeat for 50 reps, getting faster as it goes. WOW! It's a killer.

Anyway, I believe tomorrow is the Core Synergistics workout. I like it, even though it is tough. So, I'm looking forward to it.

See you tomorrow. Go Steelers!

Day 84- Rest Day

Today is a scheduled rest day for the program. I tried my best over the past few days, but I didn't exactly keep to the diet as strictly as I would have liked.

So, instead of resting today, I decided to go for a run. I ran for a little over two miles today. It was pretty cold out, but I bundled up and took the iPod and did my best.Got a great sweat going and burned some calories. I didn't push it too hard, but wanted to try and work off some of the extra calories I took in.

Anyway, I feel pretty good right now. i weighed myseld and am still coming in at 198.5 lbs- up 0.5 lbs over the two days. So, I feel like I got through the holiday pretty much ok. I'm still on track heading down the home stretch.

Tomorrow begins the last recovery week/last week of P90X!

Day 83- Kenpo X

Friday was Kenpo X. I was excited to get down in the basement and wrk off some of the thanksgiving meal.

I sweated my butt off! I really tried to go through everything with as much intensity as I could. We are actually having two Thanksgiving meals- one on Thanksgiving, one on Friday with my family. So I was trying to minimize the damage as much as possible.

Overall , I felt like I accomplished my goals. I was sore from Legs and Back the day before, but pushed through it. My inner goin/thigh area was really sore, so the side kiks were tougher then normal.

I tried a lot of extreme variations during the workout. On the three directions kicks, and the knee/back kick moves, I never let my foot hit the ground. It made it a lot tougher.

See you later!

Day 82- Legs and Back

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today was my last dance with the legs and back routine for this 90 day program. I'm not sad to see it go. It's a tough workout. But mostly, after 90 days I'm bored with it.

If I had to be crtical of P90X (and it's hard to be), one of my biggest complaints would be the lack of a second legs workout for variation. For all the other weight moving workouts, there are two different workouts and they are alternated depending on what week orphase of the program you are in. However, for all 13 weeks, you do the same legs and back workout. So, a little more variety on this one would be nice.

I had a great workout this morning. I'm wearing a sleeve on each knee now and it seems to have helped with my knee weakness during my workouts. I really felt the calf raaises today. I tried to "peak" each one hard to really make my calves explode. Boy did they burn after!

Today was also the last round of Ab Ripper X. To date, this was the best I've ever done. I added extra stuff to the first three moves, plus raised my arms. I got through all the other moves. And then came the Mason Twists. I usually can only do the 40. I've never been able to mkae it into the bonus ones. Today I did 10 extra at the end! I tjpught I was going to puke! It was great.

I feel good right now. Still tipping the scales at 198 lbs. I plan to go shower up and then get ready for the in-laws to invade the house as well tear into some turkey and watch football. One plate for me today and that's it! And no pie! It's going to be tough.

To anyone who is reading this, I hope you and yours have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 81- Cardio X

Today I decided to do the Cardio X routine instead of Yoga. Again, with all the crab we needed to do to get ready for Thanksgiving, plus working today, I just didn't have 90+ minutes to devote to Yoga.

I really like the Cardio X workout better anyway. You still get the meat of the Warrior poses from Yoga. Plus you mix in Kenpo, Plyos, and Core Synergistics. What's not to love?

I really pushed it hard today- not stopping for any water, etc. I wanted to burn as many calories as possible because the next two days we have Thanksgiving dinners to eat. I want to try and soften the blow as much as possible!

I was the lightest I've been yet today. I dopped another half pound to go to 198 lbs even. That's 15 lbs lost on P90X. I need to keep it going though. I'm sure to pack on a few pounds after the two day eat-a-thon!

I'm going to get up and knock out my last go-round with legs and back tomorrow before the eating and football watching begin.

Take care!

Day 80- Back and Biceps

80 days down, 10 to go!

Today's workout was the "glory" muscles- back and biceps. I like this workout better then the other bicep workout. It has a lot of curls and variations. I really get a nice burn. I'm not so excited by all the pull up variations in this one though. Those corn cob pull ups are impossible for me without a chair. I tried today without and could only get one!

Another session of Ab Ripper went by. Which means I have only one session of Ab Ripper left in the program. There are no ab ripper days during the recovery week. This is sad as I have grown to love and respect the power of Ab Ripper X. I am sure I will continue to use it regularly. I have come too far with getting my stomach flatter to let it go away.

Gotta run- I have a soccer game in a little while. See you tomorrow for Yoga (or Cardio).

Day 79- Plyometrics

Today was the last tango with the beast- Plyometrics.

I can't believe it's been almost 80 days. I meant to get this post up last night. But after pushing it hard in Plyos I ate dinner and fell asleep on my couch (I was exhausted).

Plyo kicked my butt Monday. It was tougher as I tried every advanced or extreme variation of every move. I was jumping and squatting all over my basement. Domininc had nothing on me( he's the leap-frog like guy on the video).

Did well on the diet. Stayed in range calorie wise and had a decent balance. Weight is still holding steady at 198.5lbs.

See you later!

Day 78- Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Today was the chest, shoulders, and triceps workout. Of all of the muscle-building workouts, I think this is my favorite. Most of the workout is variations of pushups, but they are cool and unique. I really feel like my chest muscles and triceps are going to explode when I am finished.

I think one of the best moves in this workout is the fly push ups. For this move, you use a plastic plate under one of your hads. As you go down for the push up, you slide the plate out to the side, putting a fly move into the push up. It is intense. You switch the hand with the plate after every 4 reps. I also enjoy the clap or plyo push ups a lot too. They really kick your ass.

I did fine on the ab ripper again. I added extra in and outs, bicycles, and crunchy frogs to the beginning. I really got a great burn going in my abs. My form and stamina during this workout have come so far over the last few months. It really is amazing.

I did ok on the diet after some slight slip ups at the wedding yesterday. Protein shake for breakfast along with some fresh fruit (I combined the breakfast and morning snack since I slept in!). Lunch was some grilled chicken on a low carb wheat tortilla. Snack was a banana. Dinner was some grilled chicken and a small red potato. Overall, I was within my calorie range and felt great all day.

Catch you on the flip side for the plyometric workout!

Day 77- Rest Day

Saturday was a rest day. I went to Philly for my cousin's wedding and had a blast.

Day 76- Kenpo X

Feeling much better today. I blasted myself with chicken noodle soup, orange juice, vitamins and rest and I think I got control of my cold.

So, today was Kenpo X. I love it! I get so excited to do this workout in particular. It feels great to let off some steam at the end of a stressful week by throwing punches and kicks. My favorite move is the jab-cross-hook-uppercut move. The music in the video helps with this. You can stay in beat with the drum part and match the tempo of your punches to the beat. It's fun.

I find that if I really concentrate on throwing each punch or kick as hard as I can (yet in a controlled manner) I really feel the burn. By the end of this workout I'm usually drenched in sweat. Also today I took no breaks. During every break on the video, Tony tells you to get some water and towel off, but he never does. He stays running in place then into jumping rope, then into jacks, ten into the Xs. So I matched him today- ass kicker! But fun.

After the kenpo was finished I made up my ab ripper from yesterday. I added in some extra in and outs and bicycles for fun. I was feeling good!

Tomorrow is a rest day and I am off to Philadelphia for my cousin's wedding. I'm packingmy protein bars and hoping I can eat healthy at the reception. Take care!

Day 75- Legs and Back

Thursday's workout was Legs and Back. About halfway through the routine I realized I was sick. Not sick because I was pushing too hard, but actually SICK. My head was pounding and snot was running down my face uncontrollably.

I did my best to fight through the workout. I'm not going to lie- I didn't finish some of the moves. And I didn't do Ab Ripper after. I was too tired/sick.

After finishing what I could, I went to bed.

My plan is to add Ab Ripper X after Kenpo on Friday.

Day 74- Cardio X

I opted for Cardio X. I'm super busy and it was a challenge just to fit this in!

I felt great doing the Yoga at the beginning. This probably would have been a good day for me to do Yoga considering how I felt. But I didn't have 90 minutes to kill!

The Kenpo stuff was fun as always. These 5 are some of my favorites. I really love the jab-cross-hook-uppercut move. I always get really into it.

The plyo stuff was fine. I don't like the wacky jacks- I have trouble with my coordintion on them.

The core stuff was fun as usual. I think these are some of the toughest moves in the entire P90X program. The Drea Roll is just a total bear. I did well on it today- even adding some air to the jumps at the end.

See you tomorrow for Legs and Back!

Day 73- Shoulders and Arms

Tuesday was the shoulders and arms workout. I actually posted a nice blog yesterday, however, some sort of error on the Blogger site wiped it out and I was too tired to stay up an re-write it.

Needless to say I had a good workout. Upping or matching reps/weights. Got a great burn on Ab Ripper too.

Still haven't firmed up plans for my Post P90X program. I had considered doing P90X+ but I have a vacation (award trip for work called President's Club) the last week of January, and I know I am not going to want to work out while on it. I will probably do some sort of hybrid of P90X up until I leave. and when I come back from the vacation I'll probably push it with P90X+.

Day 72- Plyometrics

Hello and thanks for reading! Today was the Plyometrics day and it was as good/bad as always. It's good because it is a tough workout that kicks your ass. It's bad because it's a tough workout that kicks your ass!

I had some Nano Vapor pre-workout to get my energy level up. I brought it hard during the workout. I got as deep into the squat moves as I could- pushing anf fighting to get evry inch I could. My knees are both bothering me still and I wore a brace on both for the workout. It helped a little, but I could feel the lack of stability, etc. But I did my best and forgot the rest!

Again, my favorite stuff is the sports-related moves. The lateral leapfrog squats are great because they are really similar to some of the defensive shuffle drills we used to do in college for lacrosse. And the monster truck tire moves are straight out of practice as well. Then throw in the bonus moves at the end (the pitch and catch, the jump shot, and the football hero) and you have all sorts of great sport-related moves to keep you going.

See you tomorrow for shoulders and arms.

Day 71- Chest and Back

Today was back to basics with the chest and back workout. This is the very first workout in P90X and it is intense. You go through 12 different exercises, and then you repeat them! The trick is pushing hard in the first go round, but leaving some in the tank for the second round. The first few weeks, this was difficult for me. but I'm stronger and fitter now, and I'm better at finding that fine line.

Just for comaprion, I will compare my total number of push ups and pull ups from week 1 vs week 11 (current week).

Week 1 Total Push Ups Completed: 94
Week 11 Total Push Ups Completed: 195

Week 1 Total Pull Ups Completed: 43
Week 11 Total Pull Ups Completed: 84

As you can see, I'm doing a lot more now in both!

also, on the good news front is that I'm down another pound. My current weight is 198.5 lbs! That's down from 213 lbs on Day 1. And I've done it all averging 2,700-3,000 calories per day.

I was soild on the Ab Ripper tonight as well. I did the first three moves (in and outs, bicycles, and reverse bicuycels) all with my hands raised and I was able to still do the corssed leg sit ups again. Plus I'm making it through all moves with complete reps. This is a drastic improvement over week 1 when I did Ab Ripper for the first time. For anyone interested, go back and read my first day experience with Ab Ripper and you will see how far I've come.

See you tomorrow for Plyometrics!

Day 70- Rest Day

Today is a res day on the schedule and I'm taking full advantage. See you tomorrow!

Day 69- Kenpo X

Happy Friday! It's Kenpo X day!

I had one hell of a day. just a long day with work that made today both long and stessful. I got hom tonight close to 8pm after leaving the house at 6:30am. Then the wife wanted my help running errands, etc. I thought about making today my rest day and doing Kenpo tomorrow. But then I just decided to squeeze it in before I hit the sack.

Both my knees are a bit tender. I think I've been pushing it too much during plyos and legs. I may go back to a small brace on both of them during workouts. Regardless, I did my best and forgot the rest.

I had some trouble with the kicks (all of them) tonight due to my knees. I felt like I had a good intensity level, but form was bad due to knee pain. I really pushed it in the block series, elbow series, etc. Got a great sweat going.

For having such a crazy day, I still ate well. Breakfast was a protein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a turkey burger and a side salad. Snack was a fruit cup. Dinner was some shrimp salad on wheat bread and some fruit salad.

Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day. My knees are looking forward to it!

Day 68- Legs and Back

Today was the legs and back workout. This was definately not one of my better days. I'm going to chalk this up to just having an "off" or bad day.

I got little sleep last night. My wife had her knee lock up on her in the middle of the night- so I was awoken by some screams of pain. At like 1:30m! Then I had to be up early for work, os I never got my full amount of rest. Add to that a crazy day where I was unable to take in my normal amount of calories, and you have the perfect recipe for what happened today. I struggled.

Also, my left knee (my normally healthy knee) was acting up today. I think I was feeling the effects of pushing too hard in the Plyos on Monday. It really hurt during a lot of the leg work- making today even more miserable. I pushed through it the best I could- but it wasn't a great workout.

The only saving grace was the Ab Ripper. Even though my main workout had been subpar, I decided to put it behind me and try and rock the ripper. I did really well. I put my hands in the air for the in and outs and both sets o f bicycles. And for the croos leg or wide leg sit ups, I did the cross leg variety for the first time. Tony says this is harder- and it was. I felt a great burn.

See you tomorrow for Kenp- hopefully my knee will cooperate!

Day 67- Cardio X

Due to time constraints today, I opted for the Cardio X workout instead of the full-blown Yoga workout. The Cardio X version has Yoga in it, mostly the Warrior stuff. So, I still got some of the core work from the Yoga, while not losing over an hour and a half of my life today.

As I have stated before, I love the Cardio X video. The workout is short and intense, with no breaks. It combines Yoga, Kenpo, Plyos, and the Core Synergistics workout. It is fun and has a lot of veriety- which helps keep it interesting.

I did really well on the Warrior poses for the Yoga section. In the Kenpo stuff, I pushed every move hard, oftwn going faster then the folks in the video allowing me to put some extra reps in. During the plyo stuff, I got a really nice burn going- especially during the jump shot moves. And in the core stuff, I really pushed in the squat x-press move, getting lots of air on the last 10 reps.

Diet went well today. Protein shake for breakfast. Midmorning snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a turkey sandwich on wheat with lite mayo and dijon mustard. Afternoon snack was a recovery drink. Dinner was two turkey burgers topped wit a little barbeque sauce.

See you tomorrow for Legs and Back!

Day 66- Back & Biceps

Today was the back and biceps workout. I think this workout is ok, but gosh there are a lot of pull ups. Tons, and tons of pull ups. Wide grip, switch grip, towel pull ups, corn cob, max rep... the list goes on.

And then there are just about a million curls- because you ARE working the glory muscles after all. And Tony likes his biceps a lot.

Anyway, I had a pretty good workout. I started using the black bands on some of the curls and lawnmowers today. These are the hardest resistence bands in the set. I really got a great burn going today. I upped all the other moves in terms of reps today too. I think it was the Nano Vapor and the Halo. They are wonderful supplements- except the Halo makes me so sleepy wfter my workout. It takes me a good hour to clear my head.

I did really well on the Ab Ripper today. I even put my hands in the air for the in and outs as well as both sets of bicycles. It was intense. I highly recommend it!

Diet went well today. No major screw ups. I'm sort of in a plateau right now with my weight. I seem to be stable at 199.5 lbs. I think I need to cut back on some calories or carbs or both and keep shredding as I'm not near defined enough yet, and I'm not light enough yet.

See you tomorrow for the dreaded Yoga....

Day 65- Plyometrics

First let me apoligize for the confusion of two posts today. Somehow, my post last ight got saved as a draft and never posted. So I just posted it! Now I'm doing Monday's write up.

Today was the"east" Plyometrics day. I love this workout. We used to do a lot of plyo training in high school and college for soccer, so this is always fun. I did well tonight. I tried to keep up with the one guy on the video named Dominic, who is like a frog. He has crazy hops and is always doing the advanced options for the moves. On the jump knee tucks (Tony calls this the "mother of all the plyo moves"), I was able to do the intesified version both times all the way through. Also, just for the record, on the second round of Rock Star hops, Dominic quits early! CHEATER!

Anyway, I did well today overall. I felt like I got really deep in all the squats and got a lot of air in all my jumps. In fact on the front to back spins, I was able to do the full 360 spin like Dominc was doing. I got a bit dizzy by the end, but it was fun to push it.

Diet went well. It was a challenge as I was in the OR for the entire day (8 am til 6 pm). I had a protein shake in the morning before Ileft. Then I brought two protein bars with me in my bag. I ate one for a mid morning snack. I had a tuna salad on whole wheat sandwich and a side salad with fat free ranch for lunch. I ate the other bar for afternoon sanck. AndI'm having filet for dinner. See you tomorrow!

Day 64- Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

On Sunday, Day 64, the workout was the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout. Of all the muscle-building workouts, this is probably my favorite.

I worked my ass off in this one. All the push up variations really bust me up. I did really well, upping weight and reps on almost everything. I did really well on the slow mo push ups at the beginning. This is where you go down for 4 counts slowly, then come up for 4 counts slowly. You do 4 wide, 4 regular, then 4 military style. HURTS! But in a good way. I also rocked the slow and fast twitch push ups. This is where you do 4 slow ones like before, followed by 3 fast ones. This one is really hard and my arms start shaking right away. You know you're working!

I did well on the Ab Ripper. My wife (Danielle) tried the ab ripper tonight too. She has always had great abs and almost completed everything on her first try. I hate her! : )

See you Tuesday for Plyo Day!

Day 63- Kenpo X

I swaped the rest day that should have been today for yesterday. I just flat had a crazy day yesterday, os this made things a bit easier.

So, today I rocked the Kenpo. I had a bit if trouble with Kenpo today. Usually, I love this workout. But for some reason, my legs are REALLY sore from Thursday's legs workout. I think it's because I pushed it really hard Thursday. Regardless, it made all the kicks and twists in Kenop challenging.

Also, my knee started acting up near the end when I had to hold the horse stance for a long time during the elbow and block series. I fought through it, but it was tough.

See you tomorrow!

Day 62- Rest Day (not Kenpo)

Today was supposed to be Kenpo day. however, my day got a little crazy and I had to make today the rest day. So I swapped tomorrow for today basically. I will rock out the Kenpo tomorrow.

The diet went well today. I'm still avering between 2,700- 3,000 calories. I may try and back it down a little just to shed more weight in the last 30.

Day 61- Legs and Back

Today was the first day of the home stretch. I have started the last 30 days and am excited to see how far I've come. I hope to keep the remarkable progress going and to look as healthy as possible come day 90.

Special shout out to those of you who regularly read this blog (Jeff, Matt, TCMG, and anyone else I may have missed). You guys have been awesome.

Today was legs and back. I struggled today. I think I'm getting sick or something. Regardless, I did my best. I matched or exceeded reps on every move. I really felt the burn in the one legged squats. It felt like they went on for ever!

Ab Ripper hurt tonight (in a good way). My whole body was shaking at the end of the Fifer Scissors. But I got through everything with full reps.

Diet is going well. No major screw ups. I'm thinking about going back to the phase 1 diet plan to shed more weight. I'll let you know what I decide.

Day 60 Photos

Here are my pics. I tried editing them the best I could. To remind you, when the Day 1 pics were taken, I weighed 213 lbs. At Day 60 I weigh 199.5. I can see my love handles are smaller and I'm tighter overall. I'm fairly pleased with the results so far. But I gotta keep pushing play!

Day 60- Cardio X

Today I opted to do the Cardio X workout instead of the Yoga workout. I just didn't have enough time!

I also popped in the Yoga Belly portion of Yoga X so I could get some ab work in.

Nothing eventful with the workout. Cardio X is great. I feel kinda funny doing the "wacky jacks". It's such an un-natural movement. But I love the Kenpo aspects and the plyo stuff.

I took my Day60 pics and hope to have them up soon.

Day 59- Shoulders and Arms

I decided to not switch today and stay with the schedule. That means I did the shoulders and arms routine. I did really well on it. It was easier then I rememeber- or I'm just stronger and fitter!

Anyway, I did well, improving reps and weight on all moves. Got good burn during Ab Ripper as well.

Heading to a soccer game now. Wish me luck- it's a big game.

Oh, and make sure you vote if you haven't already!

Day 58- Plyometrics

Monday was plyo day. I got back late from Atlantic City and hadn't splet much. Not because I was up gambling and drinking, but because the guy I had to room with snored and talks in his sleep! I got no rest, so I struggled with the plyos.

Nothing major to report about the workout. It was nice to get back into some workouts with more intensity after the recovery week.

Tuesday I have a big soccer game with major playoff implications in my league. Combine that with a busy day and it means I may swap in Cardio X on Tuesday and then do the shoulders workout Wednesday.

Day 57- Chest and Back

Today was back to the week 1 schedule. That means I started with Chest and Back.

I forgot how hard this workout it. The reason it kicks your butt is that you go through the entire workout, and then you repeat it. So if you blow it out the first time through, you are toast in the second round.

I did very well, matching or excedeing all reps. The one I showed the most improvements on was the decline pushups. This is the move where you put your feet up on a chair and then do push ups. Usually I do ok the first time through, but in the socond pass, I have only managed to push out 4 reps. It's a killer. But today I hit 11 reps the secind time through. This shows me I'm getting stronger, fitter, and am able to recover better then a month ago. It was exciting!

This week also marks the return of the Ab Ripper. I seemed to struggle with it today. I still managed to do all reps on every move, but I had to take a few more breaks then normal. That rest week always makes it tough to get back into the ripper.

I'm heading to Atlantic City today for a work meeting. So I did my workout this morning. Tomorrow I won't be working out until the evening, after I get back from my trip.

See you all tomorrow for the beast!

Day 56- Cardio X

I did Cardio X today in place of Yoga. We have a wedding later so I didn't have a lot of time for a workout. Cardio X is shorter, incorporates some Yoga, and gives me a better sweat.

I love this workout so much. A little Kenpo, a little Plyo, a little Core all rolled into a sweet little package.

Broke a nice sweat today and could really feel my heart rate was up in the zone.

Day 55- Rest Day

I switched my rest day this week from Saturday to Friday. I did so because I had a crazy work day followed by getting the kids ready for Halloween, etc. Tomorrow I plan to do Cardio X.

Day 54- Core Synergistics

Today was the second go-round with Core Synergistics this recovery week. As always I enjoyed myself a lot. This workout is tough but fun.

Day started out fine. I had a protein shake for breakfast. Then I left to make some sales calls. Took along some water in a cooler as well as a protein bar. Had the bar for my morning snack. Stopped back by my house for lunch and had some sliced turkey and fat-free cheese on a low-carb wheat wrap with fat free Ranch dressing (just a teaspoon). Yummy.

Went back out and made some more calls. Had some turkey jerkey for snack. Came home from work and did the core synergistics. Followed by some roasted chicken and some corn for dinner.

The workout today was a butt-kicker. The superman/banana rolls are killer. But the hardest move for me today was the Drea roll again. I hate this move. I can never pop up. The prison cell push ups are also quite challenging. I find I struggle with these- they wear you out quickly.

I did great on the over under push ups- most reps ever. Oh, and the other hardes move of the workout has to be the first bonus move- the plank to chattarunga iso. Holding plank is no biggie. But going down slowly to the chattarunga and holding it is killer!

See you tomorrow for Yoga X!

Day 53- Kenpo X

Today was the Kenpo X workout for me. I took a healthy two scoops of the NanoVapor prior to the workout and I was flying!

I thought I did pretty well today. I have seen big improvement in both the integrity of the forms as well as the height of some of my kicks. And remembering to breathe really allows me to get more into each move- resulting in more calories burned. I flew through this workout and enjoyed myself.

On to other exciting news. I broke through past the 200 lb barrier today. When I weighed myself today, I weighed 199.5 lbs! That is the first time in about 4 years where I could step on a scale and I wasn't 200+. That means that since I've been on P90x, I've shed 13.5 pounds so far. I'm pretty excited.

Day 52- X Stretch

I had a crazy hectic day, so I swithced the order of my workouts around. I ended up doing X Stretch instead of Kenpo. I will be doing Kenpo on Wednesday.

I really just ran out of time and by the time I had a free moment, it was too close to my soccer game. I wanted to have fresh legs, so I just swapped the workouts.

X Stretch is easy and boring. This is my second-least favorite workout (Yoga is worse due to legth and overall boredom).

Back Wednesday with my Kenpo update.

Day 51- Core Synergistics

Today was Core Synergistics. Man, I forgot what a tough workout this is! It kicks your butt. The toughest move in my opinion, is the plank run to chattarunga run. Man does it kick my butt!

Also I really felt the burn on the complex move where you lunge, kickback, curl, press, reverse curl, repeat. I had 10lb weights and by rep 15, sweat was pouring down my face! It seems like such an easy move, but when you add just a little weight, your shoulders start burning, your abs start burning, and you sweat like a pig. Gosh it's fun!

The superman to banana is still tough but fun. I often have to push myself back over to the superman from banana pose. The boat to banana is killer too.

Overall, this is a wonderful workout that hits you head to toe.

See you tomorrow for Kenpo X followed by a soccer game for me!

Day 50- Yoga X

Today was another round of the Yoga workout. I made it through- even though it is still too long and too boring.

I actually did pretty well on it. I really pushed myself on the Warrior stuff and worked up a pretty nice sweat.

The balance poses went ok. Had some trouble with Royal Dancer tonight. This is strange because I usually do well with it. But I got a crance for 5 seconds and did great on the plow to trough moves with the splits, etc.

I can tell my flexibility is improving. I can almost touch my toes now on the hamstring stretches (I use a strap to help stretch). When I started, even with the straps I could barely get my ankles. Now I can touch my big toe for seconds at a clip.

The Yoga Belly stuff rocked as usual. It was tougher then usual tonight- maybe because of my soccer game earlier. But regardless, I really struggled. But I did my best and forgot the rest.

See you tomorrow for Core Synergistics!

Day 49- Rest Day

Today is a scheduled rest day on the program. I plan to relax and do work around the house.

Tomorrow starts the second recovery week. Even though it's a recovery week, it isn't easy. Besides the two rounds of Yoga (gag), are two rounds of Core Synergistics- which is a really great but hard workout. And there's Kenpo in there once, plus the X Stretch. I'm thinking about adding the Cardio X to the X Stretch day. I'll see how I feel on the day.

Day 48- Kenpo X

Today was my favorite day- Kenpo day. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of eating a big lunch too close to when I was doing Kenpo X. I felt very funny in the stomach the whole workout. I still did my best, but I wouldn't say I kicked butt today. Oh well. I still burned some calories.

My favorite move in Kenpo is the jab/cross/hook/uppercut combo. I really get into it. I feel like I need a heavy bag to hit, because I almost feel like a boxer during it! Anyway, I really tourque my hips and drive through each punch in the combo. It really burns.

Diet is going well. I had a shake for breakfast. A protein bar for sanck. Lunch was a huge roasted chicken breast. Snack is my recovery drink. Dinner I'm not sure about yet, but it'll be healthy.

I'm down another pound today to 201 lbs! I hope to crack through back into the 190's sometime soon. That's 12 pounds lost now in 48 days. Not bad. And it's weight that has been lost the right way. By eating healthy and working out.

Tomorrow is a rest day. So I'll see you on Sunday for the start of the second recovery week!

Day 47- Back & Legs

Today was another day of legs and back. I like this workout, yet hate it. It's a killer. I dread it a bit everytime because I know those wall squats are coming.

Seriously, the one-legged wall squats are just so killer. My legs are shaking after the first two and sweat just starts pouring out of me. It hurts so much. But once that's done, you feel great- especially knowing you won't have to do them again for another week.

This workout also has lots of pull ups/chin ups. It seems this is Tony's preferred way to work the back. In fact, you repeat a few of the moves in the workout on the bar. It gets a little boring to be honest. But the leg stuff is so tough, that makes up for it.

I've always had pretty big and nice calves. But I can tell a difference in my legs since I've been doing this workout and the plyometrics. My legs are even tighter and more defined. They haven't looked like this since college!

Ab Ripper X came again today. And I rocked out all the reps on all the moves. Again, I felt like puking at the end. So I know I pushed hard. As I've said a million times to Jeff, they key to Ab Ripper X (and most of the tough moves in P90X) is controlling your breathing. Remembering to breathe and controlling the breath make such a big difference. For those of you who struggle with Ab Ripper X, try really focusing on your breath. You'll be amazed at the difference.

Diet went well. Shake for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was a steak taco with fat-free cheese on a low carb wrap. Snack was a recovry drink. Dinner was a nice broiled chicken breast.

See you tommorrow for my favorite- KENPO!!!!

Day 46- Cardio X

Today was Day 46. All of you doing the program know this should have been a Yoga X day. However, in the program guide, Tony mentions you can substitute the Cardio X for the Yoga if you so desire. Well, today I desired! So to change things up and try something new, I gave the Cardio X workout a shot.

How was it? In one word- AWESOME!

I had so much fun. It is a great workout that I plan to continue to do even after I finish these 90 days. It combines some of the Yoga moves, some Kenpo, some Plyos, and some of the Core Synergistics moves all in one non-stop package.

I worked my ass off! It was fun. I may sub this in for Yoga once in a while just to keep things different.

Day 45- Back & Biceps

I had the opportunity to work out over lunch today, so I decided to stay with the normal routine this week. Therefore, I will do Yoga tomorrow, and got to burn out my back and biceps today.

This is an intense workout that really keeps you moving. And it's really on the quicker side of the videos time-wise. I still have fits with all the pull up/chin ups in this one (especially the corn cob pull ups).

I felt like I had a really intense workout today overall. Real nice burn in the biceps. I love the Superman exercise. That's where you lay face down on the floor and then lift your legs and arms up off the ground for 10 seconds. Then you repeat for a total of 5. Tough! But oh so good!

Went through Ab Ripper X today and really tried to push myself. My words about "not pushing hard enough if you don't feel like puking" came back to haunt me. I pushed it so hard I threw up a little in my mouth at the end. I think it was mostly because I ate less then an hour before the workout. But, whatever, I still felt the burn and got through it.

Diet is still on track. I added in a few extra carbs today since I still have a soccer game to play tonight. See you tomorrow for Yoga X.

Day 44- Plyometrics

Today was another day of going tow to toe with "the beast". Plyometrics was on the workout menu today. I took my scoop of Nano Vapor and went to dance with the devil.

I did well today. I felt very "springy" and tried to be as explosive as possible with my movements. I usually struggle with some of the run stance squat switch stuff, but did them well today. Hardest move for me is still the gap jumps- but only because the form is tricky- not the movement itself.

My favorite part of this workout is the bonus sports section at the end. I love the pitching stuff and the jump shot stuff. Those are real-world movments that I'm used to doing. So none of the "feel" like a workout- even though you are breathing really heavy if you push yourself.

Overall this is a tough but fun workout and I continue to enjoy it.

FYI, I'm down to 202 lbs now. That's an 11 pound loss. I'm loving this.....

Day 43- Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps

Today is the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps workout. As always, it was intense. I love this workout. It kicks my ass and leaves me asking it to do it again.

There are so many push ups in this workout, that you get half way and start to think, "there's no way I can do another push up". But you find a way. The one-handed push ups are still really tough for me. But I did great on the clap/plyo push ups (where you push up and clap in between). I also managed to either invcrease weight or reps (or both) on most all the exercises, and matched my previous best on the ones that didn't go up. The balance push ups are still hard too. These are where you do a push up, then lean on one arm and stack your ankles, while putting your free hand in the air and balancing on your side. TOUGH- especially because it comes near the end.

I also did a bang up job on Ab Ripper today. Again doing all reps of all exercises and pushing a few with more challenging positions. I can always gauge how well I did in Ab Ripper X by how close I am to vomiting afterwards. If I don't feel like vomiting is a real possibility, I didn't work had enough. Once again today, I was ready to spew- so I knew I had brought it!

I was really dragging ass today prior to the workout. I had an outdoor soccer game at noon (we won 5-0). So, I was wiped out from that. Sundays are tough because I play soccer and then come home to workout. But a little Nano Vapor got me ready to go and I was feeling good when it was time to bring it. For those of you out there looking for a little boost for your energy level for the workouts, I highly recommend it. You can find it at your local GNC!

Day 42- Rest Day

Today is a scheduled rest day. So I will not be doing anything.

Over the next three weeks, I have soccer on Tuesday nights. As such, I will be adjusting the workout order slightly. I will now move my Yoga workout to Tuesdays since it is low impact. And I will move the Tuesday workout (currently back and biceps) to Wednesdays.

Day 41- Kenpo X

KENPO X DAY!!!! I love Fridays because I know I get to do Kenpo X. It is the only workout in the program that doesn't feel like a workout ever!

I love the combination moves. Especially the stuff where you combine kicks and punches. And the Star Blocks are fun. They were hard at first because it take time to learn the combination. But now they are one of my favorite things.

Diet is on track. Protein Shake for breakfast. Snack was a banana. Lunch was a turkey sandwich on multi-grain wheat. Snack was turkey Jerkey and recovery drink. Dinner is some baked chicken breasts.

So far to date, I'm down to 202.5 lbs. That is a loss of 10.5 pounds in 41 days. Not too bad! And I've started getting a lot of comments from people noticing that I've lost some weight. It's a good feeling. And it keeps me fired up to take this program to another level!

Also, let me apoligize for slacking on the posts for a few days. My work and family life have been hectic this week, leaving little time to update the blog.

Also, a special shout out to those of you who have actually found this blog and are following my progress- people like Matt and Tai Chi Monkey Girl. Your words and comments keep me going. It's nice to know others are out there. I had only told Jeff about the blog, because I was so embarrassed by my fatness, I didn't want to share with my friends and family until I'm a bit slimmer. I plan to let them all know about it when I put up my Day 60 pics.

Day 40- Legs and Back

Day 40 was legs and back. This is a killer workout for your legs. I still get that nervous feeling everytime I do this workout because thosse wall squats and one-legged wall squats hurt like heck. But in a good way. I'm always a puddle of sweat after this workout and usually feel the soreness for days after.

I did well in the workout. I really like the Nano Vapor supplement. It has really given me a boost during my workouts, yet doesn't taste like crap (like Superpump) or rip up my stomach (like Superpump). For this workout I had to get up early in the morning to do it because I had a work dinner that night and a meeting with my manager- making for a long day and no time to fit in a quick workout. But the Nano Vapor got my engine going this morning so it was great.

Ab ripper was also on the workout today. I made it through ever rep on all exercises, but did have trouble with the Mason Twista- though I pushed through. I think the early morning start contributed to this a bit.

I'm looking forward to a little treat tonight. The dinner is at Ruth's Chris andI'm going to have a nice Petite Filet!

Day 39- Yoga X

Today was another Yoga day. I still don't like this workout and think it's too long. Maybe if they shortened the Warrior stuff, I would like it more. The Warrior poses take SO LONG!

I did fine though. Held a crane pose in the balance poses for like 5 seconds and fell on my face again. Good times.

Diet went well. No major slip ups! Still taking in a nice balance of carbs and protein with as little fat as possible and keeping it between 2,700-3,000 calories.

Day 38- Back & Biceps

Today was the great back and biceps workout. Curls, curls, curls, and pull ups, pull ups, pull ups.

It is an intense workout and your biceps feel like they are going to explode when you are done. I did well today. Two scoops of Nano Vapor pre-workout had my engines revved. And a proper night of sleep. I brought it hard today, upping my reps on most all workouts.

The corn cob pull ups (pull up, slide right, slide left, slide middle, in-out, down) are still brutal. And the towel pull ups are a bitch too. But man they work you well.

Ab ripper went very well. I felt great during it and tried a few advanced options. I made it through just fine. I feel like Tony- Ab Ripper X: I hate it, but I love it. I actually look forward to it after the workout. In the beginning I dreaded it. Oh the times, they are a changing.

Diet went well. Protein shkae for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Whole grain bread with sliced turkey for lunch. Recovery drink for snack. Roasted chicken for dinner.

See you tomorrow for the dreaded Yoga.

Day 37- Plyometrics

Day 37 is Plyometrics day. This day is an all or nothing workout. You better be ready to bring it because this workout will kill you if you don't go "all in". You gotta push yourself and really break through the pain barrier. It burns- but the results are worth it.


I was still dragging from the lack of sleep over the weekend. I wasn't able to sleep in because I had a really early appointment for work a good 90 minutes from my house. So when I got home to start working out, I used the Nano Pump to get me ready. I should really call this Nano Crack because I swear to God it hit me like a freight train. I was bouncing off the walls.

I had a really great workout. I even turned my chair around on the leg over exercises to make myself have to swing higher. I double timed the high knee jump thngs both times through. And I really did well on the sideways squat jumps. Overall my best Plyo workout by far.

Day 36- Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Today kicks off Week 6. I had a lot of trouble with the workout today. Most of the trouble (ok all of it) was due to the effects on my body of the bachelor party I attended this weekend. I was in Atlantic City for my cousin Kane's bachelor party. I spent the whole weekend drinking sugar-free Red Bull with Vodka and gambling. Friday and Saturday combined I maybe had 7 hours of sleep.

When I got home today after dropping Jeff off at the airport, I crashed for a few hours of sleep. It helped me get enough energy to workout, but not enough to help me "bring it" like I wanted to. That being said, I did ok. I increased weight on every exercise while matching or increasing reps on everything (except the one-armed push ups). For some reason I struggled with the one-armed push ups today, but still almost matched my previous mark.

I also managed to continue my performance on Ab Ripper X. But it really hurt today. I was spent when I was done!

I'm back on the diet plan. Shake for breakfast. Turkey jerkey for lunch. Grilled Chicken on whole wheat bread for lunch. Banana for snack. Dinner was some grilled turkey.

We tried to do well on the diet in Atlantic City. And for the most part we did. There was some minor cheating, but given the circumstances, I think we did pretty well.

Day 35- Rest Day

This was a scheduled rest day. I spent it drinking Sugar-Free Red Bull and Vodka and gambling in Atlantic City.

Day 34- Kenpo X

Hello all! I had a new experience on P90X today. Jeff (from Danglethe carrot) is here visiting. So, we got up and did the Kenpo workout together today. It was fun having someone else there pushing me, etc. And I didn't feel like such a dork with the yells, etc. on some of the moves.

Having someone else here was good because it really helped me push myself hard. I didn't want to dog it in front of someone else!

We are leaving in a few hours for a bachelor party. See you Sunday!

Day 33- Legs & Back

Today was the legs and back workout. I got up early to do this one before work, since Jeff will be coming to town today. I also tried a new pre-workout supplement called NaNO Vapor. It works sort of like Superpump (though hopefully I won't react as badly to it).

I felt the NaNO Vapor right away. I was pretty amped and felt tingling in my muscles as I worked- good times!

The workout today was good. I upped all my max reps on the different pull ups. As for some of the lunges and such, I added in some dumbbells to increase the difficulty. IT especially worked on the calf raises. I have some big strong calves, so usually I wasn't getting too deep of a burn on the calf raises. This time, just by adding 2 12lb dumbbells, I was able to get a really deep burn in my calves. It was wonderful.

Ab ripper x was on the agenda today as well. Once again, I made it my bitch. I got through all exercises with all reps and still managed to rock the Fifer Scissors and the Mason Twists. Next week, I'm going to try doing some of the variations. I wanted to make sure I could repeat my success before moving on- and today proved that I could.

Jeff and I will be doing Kenpo together tomorrow and then off the Atlantic City for a Bachelor Party. Saturday is our rest day and Sunday we'll both be back in our respective homes to start week 6.

Day 32- Yoga X

Today was the dreaded Yoga day. It's not that it's hard (well, it is really hard), it's that it's too long and very boring. That being said, I'm seeing improvements.

One pose I love is Frog. I really feel a great stretch.

I did great on the warrior stuff today. I even did push ups on almost every Vinyassa. I felt stronger during that part.

The Yoga Belly 7 is still the ass-kicker in this workout. It may seriously be as tough as Ab Ripper X if not tougher. I did my best (and forgot the rest), but it was a struggle as always.

Diet is still on track. I had a protein shake for breakfast. A protein bar for snack. Lunch was some sliced turkey on a low carb wheat tortilla. Snack was some turkey jerkey. Tinner was some ground turkey tacos on the low carb wheat tortillas.

Jeff (Danglethe carrot) will be heading here tomorrow from his home in Houston. We will both workout on our own tomorrow, but on Friday we plan on doing the Kenpo together before heading to a bachelor party this weekend. Should be fun to do Kenpo with someone else!

Day 31- Back & Biceps

Today was a new workout. It was a back and bicpes workout that was really fun. There were tons of variations of different curls. And of course, lots and lots of pull ups.

Of particular note because of the degree of difficulty was the Corn Cob Pul Ups. You basically pull up, then slide right, slide back to center, slide left, slide back to center, then pull in and then back out, and then down. That's one! Really raised the intensity of the workout. There were also towel pull ups. You took a towel and wrapped in around one of the grips. Then you grabbed the part hanging down with one arm and used the normal grip on the other side. It really isolated the side holding the bar- very intense.

Following the workout was the infamous Ab Ripper X. And I'd liek to announce that for the first time, AB RIPPER X BECAME MY BITCH!!!!

That's right. I did everything! I made it through all 25 Fifer Scissors and made it through all 40 Mason Twists at the end with my feet up. It felt awesome. It really was a sense of accomplishement. Especially, considering how 31 days ago I sat there thinking there was no way in hell I'd ever be able to do all the reps on Ab Ripper X. I've come a long way, and I'm just getting started.

I actually find myself looking forward to the Ab Ripper stuff at the end. Even though I know it's going to hurt, I feel the strength gaining daily in my abs and I see my love handles melting away. And each workout I've made progress on it. I think next time, I'm going to try to increase the difficulty on some of the moves to keep pusing myself.

Diet went well. I had two whole wheat english muffins with peanut butter and banana slices for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was a chef salad. Snack was recovery drink. Dinner was some grilled chicken.

Day 30 Photos

Comparison Photos for Days 1 vs. Day 30. I see some progress- though I'd like to see more! But I think it's working..... On a side note, my weight when I started this 30 days ago was 213 lbs. I now way 205.5 lbs.

Day 30- Plyometrics

Today is Day 30- the Beast is BACK!

The plyo workout is by far the hardest workout of this program. For the first three weeks, I felt like I did well on this. This week- I think the rest week impacted me. I was actually very winded during this workout. It hit me hard for some reason. I really struggled with certain exercises for the first time.

Of particular difficulty this week were the switch foot 180 pickups. They just kicked my ass. I was gassed after them. I'm sure I will have a nice soreness in my legs and ass tomorrow!

Diet went well today. Breakfast was a protein shake. Morning snack was turkey jerkey. Lunch was a 6" turkey sub on whole wheat from subway (with spicy mustard and lettuce, salt, and pepper). Afternoon snack was recovery drink. And dinner was two grilled turkey burgers and a small garden salad.

I will be taking my 30 day pics tonight and hope to get them posted some time tomorrow. My wife (Danni) isn't home until pretty late, so I may not have time to download them until the morning.

Day 29- Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Today marks the beginning of week 5. This was also the newest "weight-lifting" type of workout. This was chest, shoulders, and triceps. Man, this workout was intense. I loved it. By the end my triceps felt like the were going to pop off of my arms!

There are a TON of pushup variations in this workout. You get to do one-armed as well as the clap push ups. Not easy. There were a ton- so many to describe that they all sort of run together.

Very challenging isolated tricep work as well. The shoulder stuff wasn't too extreme. Which is good considering how tough the chest and tris were getting worked.

I was a bit nervous at the end of the workout for Ab Ripper. In the rest week you don't do any Ab Ripper, so I was afraid it would make me it's bitch again. No need to fear- I rocked it. I completed all but 5 Fifer Scissors (but my legs were the straightest they've ever been). And I was able to do 30 of the 40 Mason Twists with my feet off the ground (me best was 20). I totally attribute this improvememnt to the Yoga and Core Synergistics workouts. I am sure when I finish P90X I will continue to do the Core Synergistics workout regularly.

Diest went well today. Protein Shake for breakfast. Lunch was a low carb wheat tortila with three slices of low fat turkey breast, some lite mayo, and some dijon mustard, and some fat free mozzerella cheese. Snack was my recovery drink. Dinner was three grilled turkey burgers topped with dijon mustard. Dessert (make up for missed mid-morning snack) was a bowl of fresh berries.

Day 28- Rest Day

Today is a scheduled rest day. I plan on hanging out with the kids and taking it easy after yesterday.

Day 27- Double Dip

On Friday, I was so upset about having stopped my workout, that I decided to "double up" on to make up for it. So I decided to re-do the Core Synergistics workout plus add in the regularly scheduled Yoga workout. Biy, that was a dumb move.

It wiped me out! Literally kicked my ass.

I did the Yoga in the morning. Things went fine. I did ok on Warrior stuff. The balances poses went better then normal (except for the damn Crane move). And YogaBelly X was ok.

Then in the evening I did Core Synergistics. I was pumped. I had dumbbells and everything. I guess I never realized how much the Yoga works your core until I had to push it again the same day.

I was so wiped out by the workout I ended up goingto bed an hour after at like 9pm. The wife was not happy asI barely even hung out. But I was wiped!

Day 26- Core Synergistics

Today was supposed to be core synergistics. However, I never made it through the entire workout.

When I was first starting P90X, Jeff (danglethe carrot), told me about SuperPump. This is a pre-workout supplement to get you fired up and have energy throughout the workout. I used it at first. At first I was only using a little and I didn't notice anything good. Last week I used 3 scoops and had the best workout of the program. However, it kept me up all night. So I stopped taking it.

Today, I took 3 scoops again trying to really get fired up for my workout. I was full of energy when I started. But partway through the workout I got a searing pain that started at the base of my neck and rushed up my skull from back to front. It was kind of like a reverse brain-freeze. I immediately thought I was having an anyuerism. I was scared, so I stopped the workout.

Honestly, in retrospect, I'm sure it was a reaction to the superpump. But I didn't want to push it. So, I am going to try and double up my workout tomorrow, or possible do core synergistics tomorrow and treat today like my rest day. Also, I've decided to stop the superpump entirely. It just isn't worth the risk to me.

Day 25- Kenpo X

I'm a little late getting this post up, but yesterday was Kenpo X day for me. I won't go on and on again about how much I love this workout (because I do). But I will say, that I look forward to this more then any of the workouts and that the time always goes by too fast.

I really pushed it in Kenpo today. I have noticed my form getting much better with all the moves- especially some of the kicks. This ha enabled me to really add height to the kicks. I was very pumped during this routine today and was even screaming at Tony and telling him I was going to kick his ass. I was a little over the top- but it was fun.

I was so exhausted after the workout I ended up going to bed around 9 (which is early for me). I think I just pushed it so hard that my body shut down- good times!

Diet was fine yesterday. Whole Wheat Englis Muffin with peanut butter for breakfast. Snack was a banana. Lunch was low-fat turkey and low fat cheddar cheese on a slice of whole wheat bread. Afternoon snack was some turkey jerkey. Dinner was two ground turkey tacos on low carb wheat tortilla shells.

Day 24- Stretch X

Due to a committment with asoccer game this evening and a pretty hectic workday, I switched Kenpo and Stretch X. I didn't want to wear myself out for my game. And Kenpo is pretty intense if you bring it. So I just got some nice stretching in.

Of course, my game got rained out so now I'm wishing I hadn't switched them. Oh well.

Day 23- Core Synergistics

Today was pretty exciting. It marked the first "new" DVD of the program for me since week 1. The workout is called Core Synergistics. As this week is labeled the recovery week in the program guide, I figured that this would be somewhere between the intensity of Kenpo and Yoga. Boy was I wrong.

This workout is an ass-kicker. It combines elements of Yoga, Plyometrics, and other moves involving pushups and ab work. IT keeps you moving throughout. I worked up quite a sweat. Of the moves, some of the hardest were the running plan to vinyassa (I think that was what it was called). Also hard was the banana to boat. Both required a lot of coordination and pushed you in both a cardio and resistance way.

This was a fun but challenging workout. I hope we get to do it again soon as I will probably do better on it now that I'm confortable with some of the moves.

Diet is going ok. I had a protein shake for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was some sliced turkey and low fat chedder cheese on half of a wheat roll. Afternoon snack was some turkey jerkey. Dinner will be a filet and a small side salad.

See you tomorrow for Kenpo!

Day 22- Yoga X

Kicked off Week 4, the recovery week, with Yoga X. I still hate this workout, tough I am getting better at it. As I said, I think they could cut 30 minutes out of this and it would be better.

I did fine on the warrior pses and most of the balance stuff. I even did the crane for about 5 seconds! The Yoga Belly 7 workout at the end is a killer. It doesn't seem like it would be as hard as Ab Ripper X, but there are moves which are just as challenging.

Diet is good. I had a chicken scrambler for breakfast with 3 pieces of turkey bacon. Lunch was a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter. morning snack was a banana. Afternoon snack will be a protein bar. Dinner is some grilled chicken and salad.

Day 21- Rest Day

Just got back this evening from the work even I was at. Today is a scheduled rest day, so nothing new to report. The hotel bed really hurt my back last night, so I'm suffering from a sore back. I think Yoga tomorrow will help loosen me up.

Did ok on the diet. Protein shake for breakfast. Small cup of fruit for a snack. Lunch was a small crabcake and a turkey and low fat chedder cheese sandwich (I didn't eat the bread). Protein bar for snack. And some grilled chicken for dinner.

See you tomorrow for Week 4!!!

Day 20- Kenpo X

Hello all. I'm checking in from Maryland's Eastern Shore. I'm at a resort on the Chesapeake Bay for a work convention. Anyway, I just finsihed Kenpo. I did it on my laptop right here in my hotel room. It felt a little strange to be doing it outside of my basement, but I still had a blast. Worked up a great sweat.

I brought along my recovery drink and polished that off right after the workout.

The diet is going ok. I did have a little cheesecake last night for desert though! Today I woek up and had a protein shake. Snack was a cheesestick. Lunch was a protein bar. Snack was some nuts. For dinner I'm going to a crab fest, so I'll be eating a bunch of crabs!

Also, I had a few hours off today so I got a 90 minute massage at the spa here at the resort. After almost three weeks of P90X I can't tell you how nice it was! It might have been the best massage I've ever gotten. I was so sore and tight and now I feel like a million bucks! Tomorrow is a rest day and then Sunday I'll be starting the recovery week. I'm so excited!

Day 19- Back & Legs

Sorry for the limited posts over the next few days. I'm out of town for a convention for work, so time is limited.

I did back and legs today. I had to get up EARLY (5:30) to fit it in because of work. It sucked. I HATE working out in the morning. It is impossible for me to get my motor going with the needed intensity for this workout. I half-assed my way through back and legs. Easily my most disappointing performance to date.

I rallied on Ab Ripper, doing as well as always.

I broought P90X with me and will be doing Kenpo X tomorrow at the resort. I also packed a cooler for the trip full of my foods, protein bars, etc. I plan to eat as well as possible for the diet considering my circumstances.

Day 18- Yoga X

Today was my least favorite of all the routines- Yoga X. I hate this for a lot of reasons. I'm not at all flexibe so many of the poses aren't comfortable. Also, this workout is over 92 minutes long- which is a huge time committment. Also, it's just not fun. He gets ver spiritual and stuff at the end.

I made it through ok- though I struggled with the yoga belly stuff. Some of the poses are harder the ab ripper! The warrior stuff sucks, but I'm getting better at it. The balance poses are cool I guess. But the crane is impossible!

Diet is going well. I had a whole wheat english muffin and peanut butter plus 3 turkey sausages for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Salad with grilled chicken and fat free honey mustard for lunch. Cheese stick for snack. I'm sauting some garlic shrimp for dinner. Should be good.

Day 17- Shoulders & Arms

Day 17 was another round of shoulders and arms. I did ok, butI'm still lacking in the sleep department- 5 hours last night. I still feel pretty good. I attribute that to the healthy eating though.

Last week I decided to order an extra set of handles for the bands. This way I wouldn't have to pause the DVD to switch bands. They got here yesterday so I broke them out for todays workout. Pretty much the first round of everything I used the greens and the second round I used the reds. It was a lot smoother.

Generally my performance was good. I matched all reps and increased some. The one move that just KILLS me is the first move of the bonus round- the straight arm switch shoulder flys. Seriously- my shoulder feels like it's going to explode by the 4th or 5th one.

Did great again on the Ab Ripper X. Fifer scissors continue to be my Everest. I still can't do more then 20. And I can only do 20 of the Mason Twists with my feet in the air. But compared to my first try at Ab Ripper X, I've progressed miles. That first time I was broken. I remember laying on the mat in a pool of my own sweat just laughing at how unbelievably hard it was and thinking I'd never come CLOSE to being able to do it. And in week 3 I'm holding my own. Just shows that you get out what you put in. You gotta BRING IT, or you are just wasting your time and money.

Played two indoor soccer games tonight about two hours after my workout, so I burned a TON of calories tonight. I ate a little on the heavy side for dinner, but the soccer games are sure to have burned off that extra food.

Thanks for reading. You keep coming back- I'll keep pushing play.