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 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 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 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 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 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!

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!

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!

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 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 15- Chest & Back

Today was day 15- chest & back and I BROUGHT IT!!!!

I feel fantastic right now. I blew away my workout- doing many more reps then I was doing in week 1 or week 2. I just felt really good today. I worked so hard today that I was quite dizzy and almost threw up. It was wonderful. By the end I was completely wasted- but in a good way.

In my opinion, the hardest move in this workout is the diamond push ups. In week 1, I was only able to do 5/3. This week, I did 12/10. In just three weeks, I have really increased my results. It's awesome. I feel fantastic.

Ab ripper x was fun tonight. I did really well. The only thing I was not able to complete full reps on are the dreaded Pfifer Scissors. I did 20 and they KILLED ME! But in a good way! : )

So, I'm excited for tomorrow to really rock out on the plyos. I'm feeling great and am excited by the progress I'm making. And some of it is translating to the soccer field as well. People are telling me I'm looking more explosive and sharper then I have in years. And it's only the start of week 3! And I'm coming off my knee injury right before the workout program started. I can't WAIT to see where I'm heading.

Day 8- Chest and Back

Today was the beginning of week 2. I had some slip ups last night at the wedding in terms of diet- but I didn't over do it. I don't think it'll cause too much damage (there were some little fried chicken coreon blues that were too good to pass up).

So, anyway, having returned from the wedding and had the rest day yesterday, I was ready to get back on the horse with the workouts. I started the day with a soccer game- and boy was it hot out. It was mid-80's and about 80% humidity. After the game, I came home and rested for a little. Then I got into the workout.

I must say I was pretty pleased overall. I did more reps on everything then last week, and I felt better doing them. Much of it had to do with the fact that there were no surprises. I was fully aware of the exercises coming up and how to do them, so I didn't have to watch them as much and could just work! The ab ripper after went pretty well. It was probably the best I've done with it. I'm still not completeting the full number of reps on each exercise, but I've improved a lot. I can tell the difference. Followed the workout with a recovery drink (I love them....)

Diet is back on track today. Wheat enlish muffin with a little peanut butter for breakfast and a protein shake. Snack was a few slices of turkey pepperoni. Lunch was a turkey burger. Snack was some more turkey pepperoni. Dinner was some grilled chicken covered with a little tomato sauce and some low fat mozzerella cheese (almost like chicken parm). I followed it up with small bowl of mixed fruit.