The Return...And A Bonus

Hello all! I'm not sure if anyone out there si still reading. I've been away from both the blog and the P90x for a while. To sum it up in a nutshell, a combination of an injury (non P90X related) and job issues forced me to take some time off. But I'm back and ready to go.

Actually, I'm not just back, I'm on Day 10 today. That's Shoulders and Arms tonight. But the bonus is, my wife Danielle decided to join the P90X party. She and I decided to start together on June 1. So we've been rocking it out together (and apart) ever since.

I only have time for a quick update for now, but rest assured I'll be back with more details. I hope to post our pics as well, though they may not be up until Day 30. So far so good. I've been sore, but not too bad. The wife is doing really well. She's always been pretty fit. She teaches dance and coaches dance at her old high school. And she still dances in some adult groups as well. So her cardio is pretty good and her flexibility is tremendous. We're focusing on gaining some strength in her core and arms. But she's been DESTROYING the ab ripper already. makes me sick....

Anyway, hope everyone is well. nice to be back on the X!!!!

P90X Round 2 Day 36- Plyometrics (and catching up)

Just when I though things would settle down for me, things got crazy again. For work this week marks the close of our financial year so we are just slammed right now with things we have to do. I also found out that I'm being given an extra person to ork with as well as having a significant portion of Pennsylvania added to my Maryland/Delaware territory, so itlooks like I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling soon. good news is that P90X travels!

So anyway, while I may not have been blogging as much as I'd like to have been, I have been "Bringing it". Took care of Plyometrics yesterday and was pretty excited. It was the best Plyo has felt in a while for me.

I also did pretty well om Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps the toher day. I even rocked out 22 Pike Presses- which was a new record for me. So, things are coming along nicely.

The funniest thing is that the fitter you get and the more into P90X you get, the more people want to talk to you about it. Because of what I've been doing, my boss is now doing P90X with his wife and one of my doctors is doing it now too! It's just funny because months ago these people were all picking on me about doing the "infomercial" workout, but now they are all converts!

Back tonight with an update. Keep pushing play!

P90X Round 2 Day 31- Back and Biceps

Quick post tonight as I have a few things to do for work. Today was the Back & Bicep workout. Man, this one is a killer- in a good way. All sorts of funky pull ups and lots of vein-busting curls just punish you. I love it!

I felt pretty good today. Was pretty pumped up on my NOXplode and my Volumaize and brought it hard. My biceps were so pumped that my right one felt like it had a pulse! My arms were absolutely burning today. I struggled with the pull ups (especially the dreaded corn cobs). But I did my best and forgot the rest.

I did well on the ab Ripper as well. full reps (plus some extra Mason twists). I just had one of those "good" days today.

Anyway, looking forward to the Yoga tomorrow (did I really just say that?).....

Mike Out!

Day 30- Intervals

Daily Workout Summary:

Happy Birthday....to me. I'm now an even older bastard. But at least I can't say FAT bastard anymore!

So, today was Day 30 and was supposed to be a Plyometrics day. But I decided to give myself a little present by kicking my ass with the Intervals workout from P90X+. Fun Times!

I brought it ok I guess. My balky right knee really acted up today so I had to modify a few moves and take it easy. But I still got a nice little workout in. I also played an indoor soccer game tonight which helped burn off a few more calories!

Diet:

OK diet day-but could have been better. I had a protein shake for breakfast. missed my snack. Had lunch with the wife and kids at Panera Bread where I had half a bacon turkey bravo on wheat. Afternoon snack was a protein bar. And dnner was one slice of the wheat crust pizza with turkey pepperoni.

Favorite Move of The Day:

Super Skaters

I like this move a lot. It's basically the speed skating move from one of the other workouts. But as you add intensity, you end up making these huge leaps from side to side. I felt like Apollo Ono!

P90X Round 2 Day 29- Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was the first "new" workout tis round. I got to rock the challenging Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout today. I forgot how much fun yet how challenging this workout is! It's an absolute killer and I KNOW I will be sore tomorrow.

All sorts of cool push up variations. And for whatever reason, my triceps felt like they were going to literally pop off my arm. It was intense. I used my two scoops of NOXplode, rolled up my sleeves, and brought it.

I felt pretty good. It had been a long time since I had done this workout so sometimes I had to atch the move be demonstrated first. Then I would just hit rewind and go back to get my full reps in. I really like all the push up wariations in this one. And a lot of the crazy push ups demoed in the infomercial show up in this workout (like the plyo push ups and the one-arm balance push ups).

Solid day with Ab ripper- all reps on all moves. Not quite ready to add advanced moves yet, but it won't be too long!

Diet:

Decent diet day. Breakfast was some turkey sausage and a banana. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a 6 inch trkey sub on wheat with mustard. Missed my afternoon snack. Dinner was a slice of pizza with a whole wheat crust and turkey pepperoni. I would have liked to add a little more protein into the mix, so I may polish off a protein shake before the evening is over.

Soundtrack of The Day:

Bleeding Me- Metallica

I just love this song- especially the version that is on the S&M album (symphony & metallica). It builds slowly and gets more intense with every second. Finally it gets intense and loud at the end- which is just like my workout!

Move of The Day:

Two-Twitch Speed Push Ups.

I hate and love this push up. You crank out four pushups of your choice as fast as possible. then you do 3 slow ones (down in 4 counts, up in 4 counts). then you repeat. I only made it through 2 sets (there are 3). It just kicked my ass today.....

Day 28- Rest Day

Saturday was a scheduled rest day. While i was at the beach, I was hoping to get in a nice jog along the shore. however, we had extremely cold, windy, and rainy weather, so I took the day off!

P90X Round 2 Day 26 and 27- Core Synergistics and Yoga

Hello All!

This week has been nuts- so nuts that I've barely had time to breathe. But after this holiday, things will be much easier to manage and daily posts WILL be the norm again.

Anyway, on Thursday I decided to actually do the Yoga instead of Core Syn (I just switched them). This was because I knew we were leaving for the beach on Friday and I would not have 90 minutes to do Yoga. But I did on Thursday. So I made the executive decision!

Daily Workout Summary (Thursday):

Yoga still sucks. I don't care what Jeff and some of the others say, I don't think I'll ever "grow to like it". The workout is just too long. I have a short attention span and need to have variety to keep me interested. The first 45 minutes of Yoga are all a variation on the same thing. So it gets old really quickly. However, the last half is much better. When you get into the balance poses, it becomes both challenging and exciting as you move from pose to pose- even getting some ab work in with the Yoga Belly X. Much better for someone like me.

I felt like the workout was good. I'm making gains in my flexibility and overall core strength. I still struggle with the Crane, but every time is an improvement!

Daily Workout Summary (Friday):

I freakin' LOVE Core Synergistics. Seriously- I love it. I could do it every day. It works your entire body- there's nothing spared. Arms, Legs, Shoulders, Back, Abs/Core- it's all there. And it sneeks up and kicks your ass just when you think it's not too bad.

I used my NOXplode and tried to really bring it today. Just because it's a recovery week, doesn't mean you can't work your ass off. So I got hopped up on my pre-workout drink and pushed myself. I did more push ups on all of the push up type of moves then I did earlier in the week. And I had an extreme sweat going today- good times.

One of the keys to this workout is making an effort to really engage your core on every move. For some of the moves, this is easy. But for others, you really need to concentrate on it and keeping your form. The easiest way to do this is to..... remember to breathe! I know Tony talks about this all the time, but it's really true. If you don't keep your breathing regular, you don't fully engage your core and your posture and form suffer. So for those of you who are newer to the workouts, please KEEP BREATHING!!! : )

Post Workout Rambling:

Just as an FYI, I'm going to be at the beach this weekend celebrating Easter with my wife's family and our kids. Since I'm at the beach, instead of resting, I plan to go for a nice jog along the beach. Maybe I'll see some dolphins or whales or big fish while I'm running. Anyway, if I don't post again until Monday, I hope everyone has a Happy Easter (or Happy Passover for all the folks out there who may be Jewish)!

P90X Round 2 Day 23 and 24- Core Synergistics and Kenpo

Work has been crazy this week. So my plan to post more regularly got fouled up yesterday. I got my Core Synergistics wokout in, but didn't get a chance tyo post. I had a late soccer game. So as soon as I finished work, workinging out, and getting a quick bite to eat, I was heading out the dorr to my game. I'm actually playing soccer 5 nights a week on top of the P90X- so I'm keeping busy. To be fair, even though I'm not quite 30 days in, the only reason I can play so many nights is because of the fitness base I got from my first time through P90X as well as the few weeks I've been on it again. Before P90X, there was NO way my body could have handled that much. But now the lighter, fitter me is going balls to the wall and loving it!

Anyway, Kenpo today was fine- nothing special to it. I worked it hard and got a nice sweat. But yesterday's Core Synergistics was something else! I really forgot that Core Syn is a TOUGH workout and I also forgot how much I liked it.

The toughest move of the day for me (outside of the stupid Drea Rolls- which I struggle with and hate) was the prison cell push ups. For those of you who are new to the "X" and haven't done core Syn yet, the prison cell push ups are TOUGH. You start at a standing position, drop down and do a push up. Then you bring one knee in, do a push up, bring the other in, do a push up, then jump back to your feet. Now, REPEAT for about a minute. It's an absolute killer. I was sweating like a pig and when I was done, I was doubled over with my hands on my knees gasping for air. The funny thing was that I started off well. I did like 3 times through really fast and thought, "thisisn't so bad". Then I hit the wall. It felt like someone threw a piano on my back. I struggled the rest of the way.

Anyway, tomorrow is a stretch x or rest day. I'm probably going to go for a run if it's nice. Plus I have a soccer game tomorrow night (shocker, right?). Talk to you soon guys and girls!

P90X Round 2 Day 22- Cardio X (plus catching up!)

Hello all! Sorry I've been absent from the blog for the past few days. Things have been crazy. There's been a lot of stuff going on at work plus at home. The good news is I've been keeping up with my workouts. the bad news is I haven't been able to find a few extra minutes to update my blog.

Anyway, things have settled down here a bit so I wanted try and post just to stay in the loop. Today was the first day of my recovery week. Due to some time issues today I only had time to fit in Cardio x instead of the scheduled Yoga. But, with this beignthe recovery week, I'll see Yoga again later on this week. So this way it won't be boring (at least AS boring!).

Overall things haven't been too bad. I've dropped about 4-5 pounds the first 22 days- and that's without being as strict as I'd like to be with the diet. I started this round of P90X at about 204 pounds. I'm down to about 199-200, depending on the morning. The last time my most significant weight loss came during the middle phase, so I'm hopeful I'll continue to drop a few pounds. I plan to go really low carb for a while after this recovery week as well, so that will help me drop some weight as well.

Also, I've been using the WorkOutSoft sftware to track my workouts. It's pretty cool stuff. I hope to post some screen shtos or something in the next few days and will give soem inital thoughts on it as well.

Anyway, this is just a quick post. I should be back to more normal posting routines come tomorrow. Take care!

P90X Round 2 Day 15: Intervals (not Plyo)

Daily Workout Summary:

Due to tim constraints I opted to go with Intervals (from P90X+) today instead of Plyometrics. It saves me an extra 20-30 minutes. But it is no way easier- in fact I still think it's the hardest single workout Tony has put together in either of the P90X series.

During the video, Tony talks about studies that have shown that interval training is 2-3 times more effective in regards to cardio training then anything else. From personal experience, I can attest to that- and not just with this workout. Back in college, we used interval trainng in the pre-season for my lacrosse team to get in shape for the season. It was a different type of training then this. It mostly invovled track workouts (running different distances within set time limits- mixing short sprints and longer distances). But they were always killer.

This workout is just balls to the wall for 38-42 minutes (with warm up and cool down). You do 12 exercises at three different intensity levels, take a water break, and then do those 12 again in reverse order. It literally leaves me gasping for air and shaking all over. Of all the workouts, this is still the one I have trouble getting through no matter my fitness level. It really is that tough.

I prepared with my NOXplode and did the best I could. My bad knee decided to act up today, so some of the moves were a bit painful and I had to modify a few. but overall I brought it with a pretty good intensity level and felt like I got in a pretty good workout!

Diet:

I had a solid diet day today. Breakfast was a protein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a large Galdiator Protein Shake (banana strawberry!). Snack was some turkey jerky. Dinner was fun. It was very spring like tonight so I fired up the grill. I cooked some hot dogs (for the kids and wife). I also made some turkey hot dogs and some turkey italian sausagues. I had one of the turkey dogs on a whole wheat bun with some mustard and I had one of the sausages. Plus a salad. I have to admit, the turkey dogs were pretty bland (especially as I could SMELL the hot dogs!). But the sausgae was excellent!

Favorite Move of the Day:

Tires

This is a take off of some of the moves from plyo and cardio x. The first 20 seconds are some easy tires standing in place (think slow high knees). The second 20 seconds were a very fast high knee/run in place like you were running in place with your feet in some truck tires. the last 20 seconds are the "wacky jacks" from cardio x as fast as you can go. This move killed me today for some reason. I could really feel my obliques being hammered on by the wacky jacks. Good times!

Soundtrack of the Day:

Mama Said Knock You Out- LL Cool J.

Another classic- probably my favorite LL song. This song just makes you want to go kick someones ass! It's a must-listen for me when I workout and it keeps me pumped. This came on halfway through Intervals, and really heped re-energize me and keep me going.

P90X Round 2 Day 15: Chest and Back

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was the last time with Chest and back until week 9. For some reason, I have been CRUSHING this workout. Maybe it was the rest day yesterday. Or maybe it was the three scoops (as opposed to my normal 2) of NOXplode. Either way, I was rocking it again.

I added 20 more total pushups in the day to bring the grand total up to 218 (versus 158 from week 1!). But I just felt more pumped, stronger, and felt like I was recovering more quickly. I think all the supplements I'm taking are really helping and I know I'm starting to feel great again.

Did well on Ab Ripper X also. Very few breaks and again all reps on all moves. I'm thinking I may start to add in some abs Core Plus from P90X+ on some days to push the abs even more!

Diet:

Decent diet day. Breakfast was a banana and a wheat english muffin with peanut butter. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a small salad, some chicken salad, and a small bowl of fruit salad. Sanack was some turkey jerky. Dinner was some grilled chicken topped with a little crab meat and some fat-free cheese.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Standard Push-Ups.

Nothing exciting or sexy about this move. Just some good old-fashioned push ups. ButI felt like I had a ton of energy and rocked out a personal best without completely killing myself for the rest of the workout.

Soundtrack of the Day:

Slam- by Onyx.

This is a little old-school but it's got a great beat and gets your head bobbing while you rock out on the pull up bar or on the push-up handles! Just really got my grooving today!

P90X Round 2 Days 12, 13, and 14- Legs and Back, Cardio, and Rest

Hello all. I've had a few crazy days and the ability to sit down and blog about my workouts was pretty limited. Now that all my commitments, etc are over for the last few days, I have a few minutes to get caught up. So, here's a quick update.

Friday was Legs and Back forme. I have always liked this workout. AsI mentioned many timesbefore, I was a soccer player and my legs have always been my strongestmuscle group. However, this week I decided to take it easy for the workout. I was committed to play in a soccer tournament on Saturday and didn't want to be too sore for the day long event. Got through the workout using body weight resistance only (no weights added). It was still a tough workout and was feeling it after! I also got through Ab Ripper with no fuss, taking less breaks and doing all reps. Progress is being made...

Saturday was supposed to be my Kenpo day. However, I never did it. That's because I spent all day playing in an indoor soccer tournament. I actually played on two different teams. One was in the Men's Open tournament (ages 18-whatever) and the other team was in the O-30 tournament. all teams are guaranteed 3 games and then more if you make the playoffs. both of my teams made the playoffs, so I was there for a while. We both ended up getting knocked out in the first round, but it still meant I played 8 games. By the end of the day I was wiped out. I figured I burned plenty of calories so I'm counting that as my workout!

Sunday was a much neeed rest day. Again, at some point I'm going to skip a rest day to have my weeks start on a Sunday, but not this week. I was so sore, bruised, and banged up, I needed today to recover. Spent thday up in Pennsylvania visiting my sister and her husband and then a quick stop over at my parents' house to let them give my kids their Easter baskets. So, I just got home a little bit ago and am finally able to post. I'm looing forward to feeling a little less sore tomorrow and "brining it" for chest and shoulders!!!

P90X Round 2 Day 11: Yoga (and a little more Shoulders and Arms)

Daily Workout Summary:

Because ofsome unforseen interruptions yesterday, I didn't complete the Shoulders and arms workout yesterday. I did some of it and then work isses arose and I had to bail and never finished. So today I doubled up. I re-did the entire shoulders and Arms workout in the early morning and then did Yoga after work.

I felt strong during the Shoulders and Arms workout. I was able to up some reps and some weight on a few exercises. I also completed all reps on all moves of Ab ripper with the least amount of breaks thus far this round of the "X".

Now, if any of you have read some of my older posts from my first time through the program, you would know that I hate YogaX. and really, nothing has changed. But I did the entire 92 minute workout today and survived. I still hate it, and am not sure I'll ever love it. But one thing that made it bearable today was listening to my own music. At least during some of the painful and/or boring parts I was able to listen to some music and forget about how much I hated what I was doing for a second. It really helped!

Diet:

I rebounded from yesterday with a better diet today. Breakfast was a proetein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a small salad. Snack was a string cheese. Dinner was some grilled chicken and some salad.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Tree

I like the balance moves in the Yoga workout much more then the Warrior stuff. The warrior stuff is too repetitive and is just plain boring. The balance poses are different poses that work on both your balance and your core. Out of all of those, my favorite is Tree. Youbalance on one leg with the other leg folded inward and your ands up in the air. I can actually do this pretty well, so that' s pretty much why I like the move the best!

Soundtrack for the Day:

Jaco's Ladder- Huey Lewis & the News

I am a sucker for '80s music and one of my favorite bands from then was HLATN. This song hapened to shuffle on while I was working out and it kind of summed up how i feel about this P90X journey. I'm climbing and climbing and all I want is to get it better then today. And I do it step by step. Makes sense to me. And in that "spiritual" moment of clarity while doing Yoga, this song really seemed to hit home!

P90X Round 2 Day10: Shoulders and Arms (Sort of)

Daily Workout Summary:

Just a quick blastabout today's workout. I was all set to bring it when some things happened very late in the day with regards to work. By the time I finished dealing with the situation, I needed to leave for a soccer game. When I got back, I was able to get in some of the workout for today, but was interrupted by my wife and kids getting home. I had to cut out on the workout to have some "family time."

Because of this, I'm going to pull a sort of double tomorrow. I plan to finish the rest of the workout and Ab Ripper X in the early morning and then do Yoga at the end of the day to get caught up.

Diet:

Strange diet day today. I had an early OR case and didn't have my normal protein shake. I did manage to get some egg whites and turkey sausage at the Johns Hopkins Cafeteria, so I was still pretty healthy. But then I was stuck in cases and a dentist appointment with my wife. Therefore, I missed some of my mid morning and mid afternoon snack. Lunch was a slice of cheeze pizza (starving nd all that was around). Dinner was leftover baked chicken and peas from last night. Too light on prtein today and too heavy on carbs. must do better tomorrow!

P90X Round 2 Day 9: Intervals

Daily Workout Summary:

After listening to Jeff rave about how great the Intervals workout from P90X+ is, I decided to go ahead and give myself a refresher as well. Boy was that a mistake. Intervals kicked my butt! In fact, it ate me up, spit me out, and stood over me laughing.

This workout is short by P90X standards. It clocks in around 35-40 minutes. But it is non-stop with only one water break halfway through. You do 12 moves at varying degrees of intensity levels, and then you repeat in reverse order. There is everything from plyo to Kenpo in this and it is clearly the hardest workout of either series. I had to ake several breaks. I think it was a little ambitious of me to try this workout in week2. I should have help it for my recovery week when I was a little more fit. But it was a great workout nontheless.

Diet:

Decent diet today- though a little heavier on carbs then I wanted. Started off with a protein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a turkey and chedder on wheat from Quiznos I forgot to put my fod in the cooler on the way out today so I only had my waters!). Snack was a hndfull of pine nuts. Dinner was some baked chicken and peas.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Jacks

The Jacks move is a killer. You start with 20 seconds ofhalf jacks (you don't bring your arms all the way up). Then 20 seconds of full on jacks at a good pace. Then the final 20 seconds you do the infamous "X" jacks from the Kenpo workout. I's a killer!

Soundtrack of Today:

I Wanna rock- Twisted Sister

I was really hurting during the workout today. I was having trouble keeping up, taking extra breaks, etc. But then this song came on in the mix and I was re-energized. Just something about this song that gets me going and puts a smile on my face. Is it wrong to be such a fan of '80s hair bands????

P90X Round 2 Day 8: Chest and Back

Daily Workout Summary:

I ultimately decided not to workout yesterday and to stay on the monday workout schedule for now. I was really sore yesterday and decided to listen to my body and give it a day of rest. As I get back into the groove I may ultimately decide to switch back to a Sunday start for the week. But as of now, I'm still on the regular schedule. As such, today was chest and back day.

I don't know what it is, but I was PUMPED today during the workout. I think a large part of how I'm feeling right now has to do with the upping of my Nitrix from 3 to 4 pills at a time as well as the addition of the Volumaize during the workouts. Whatever it is, it's working. I absolutely CRUSHED my workout today. I felt strong and really brought it hard.

I consider a workout crushed when I blow away reps from the previous week. In week 1 I did a total of 158 oushups (all push up moves combined) and 71 pull ups. this week, I did 198 push ups and 82 pull ups. Unbelievable! In fact, in the second round of the decline pushups, I did more reps then I did the first round! Amazing! Like I said, I think those supplements plus theCellMass andtheNOXplode are really helping me bring it right now!

I did ok on ab Ripper X as well. I was able to do all reps on all moves and cut down on the breaks. I'm still not where I want to be with Ab Ripper yet, but I'm making progress!

BLOG SIDE NOTE:

I have entered into an agreement with a company that writes software for tracking workouts. This company is called WorkoutSoft and they have written some really cool programs to help track your progress using P90X and P90X+. I placed a link to their site on the side of my blog. feel free to give it a click and browse what they have to offer. Or click here: http://workoutsoft.com/index.html

I downloaded my copy and will be entering in my information. I have promised them I would write a review of the software after I finish using it this round. So far, at first glance, it looks pretty cool. It provides some pretty insightful information and graphs regarding your progress. It even has a place for you to insert pictures! So far it passes the "look" test. I plan on getting up to speed and letting you know if it's any good.

The other cool thing is that if you decide to buy the software, if you go to their site through my blog you will get a discount. I'll have more details on this as I'm not sure if this will happen until after my review. But regardless, it's pretty cool!

Diet:

Decent diet day. Protein bar for breakfast. Snack was some turkey jerky. Lunch was some grilled chicken and broccoli. Snack was apiece of string cheese. Dinner will be some chicken on a bed of greens.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Military Push Up

I hate this move and love it. The close-in position of the arms really engages your triceps as well as your chest and gets the body hurting! In a good way of course. With the addition of push up bars, this move really works you and allows you to get really deep into the move. I brought it today and was able to really crank out some reps on this one!

Workout Song:

As I stated previously, I've begun listening to my own music during workouts. Todays workout can be summed up by the song of the day: B.Y.O.B. by System of a Down. If you have ever heard this song, it's pretty hard rocking and gets you head-banging! This song came on about halfway through the workout and I was bouncing my head to the beat and going crazy during the faster sections. I jusy felt like this song summed up my day amdwhat I felt like during the workout! Lots of crazy energy today!

P90X Round 2 Day 7: Rest Day

Today is supposed to be a scheduled rest day. However, I'm skipping it this week. I'm doing this because I generally like to have my off day be Saturday. When I started last week, I was still in Houston on Sunday coming back from visiting Jeff and Annie (Dangle The Carrot). So, I went ahead and started Monday. So, I'm going to skip the rest day and go ahead and do my workout later today to kick off week 2. Check back later to read my wrap up.

P90X Round 2 Day 6: Kenpo X

Daily Workout Summary:

Today ends week 1 of the program (again). It is the Kenpo workout. I've said this time and time again, but I just love this workout. It kicks your butt if you push yourself but it's so fun you don't realize how hard you are working! At the end of this workout, I'm always a sweaty mess.

I used the NOXplode again as well as the Volumaize with this workout. I finished all 20 oz of the Volumaize by halfway through the workout! The few weeks off due to my walking oneumonia seemed to have killed my cardio fitness much worse then my strength gains. I was STRUGGLING by the mid-point of this workout. But I just kept trying to push through and keep moving.I got my second an third wins and made it all the way through.

Diet:

Overall the diet went well today. Breakfast was a protein shake. Snack was turkey jerky. Lunch was some italian turkey sausage and a small salad. snack was a protein bar. Dinner was a personal pizza (wheat crust) with fat free cheese and turkey pepperoni.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Jab Cross Switch

Unlike many people out there, I like the punching moves more then the kicking moves in Kenpo. I just find it easier to bring more force and push myself on the punching type of moves. So this move, which is a simple 2 arm combo, is fun. Then to mae it harder, he has you jump in the air and switch your feet after every combination you throw. It takes the intensity to another level. I love this move and the one after it because of the switch part. It really pushes you- which is the point!

P90X Round 2 Day 5: Legs and Back

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was legs and back for me. I loved this workout during my first tour of duty on the X. However, when I recently started up again I pulled a muscle in my butt the first time out on this workout. so, after re-booting again aftermy recent illness, I was worried I may suffer another injury. Not to worry though- I made it through just fine.

I like working on my legs as these muscles have always been my best feature. So, when it comes to this workout, I have no trouble finding the motivation to "bring it". And I'm also really noticing a difference in my workouts now and I think a lot of it has to do with the supplements. The NOXplode is probably the best pre-workout drink I've used. Not only does it get me revved up, but it tastes great too. Also, the Volumaize during the workout I think is helping with myrecovery in between moves. But I think the biggest change is due to the Nitrix.

When I restarted last month, I was only taking CellMass and Nitrix. And I was only taking 3 Nitrix tablets at a time. The directions say if you weigh 200 lbs or more you need to take 4 each time. I'm right at 200, so I always took 3. but since the illness and my re-boot, I've been taking 4. And I think it's keeping me pretty pumped and helping with my performance.

Another thing I'm doing now is working out withthe videos in silence and cues mode. It only allows you to hear Tony talking as the build up to a move or when you change sides. I've been working out to my own music and it's been a very fun difference for me. I recommend it if you are starting to get bored with the videos.

Did fine with Ab Ripper X. I can still complete all reps on all moves. but I'm still having to take breaks that I didn't have to at the end of my first time through P90X. I can't wait to be that fit or better again!


Diet:

OK day for the diet program. Breakfast was two whole wheat waffles with sugar free syrup. Snack was a carb control protein shake. Lunch was some grilled chicken over greens. snack was a large strawberry banana Gladiator protein shake from smoothie King (Jeff's favorite). dinner wassome grilled chicken fajitas (minus the shells).

Favorite Move of the Day:

Switch Grip Pull Ups

This pull up is cool. It works you very hard and wears me out quickly. You do two standard pull ups. Then you switch to a reverse grip for two. Then you switch back, etc. It's good because it pretty much prevents you from cheating by getting help by rocking yourself up. Before you can really get your momentum going, you have to stop and switch. I think this is one of the top two most demanding oull ups in the entire P90X series.

P90X Round 2 Day 4: Cardio

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was supposed to be Yoga day. However, I had to work in the morning and in the afternoon I had to wait for the Direct TV guy to come (between 12-4). However, he didn't show until after 6pm! He got done around 7:30 (with the inside stuff), and I had a soccer game at 9. So instead of Yoga I went out and played soccer to get my cardio in today. I usually play in goal, but onight I played in the field and ran hard for 90 minutes. It felt good but I'm still sore from plyo the other day. this may help with that...or it may have made me more sore!

Diet:

Not too bad with the diet today. Breakfast was a whole wheat English Muffin with peanut butter. Snack was a protein shake. Lunch was half of a small personal pizza on a wheat crust with fat-free mozzarella and turkey pepperoni. Snack was a protein bar. Dinner was some sliced turkey over some lettuce and carrots.

P90X Round 2 Day 3: Shoulders and Arms

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was the shoulders and arms workout for me. I love this workout. I like trying to burn out my shoulders and biceps. I keep hoping one day they'll be nice and big!

I brought it pretty well today. I felt like I had a lot of energy (in part o the NOXplode and the Volumaize). I was busting through the moves and equaled and/or exceeded what I was doing before I got sick. I think I can see the benefits of the nitrix, CellMass, NOXplode, and Volumaize already. I was getting great "pumps" in my workout and felt like I was recovering very quickly. Overall I think it was a great workout and I love being back on the "X"!

Ab Ripper X was a different story. The good news is I did full reps on all the moves. the bad news is I had to hit pause a few times and let my screaming abs recover. It seems like of all the gains I "lost" while on my various breaks, the one I lost the most was with my abs. It will be a while until they feel tight and strong again. But I know it will come if I stick to the program!

Diet:

Solid diet day. Protein shake for breakfast (no milk). Turkey jerkey for snack. Lunch was some of the leftover turkey and corn/peas from dinner last night. Snack was a protein bar. Dinner was a grilled chicken salad with fat free ranch.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Deep Swimmers Presses

This move is a lot tougher then you realize when you see Tony do it. It is especially difficult if you don't bring the dumbbells all the way down and instead turn it into a sort of concentration move as well. But when you do this move you really feel the burn in your shoulders right away. And the twisting motion really helps bring that extra deep burn. I love this move!

P90x Round 2 Day 2: Plyometrics

Daily Workout Summary:

Today was the dreaded Plyometrics workout. This is always a butt-kicker. And while still recovering and with a 2 week lay off, it worked me over pretty good. As I sit here, a few hours later, I can feel myself getting sore already- never a good sign.

I worked out later n the day then I like. This actually forced me to eat dinner later, etc. I was just so busy with work that I did the best I could. I used the NOXplode again today- though I backed off on the number of scoops. Went with 2 today instead of 3. 3 caused me to have some issues falling asleep last night. But I still felt energized during the workout and was able to "bring it" as much as possible.

Diet:

Diet went pretty well today. Breakfast was a protein bar and an EAS Carb Control protein shake. Snack was a few pieces of turkey jerkey. Lunch was two veggie burgers topped with mustard. Snack was some pine nuts. Dinner was a turkey tenderlon and some corn and peas.

Favorite Move of the Day:

Lateral Leapfrog Squats

I love this move. It isn't all the challenging, but it's fun. To make it harder you really need to sit down deep into the squat while keeping your back straight. When i do this move it brings back my college lacrosse days when we used to have to practice moving our feet while playing defense and having to shuffle back and forth between cones. Fun times!

P90X Round 2 Day 1: Chest and Back

Daily Workout Summary:

Today I "rebooted" on P90X. So, I am back on Day 1 which is Chest and Back. Oh how I've missed it!

I am definately feeling the effects of the illness and the layoff. I am still a bit run down and had trouble breathing on some of the Ab Ripper, but I pushed through. I actually managed to do a lot of the same number of reps as when I left off of P90X 2 weeks ago, so I'm hopeful I didn't lose too much.

This time through I'm also adding quite a bit if supplements to my workout. I've started taking Nitrix, NOXplode, Volumizer, and CellMass. I've used other pre-workout stuff before, with mixed results. Today was my first day on NOXplode. and boy does it rock! At the 30 minute mark I could feel my blood pumping and my energy level jumped! It really helped compesate for the effects of the walking pneumonia I'm still recovering from.

Diet:

Not a good start to the diet today. I'm a medical sales rep and am often in cases in the operating room. today, I had a bunch of cases at two different hospitals. My early morning cases ran late which made me late for my afternoon cases. So what happened was I had a whole wheat english muffin for breakfast at 7am and didn't get a chance to eat again until after 4pm. On the day, I really didn't hit my caloric target and my carbs and proteins were all out of whack. It sucks because I can't exactly take food into the OR, so I had no way of eating. I'll try and get on track tomorrow.

Favorite Move of The Day:

Decline Push Ups

I actually HATE this move. It makes my arms and chest burn like hell. But I guess that's a good thing. I try and leave the tops of my feet on the chair instead of just the toes. They said that makes it harder. I'm usually burning badly by rep 6, so I have to try and breathe and just battle through these. For whatever reason, these have always been one of the worst push ups for me.

P90X Reboot

Hello all! As you read in previous posts, I recently came down with a case of walking pneumonia. Because of this, I basically missed 2 weeks of workouts.

The good news is, I'm feeling a lot better and am ready to start up again. The bad news is, I missed 2 weeks! I debated long and hard about what to do. Should I just pick up where I stopped? Should I pick up where I would be in the program if I hadn't stopped? Or should i start over?

I went to Houston to visit Jeff (Dangle The Carrot) this past weekend. We talked about it and I have decided to start over. The theory behind the muscle confusion is based upon working your muscles for s et period of time in a certain way and then changing things up. I had basically stopped for 2 weeks, so the element of confusion would be lost. So, as of today, I'm back to day 1.

Still Sick...

Still sick guys. Sorry I haven't been posting. I found out today I have walking pneumonia. The doc gave me some strong antibiotics. I should start feeling better this weekend. It's hard to workout when you have no energy and can't breathe! Let alone the strong coughs!

I'm going crazy not being able to workout like I want to. I was just starting to get my groove back with P90X. I can't wait to start feeling better so I can start "bringing it" again!

Sick....

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. In my post on Monday I referenced feeling like I was coming down with something. That would be an understatment! I've been hit hard by a nasty bug. I've tried working out but have little energy right now to get through it. Today (Thusday) I'm feeling a little better and I plan on trying to do something either later today or tomorrow. I'm dropping weight badly right now as I really haven't been eating. Fever, jont aches, coughing, sneezing, runny nose...good times!

P90X Round 2 Day 15: Chest and Back

Daily Workout Summary: Well, after a long day Sunday playing a lot of indoor soccer, I decided to take the rest of that day off. I was just too exhausted and beat up to try and fit in a P90X workout. So, today (Monday) I did my Chest and back workout. I had considered doubling up today (doing the C & B in the morning and Plyo at night), but I am too tired. This is because of two things: 1) I'm starting to get sick (sapping me of my energy) and 2) we got hit with a bunch of snow and I had to do a lot of snowblowing and shoveling today.

I did the chest and back workout early, which made running the snowblower and shovel a lot of fun later on. In retrospect, it was probably good though. Because after clearing my driveway and sidewalk (twice each), I would not have been able to bring it with good intensity.

I did pretty well today. I am matching or exceeding reps on all moves. One issue I'm faced with is the lawnmowers and heavy pants moves. I used bands for pretty much all of round 1. this round, I'm usin dumbbells. My wife got me an adjustable set that goes from 5-25lbs. This works for most everything I've been doing, but with moves like these two, I just don' have enough weight. The last two weeks, I've done at least 20 reps on heavy pants each round at 25lbs, and I'm not getting any burn. If I keep going until I burn out, I end up having to pause the DVD for a while. So, I may have to keep an eye on sales at Dick's to see if I can go get some heavierweights at some point.

Ab Ripper was a bit of a bear today. I got through it, but with the soreness of all my games yesterday, it was a challenge. I knew I was in trouble with the Pfifer Scissors when I was burning in my abs at rep 6! i got through them without stopping, but I was STRUGGLING! It hurt so good! But next time I'd prefer to make it until rep 15 or 20 to feel like that!

Diet: Solid diet day. breakfast was a protein shake. snack was a protein bar. Lunch was some grilled chicken and some carrots. Snack was an EAS CarbControl protein shake. dinner was some chicken and a small salad.

Favorite Move of The Day: Pfifer Scissors. I figured since I struggled with these today, I'd talk a little about them. From everything I've heard, this is probably the move that most people struggle with. I have good days and bad days with it. to be honest, it was the bane of my existence during round 1. However, around week 5 or 6, I realized that the key to getting through it is to breathe! I don't mean just breathe inand out. I mean to inhale as you switch legs, and exhale as you hold. If you slowly exhale and concetrate on your breath and abs, you gain more control of your core and the pain associated with the move. Whenever I struggle, I just remember to breathe and focus on the breathe- not the pain. It usually helps me get through it.

P90X Round 2 Day 14- Rest Day

Today is a rest day. I plan on doing various things around my house and taking it easy. I have a soccer tounrament to playin tomorrow, so my workout may get bumped to Monday or it may be late Sunday night (depending on my energy level and injury level!).

Keep bringing it!

P90X Round 2 Day 13: Kenpo X

Daily Workout Summary: Kenpo always had a sift spot in my heart from the first time I did P90X. I just love this workout. It keeps you moving and grooving, punching and kicking, and sweating your ass off. If you are a new person to P90X and you do this workout and aren't covered in sweat at the end, you aren't bringing it hard enough. When I do this workout, I always try and picture actually hitting someone (yes I was a big Karate Kid fan when I was young!). There is a difference between just throwing a punch and actually trying to hit as hard as you can.

The key to maximizing the return in this workout is to swing with maximum force on every kick and punch. This forces you to engage many different muscle groups as well as your core. And then you need to remember to breathe! I exhale on every kick or punch and breathe in when I reload. I find this helps keep me in a good rhythm and gets me maximum output.

Anyway, I brought it hard today. The kicks were flyinhg. I'm feeling a lot better then at this poin tlast week, so I was able to extend the kicks and get more height, etc.

Diet: Diet is going well. I'm posting very early so I can't give a complete run down. I started with my usual protein shake and have had my protein bar for a snack. I need to think about the rest of my meals today. I'm a Catholic and this period of the year (the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday starting on Ash Wednesday) is called Lent. during Lent we are supposed to not eat meat on Fridays. So, I have to go hit the store to make sureI have some tuna and some seafood for dinner. bac before I understood how to eat healthy and before I was doing P90X, these days were easy. It was lots of cheese pizza or mac and cheese, with some frizen fishsticks or something. Yummy right? Well, considering I won't be eating ANY of those right now, I'll be rocking some tuna salad for lunch (probably) and will try and get some shrimp or something for dinner.

Favorite Move of The Day: Three Directional Kicks. This move is both fun and challenging. It combines the three different kicks (ball kick, side kick, and back kick) all in one move. But, to make it harder, once you are good at it you can try and move from one to another without letting your kicking foot hit the ground. I did this today. When I kicked with my right foot I was able to do all 8 reps without putting my foot down or falling down. however, when I did it with my left, I lost my balance a lot. So, I will need to kepp working on that!

P90X Round 2 Day 12: Legs and Back

Daily Workout Summary: Day 12 was the legs and back workout. Last week I pushed it a little too hard during this workout. I managed to pull my right glute (butt). Good times. This week I backed off a little on the weight and slowed down a little to amke sure my form was better. I think this helpedas I made it through and don't feel very sore.

I brought it with a pretty good intensity level. I felt like I worked pretty hard. I also made it thorugh the Ab ripper again with no major issues or breaks. Some solid progress there as far as I am concerned.

Diet: My diet was ok on Day 12. It could have been better, but a major work meeting prevented me from staying on track as far as my mean timiing. Breakfast was a protein bar. Lunch was some grilled turkey over a bed of greens. Snack was a Galdiator Protein smmothie from Smoothie King. Dinner was some grilled chicken breasts wih a touch of Old Bay seasoning (a Maryland Crab seasoning) anda small salad.

Favorite Move of The Day: Calf Raises. I love this move. I am a calf junkie. I have some pretty large calves and always like to work them out. For years I always did calf raises using the machine or rack and going straight up and down. But these calf raises are so much better. Between hitting the calf from 3 different angles and mixing in the slow and the fast, they kill your calves. I love it!

P90X Round2 Days 10 and 11: Shoulders and Arms and Yoga X

DailyWorkout Summary: Sorry for the combined posts for these two days. When I tried to post on Tuesday for Shoulders and Arms, the site failed as I pushed "post" and everything I had written vanished! It was late and I was too tired to write it all up, so I figured I'd combine it with my Yoga write up.

So, on day 10, I rocked the shoulders and arms workout. I love this workout. During the first time I did P90x, my shoulders and back were probably the two sets of muscles that went through the most dramamtic change. I've always had sort of broad shoulders for my size, so it's nice to finally get them looking decent.

On day 11, I did Yoga x. It's been a while since I've done the Yoga orkout. Ususally time constrainst force me into cardio (ok, who am I kidding- a lot of it is purely my choice!). But last evening I spent the tiemto go through the full Yoga X. I won't say it made me love it- but I at least will admit I need to do a better job of adding it in moreoften. tony Horton always talks about Yoga being the fountain of youth. Flexibility and core strenght are the key to good health, so Yoga is here to stay!

Diet: No major issues with the diet the last few days. I'm sill on the low carb portion (Phase 1) so I've been trying to limit my carb intake as much as possible. On tuesday, my breakfast was a protein shake followe by a piece of low fat string cheese for snack. Lunch was a two turkey burgers. Snack was a Carbcontrol protein shake. Dinner was a texmex salad with fat free ranch.

On Wednesday my breakfast was a protein shake. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was a grilled chicken breast and some broccoli. Snack was another CarbControl shake. dinner was two turkey burers and a salad.

Favorite Move of the Day:
For Shoulders and Arms: Lying down tricep extensions. I love this move. It comes at the end of the round when you are flat busted in terms of your energy. But yet as you power the dumbbells up, you feel your triceps explode!

For Yoga X: Tree. I like this balance pose. It's tough but nto so tough you can't do it. I fall out some times (as does Tony), but it's calming and if you concentrate you can feel your core muscles working.

P90X Round 2 Day 9: Plyometrics

Daily Workout Summary: Today was "the Beast"! This thing always lives up to the hype as the "toughest" workout in the series. This is such a buttkicker. I don't care how fit you are, you WILL get a workout doing this.

I felt pretty good today. A lot of the soreness in my legs is subsiding, so I felt like I was able to bring it with a lot of intensity today. My issue is my knees (as usual). Right now both are acting up and I'm wearing small braces on both knees. I need to buy some better ones for a little more support and for a little less slippage. They keep falling down!

I kept up better this week then last. I'm still a far cry from round 1 when I was ripping this workout up, but I did much better then week 1. Slow and steady wins this race, so I need to stay focused on the small positives each week.

Diet: Today was a good diet day. Breakfast was a protein shake. snack was a protein bar. Lunch was two spicy black bean veggie burgers wih a little bit of mustard and a salad. Snack was an EAS CarbControl shake. dinner was a large salad with grilled chicken topped with some fat free chedder cheese and some lite Italian dressing.

Favorite Move of The Day: Hot Foot. This moves is tough. for those of you who aren't familiar with it, you hop on one foot for 30 seconds and make a + with each tap. For the first few seconds you don't think much of it. But by the 15 second mark, your calves are screaming and your ankle is begging you to stop. Then you do the other foot for 30 seconds. Good times! I brought it hard during this move. I like to try and stay on beat with the music and with Tony's little chant at the beginning. It always helps keep my mind off the pain in my legs!

P90X Round 2 Day 8: Chest and Back

Daily Workout Summary: Today started week 2 for me. The last time through P90X, this week was probably the toughest one for me. I was sore from week 1 and had trouble bringing it with maximum effort. If today's workout was any indication, I don't think I'm going to have as rough a week this time.

I am still sore, but I felt strong and I was able to push it pretty hard today. My only issue is a nagging finger injury. Last week during an indoor soccer game, I dislocated my left pinky. It went back in place, but it's still pretty swollen and bruised. It makes some of the moves, especially ones using the dumbbells, pretty difficult. Strangley, it didn't really bother me during the pull ups- just dumbbell moves.

I felt good during Ab Ripper X. I got through all he moves completely and was able to get through the Mason twists without stopping (even quicker then I thought I'd be able to).

Diet: Decent diet day. Breakfasat was a vanilla protein shake. Snack was an EAS Carb Control shake. Lunch was the last of the pork and some corn. Snack was a protein bar. Dinner was some ham oer a salad.

Favorite Move of the Day: Decline Push Up. This moves always kicks my butt. Of the different push ups in this workout, this one gives me the most trouble. I'm not sure if it's the change in angle, or if it's the fact that it comes late in the orund, but it's a killer. The key to it (in my opinion) is remembering to breathe and to keep your back stiff. This gives you more of a workout for your core and prevents you from using your back muscles to help get you up.

P90X Round 2 Day 7: Kenpo X

Daily Workout Summary: Today was Kenpo x which was one of my favorite workouts from P90X last time through. I am still quite sore from the previous legs and back workout, so today was still a bit of a challenge. I also had a workout buddy with me today. My 4 year old son, Braden, did the Kenpo with me. Well- at least he tried. He was quite cute trying to do the various kicks and punches. And he really enjoyed the spirit yells with some of the moves!

Overall, taking into consideration my high level of soreness, I felt like I brought it pretty well. I am missing the hiegt and velocity in my kicks that I had in my first round of the "X". This will come back with time as I consition my body to the program again and gain back some of the strength and flexibility.

Diet: My diet was fairly good today. Breakfast was two multi-grain wheat waffles with sugar free syrup. Snack was a protein bar. Lunch was some of the lean pork loin I enjoyed alst night (it was just as good today). Snack was a protein shake. Dinner was some sliced ham and some corn with a small salad.

Favorite Move of The Day: Claw Hammer! I don't know why I like this move so much- but I do. I actually think it has to do with Tony chanting, "Claw, Hammer. Claw, Hammer" each time you do the move at the beginning. My son is still saying this hours later....

P90X Round 2- Day 6: Rest Day

Daily Workout Summary: today wasscheduled to be Kenpo. however, I was just too sore from the legs and back workout to "bring it" like I wanted to. so, I moved my rest day up one day. I plan on doing my Kenpo tomorrow.

Diet: Solid diet day. Protein shake forbreakfast. Protein bar for snack. Lunch was some of the turkey chili from last night. Afternoon snack was a CarbAdvatage EAS shake. Dinner was some lean pork loin wrapped in turkey bacon and a garden salad with liteItalian.

Move of the Day: Icing my sore butt!

P90X Round 2 Day 5- Legs and Back

Daily Workout Summary: I haven't done the legs and back workout in quite sometime. I forgot how much this workout kicks your ass! It a;ternates between a leg move and a pull up for basically an hour straight. It is seriously intense. I tried to pace myself. I was surprised by how weak my legs have become in the last 1-2 months off. For example, from the very first second of the wall squats, my legs were shaking. That hasn't happend on that move to me since about week 2 or 3 from my first round of P90X.

As I said, I tried to pace myself. I was also in a bit of a rush tonight, and didn't take the time to properly warm up, choosing to skip right to the first move. BIG mistake. On one of the side-lunge moves, I pulled something in my glute (my butt!). not too bad, but I could feel it. After that, I stopped using weight for most of the moves (except the calf raises/burners). After the workout I soaked in my hot tub to keep it loose, and then aced it. I'm hopeful it won't bother me too much during Kenpo tomorrow and plan to warm up and not kill myself during my workout.

I did better on the Ab Ripper X tonight. I got through all the moves again, and only had to break once during the Mason Twists (at rep 20). It's slowly coming back....

Diet: Solid diet day for me. Breakfast wasa protein shake and a banana. Snack was a protein bar (Myoplex Lite). Lunch wasa garden salad with 4 strips of grilled chicken topped with fat free honey mustard. Afternoon snack was an EAS carc control shake. Dinner was turkey chili.

Move of the Day: Super Skaters. Idon't know why, but I love this ove. There's no weight, and it's really simple. All you do is basically pretend to speed skate and go deep into the skate motion to get a one leg squat. But I like the burn and when myknees feel good, I like to get really deep into the move. It's jsut a lot of fun and I really enjoyed "bringing it" during the move today.

P90X Round 2 Day 4: Cardio X

Daily Workout Summary: Due t some major time constrainst today, Cardio X was all I could fit in. I had planned on doing the Yoga X workout- but work issues and a soccer game prevented me from having the time needed to pull it off. So, I went with the short but sweet Cardio X. I haven't done this in a few weeks and it's a fun little workout. Gets the blood flowing and the sweat running. But nothing that will kill you. I nice mid-week "break".

Diet: Good day diet-wose. Breakfast was a protein shake (but a substituted water for the milk to cut calories). Snack was a Myoplex Lite protein bar. Lunch was some chicken salad and some fruit salad. Snack in the afternoon was another Myoplex Lite bar. And dinner was some baked chicken and carrots. I had a small bowl of blueberries for desertalong with an EAS shake.

Favorite Move of the Day: Steam Engine. I love this move and hate it at the same time. It starts off easy enough, but by the end, I'm burning up, my legs feel like they weigh 1,000 lbs, and my stomach feels like it's going to explode! I alway try and keep great form on it, yet go fater then Tony and crew. My goal is to beat them to the 50 rep mark. The quicker I do, the better I feel about the level of intensity I used to bring it".

P90X Round 2 Day 3: Shoulders & arms

Daily Workout Summary: Today was shoulders and arms and Ab Ripper X. Overall I felt pretty good. I like this workout a lot. It really works you hard. I bonked a bit near the end. I worked out arund 6:30 but had eaten my last meal at 2. So my stomach was growling. I didn't want to eat before I worked out because I didn't want it sitting in my stomach. Also, I'm taking Nitrix and Cellmass, and both of those need to be taken on an empty stomach. So, I figured I'd workout, take them right after, then wait 30 minutes nd then eat. This lead to a serious crash during the "bonus" round and Ab Ripper X. but I "did my best and forgot the rest". I suffered through it. It hurt- but it's a good hurt I guess. I got thorugh theAb ripper tonight- though I really struggled with the Mason Twists. I had to take two breaks to get through all 40...and no bonus ones. But I'm making progress.

The funny thing is I'm not really sore from yesterday's plyo workout. but I'm REALLY sore from my chest and back workout from Sunday. however, the day after Iwasn't as sore as today. Wierd?

Diet: Diet went well today. It's nice getting back on a healthy track again after loading up on junk the past few months. Breakfast was a protein shake. Snack was a Myoplex Lite protein bar. Lunch was some sliced turkey breast, some carrots with lite ranch dressing, and an EAS proein shake. Snack was another Myoplex Lite bar. Dinner was some grilled chicken and some corn. Dessert was a banana.

Favorite Move of the Day: I had fun doing the crouching congdon curls. I haven't done this in a while, and I really pushed it. It felt like my biceps were going to explode by the end. I used the wall to go deeper into the curl. Overall I felt like I got a really nice burn.

P90X Round 2 Day 2: Plyometrics

Day Summary: Ovrall,today was hell. This is the toughest workout in the P90X program. Add he difficulty to my relative out-of-shapeness andthrow in some chronic knee issues, and you have a bad day all around! I gutted through it. Yet I could tell I lacked the explosiveness I used to have in my jumps, etc. This will come as I get back in shape. By week 3 I shouldbe rocking again. Also, I went out and got some new knee sleeves, so that should help too.

Diet: Pretty good day diet-wise. Breakfast was a protein shake (40 grams protein). Protein bar for snack (15 grams protein). Lunch was a grilled buffalo chicken salad with fat free ranch as well as an EAS Body for Life shake (17 grams protein in shake). Snack was some sliced turkey breast. Dinner was a grilled chicken salad with the lite Italian dressing (only 2 carbs in dressing). I had some blueberries and a banana for desert.

Move of the Day: Jump knee tuck. This is the hardest move in the plyo video. It's basically a knees-to-chest jump for 30 seconds. Tough! I hate Dom during this move when I'm out of shape. He jumps like a freakin' EnergizerBunny (non-stop and fast)! Ill be there again someday soon!

P90X Round 2 Day 1: Chest and Back

Day Summary: Chest and Back was on the agenda today. Day 1 is always the hardest with any program I guess. I really could feel how much the time off has effected me. I lacked the explosion and endurance I had during the latter part of P90X. And I couldn't get through the Ab Ripper. I know this is temporary, and I imagine it will be passable by the end of the week. I'm not that far gone....

DIET: Did well today for my first day back on the diet. I'm starting the classic on the tradition 30 day cycle of low carb and high protein. After being a complete fatass for the last two month, it felt good to get back into the groove of healthy eating. Drank lots of water today. Breakfast was a protein shake (40 grams of protein). Snack was an EAS Carbconscience Shake (110 calories, 2 carbs, 17 grams of protein). Lunch wasa small garden salad with some grilled chicken and some light Italian dressing (only 2 carbs and very little fat or calories). Afternoon snack was a protein bar (15 grams of protein). Dinner was another salad and chicken with theItlaian dressing.

Favorite Move of the Day: Military push ups- I love these. My arms get a really deep burn in the tricep area!

P90X- A Re-Boot

Hello all...it'sbeen a long time. Here's a quick update as to what has been going on.

Following a successful go-round with P90X from Sep-Dec of 2008, I tried out the P90X+ program. After a few weeks, I just wasn't "into" the program. For reasons related to that, feel free to browse some of my previous posts. So then I decided to go back to P90X. However, with some thingsgoing on at work, plus a big trip to Hawaii the last week of January, I stopped my second round of P90X.

Was I disappointed? Yes. Since stopping I have felt something missing. I have also gained back about 5 lbs, and I could feel some negative effects on my soccer performance and overall general health.

So, starting today, I'm back on P90X!!!!!! And I'm excited.....

Round 2 Day 11: Cardio X

Today was supposed to be a Yoga day. However, due to a crazy schedule, and a sick family (my wife and both kids are sick), I just didn't have 92 minutes to do the Yoga. So I popped in the Cardio X.

This is still a fun little workout. I like that it mixes a bunch of stuff together. I still struggle with the Drea Rolls, but everything else is good. I wore a heavy sweatshirt during the Yoga part at the beginning to work up a really nice sweat. The I rocked out the rest of the workout. I'm starting to get back into the swing of things and am feeling better.

Round 2 Day 10- Shoulders and Arms

Today was a shoulders and arms workout. I like this workout so much more since I started using dumbbells. I just get a much better burn- especially in the bicep exercises. I also like that there aren't any pushups or pullups! I think it's the only arm workout in the series without any pullups or pushups. Variety is nice but so is a break!

Ab Ripper X was also on the plate today. I am not where I was at the end of the first time through P90X- but I'm still a heck of a lot better then I was at the beginning last time! I can make it through all the moves- but I need to take a break once in a while on certain moves. But I'm slowly making progress.

My friend Andrew started P90X today. I hope he sticks with it. I'm going to try and keep him on track through emails/texts/phone calls. And jeff should be healed up from his shoulder thing soon and back on the "X" shortly. And Matt is out there rocking the "plus". It's good to have lots of people out there pushing play!

Round 2 Day 9: Plyometrics

Plyometrics day!!!!!!!! I hate it- but I love it!

This is week 2 of my second round of P90X. however, as I mentioned, I am also mixing in some of the P90X+ stuff for variety. So, last week, I swapped in the Intervqals workout for Plyo. This week, I took a ride on the BEAST!

Plyo chewed me up and spit me out today. I am positive that I will be sore tomorrow. It's been over a month since I've done this workout and my body wasn't used to it anymore. I was struggling wih things like t was my first time. But the good news is my fitness base is better so I was able to rcover quicker and complete each move (barely).

The jum knee tuck move is still the toughest thing in this workout. I used to be able to do double time the entire time. Today? not so much. But I kept up with Tony and the others (except jumping bean Dom!).

Back to the weights tomorrow!

Round 2 Day 8: Chest and Back

Today was Chest and Back day. I felt great today compared to last week. This is mostly due to the fact that I didn't have a migraine!

I made it through the workout with a pretty good intensity. I'm now taking a pre-workout supplement called MyoShock. It's made by Muscletech- the same folks who mkae the NanoVapor. I like the Myoshock a lot. First off, there is now powder to drink. That's my biggest complaint with everything else I've tried. I always had to drink a big glass of something and during my workouts, I could feel it all sitting in my stomach. The MyoShock is just a bunch of pills. The recommended doseage is 3-7 pills 30 minutes before your workout. I started last week with 3 but am now up to 7. The other nice thing is that I don't feel :jittery" when I;m working out. But I can feel my heartrate is up and I have a great sweat going. This tells my my metabolism is up and I'm burning calories. Plus I feel like I have a little boost of energy.

So, I rocked the Chest and Back workout. I can't find my old sheet from my first go-round with P90X, so I don't have anything to compare it with. But I'd say I felt a lot stronger and was recovering better between exercises. In fact, in a lot of moves I was able to match round 1 reps in round 2.

I also brought the noise with the Ab Ripper. I got through it better today. Added the arms up for the first three moves. I'm still barely making it through the Pfifer Scissors, but am getting there. A few more weeks and my stomiach will be back in the groove.

See you tomorrow for Plyos!

End of Week 1 Round 2

Sorry for the lack of posts. The last few days have been prety hectic. I got a new computer (finally). It has taken me a few days to get media, files, etc, loaded onto the new machine, which has lead to little time to post.

I wrapped up week 1. Though I did miss one workout this week. I missed the Kenpo workout at the ed of week 1. However, I went for a 2 mile run and played an outdoor soccer game today. so I think I got enough cardio in to cover it.

Anyway, I am back online and will try and keep up a little more regularly.

Keep pushing play!

Rd 2 Day 3: Shoulders and Arms

Today was the return of the Shoulders and Arms workout. Man, I forgot how great this workout was! After going through the Upper Plus workout, I never really felt the "burn" like I felt today!

There are two reasons for this (in my opinion). 1) The workout is longer and focuses on less muscles. 2) I used dumbbells instead of the bands this time.

For Christmas, my wife got me a set of adjustable dumbbells. Nothing too crazy- they adjust from 5-25 pounds. But before I had some small weights (up to 12 pounds) and the bands. This time, I used the weights for everything and the burn was fantastic. My forearms and biceps were pumping! It was a hard workout with bands, but I really think using the weights adds a degree of intensity.

I did the ab ripper again. And again, I struggled but managed to make it through the workout.

Diet went well today. I stayed in my target calorie range and got a lot of protein without a large amount of carbs or fat. One change this time around is that I'm in a different calorie range for the food program. Before I was in the level 3. Now, becauseI weigh less, I'm in level 2. Not a huge difference, but I have to eat about 300-400 calories less then I was doing during the first time through P90X. I don't care as long as the fat keeps burning off!

Also, this time through I'm on creatine. Outside of the trace amounts in the P90X recovery drink, I didn't take any creatine last time. But I am taking it now and hoping to see some real improvements.

See you tomorrow for Yoga!

Rd 2-Day 2: Intervals

Hey folks! So, today I decided to substitute the intervals workout from "the plus" for the plyo workout. I did this because my knee is still a little tender and I figured the interval workout would be kinder to my balky knee.

I just love this workout. I think it is the best workout of all. Your heartrate is up and down and up and down for 42 minutes. There's ONE waterbreak and that's it. It's awesome. A major butt-kicker!

I brought it hard and it felt wonderful. I was shaking at the end- totally spent. Good times.

Rd 2 Day 1: Chest and Back

Today I re-started the P90X. Again, I suffered from a severe migraine prior to the workout and some during it. I did the best I could to complete everything. I think this one was a direct result of no sleep last night. For some reason, I didn't sleep a wink. Actually, I think the 4-5 hour nap in the evening when I as trying to get rid of my migraine screwed up my sleeping pattern. So I was up all night. And then I was tired today.

Anyway, it was nice to get back to the bascs and start the program again. I did the ab ripper again, though it was tough after not doing it on a regular basis in a while. I struggled with the scissors and the mason twists. I had to take a break for the first time in a while.

I ate pretty well. Protein shake for breakfast. Protein bar for snack. Grilled chicken breast for lunch. Banan for snack. Dinner was peas and chicken.

Keep pushing play!

Slight Delay

Hey folks. I'm sorry to report this, but I will be delaying my P90X round 2 kickoff by a day. I got home from work tonight with a migraine. I tried to workout through it, but the pain was too intense. I'm going to go load up on my tylenol and find a dark room to lay down in.

I will try this again tomorrow- or may double up. Either way, I'm bummed! :(

Where I've Been....

Hello folks and Happy New Year. It seems like forever since I've been online. Much of it had to do with the hectic schedule my family was on over the holidays. But some of it had to do with a decision I've made regarding P90X+

After much deliberation, I have decided to pull the plug on the formal P90X+ program. I enjoy the Total Body Plus, the Kenpo Plus, and the Intervals workout. But I don't feel like the Upper Plus or the Abs/Core Plus were doing what I wanted to do.

Also, I injured my knee about a week ago playing soccer. Nothing major- just a brusied and inflamed bursa sack. It caused me to take some time off. And in the time spent reflecting on the new program, I just realized that I had a good thing going with P90X, so why mess with success?

So, starting Monday, January 5th, I will be starting week 1 of my second round of P90X. I will probably swap in the intervals workout sometimes for plyometrics. And I may swap in the total body plus for core synergistics. Same with the Kenpo workout (it may alternate from week to week). So it will be sort of a hybrid P90X/P90X+.

So, check back Monday and help me keep pushing play!