Week 4 Midweek Review

This week is a change in pace from previous weeks of P90X since next week I start a couple of new workouts.  There are no weights this week, with the exception of a few light weights in Core Synergistics, but that does not mean that Tony is any easier on us. 

 

I started off Monday with Yoga X.  I really enjoyed the session and felt extremely relaxed afterwards.  I am slowly getting the hang of most of those moves and have seen improvement in my flexibility and balance.  I am still having problems nailing my chaturanga pose, but hopefully that will come in time as my arms continue to get stronger.  The other pose that I would love to master is the wheel pose.  I could do this as a kid with no problems but now I cannot even push myself off my head! Overall though, I am enjoying this routine more and more and it really helps with  neck, shoulder and back pain.  Not to mention the tremendous amount of relaxation I feel afterwards. 

 

Tuesday was my first dance with Core Synergistics.  Holy wowzers was that a great workout! I loved it so much.  I have no idea where Tony Horton comes up with some of these exercises, but I am glad he does.  This is the ultimate challenge in all of the cardio workouts I believe.  I posted a video below that provides a small sampling of the workout.  I do it again on Friday and think I will rotate it with Kenpo X for other cardio days.  I am also seriously considering doing the whole P90X program again from start to finish and possibly making it a hybrid schedule of the classic, which is what I am doing now, and the lean exercise tracks so that I can have more cardio days.  Not that I don't burn calories as it is, but I love variety.   

 

Today was good old Kenpo X again.  I really was not looking forward to getting out of bed today.  I got going a little late and I felt sluggish (time to get more E&E).  I am not sure why it took me so long to get going, but finally about a third of the way into the program I found my groove and ended on a good note.  We can't always have those butt kicking days, but the main thing to remember is to just "do your best and forget the rest" to borrow my man Tony's favorite quote.  The days that I think I feel like I really do not want to work out are always the days I need it most and let's not forget that great post-workout high. 

 

Tomorrow will be a stretch day and then I will finish up the week with Core Synergistics and Yoga X.  It is supposed to be another beautiful weekend here in Houston so I definitely plan to take advantage of that and get out and enjoy some fresh air with my sweet dogs! An afternoon at the dog park followed by a nice long walk should do the trick. 

Gaining Momentum in the Land of P90X

Today I finished week three of my P90X journey and I have to say that even on days when I may not feel like working out, I am so glad I do because I have never felt better.  I am seeing results in my weight and I am leaning out and gaining some muscle definition.  I am down about another two pounds which is awesome! I know it is not always about numbers and I know I am gaining some muscle mass as well, but every little bit of motivation helps.  I even did some shopping for new clothes this weekend.  

I was a day behind this week with just being exhausted but I didn't give up or let it derail me from my ultimate goal.  Today I had another round with Kenpo X, the one workout I did not like before after my first session.  I was dreading it today, I hate to admit, but once I got going I realized that I really did love this workout.  I was able to keep up much better this time and didn't feel like a complete idiot.  I tend to be a little hard on myself so for me to not get it the first time is not a bad thing.  I still don't have the whole program down, but that will definitely come with time.  It really is a great cardio workout.  

Tomorrow I am off from work and I start week four which will mean no weights.  It is sort of a "rest" week before starting phase two so I will do Yoga X, a new workout called Core Synergistics, Kenpo X and Stretch X.  It should be a great week to get me ready for the next phase where I really plan to kick it up a notch or five.  The end of this journey will be over before I know it and then it will be on to a new program.  Let's keep the momentum going and knock it out.  Here's to a great and healthy week!

Time to Pay it Forward

I may have taken my newfound love for health and fitness a little too far, but there is no turning back now as I embark on a new challenge and path towards a healthier lifestyle.  I have always wanted to find a way where I could help others find their own healthy journey and provide support and help to them whenever and wherever I could.  When I first got back on the workout train a few months ago, I had a very good friend and Beachbody coach, Jodi Lee Haddon, that helped keep me motivated and inspired.  I saw her love for the Focus T25 program and that is when I decided to do the P90X challenge.  I have always been in the mindset that you have to have a gym in order to get in a great workout and see results.  I had tried working out at home with other fitness DVDs but they just did not provide the challenge I needed and craved in order to meet my goals.  Now that I am starting week three of P90X, I can truly attest to the fact that you can get a great workout at home and you can stay motivated to do so.  That is why last week I took the plunge and signed up to be a Team Beachbody coach! It is now my turn to pay it forward and provide that same kind of inspiration and support to others.  In the next few weeks I will be putting together a Facebook page and group and the challenges will begin.  I am very excited about all of these opportunities that have come into my life recently.  A year ago, I would not have had the courage or confidence to do this, but thanks to my coach and the Beachbody products and supplements, I feel better than I ever have.  I cannot wait to get going on my next program, 21 Day Fix.  In the meantime, please visit my coach website and if you have any questions about any of the products, please do not hesitate to ask.  

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

Week 2 in Review

Whew, what a crazy week it has been.  Between work and P90X wearing me out this weeek, I slept like a rock last night.  And it was much needed.  The one thing I have learned about doing this program is that it doesn't really give you a chance to "skip" a day.  It's not like you can just double up on a day, unless you are some sort of machine, which I am not.  So that accountability definitely helps to stay focused.   

Tuesday was plyometrics day again.  I held my own much better this week and actually stayed in my heart rate zone more than last week.  As the weeks go by, I know I am going to master this and I actually enjoy this workout quite a bit.  

Wednesday morning, I just did not want to get up.  I felt like I needed to rest so I didn't workout that morning.  The result was a terrible mood and outlook on life and just feeling completely out of sorts.  I was so tired because I didn't have my workout so when I got home, thanks to a burst of energy late in the day, I plowed through my arms, shoulders and abs workout.  And that night I slept like a baby.  

Post Wednesday workout.  I felt amazing afterwards.

Thursday was yoga day again.  Since I said last week that I was just going to the first part and then follow up this week follow up with the second half, that is what I did.  The second half focuses more on balance poses, some ab movements and stretching.  I think, however, I need to figure out how to do the whole workout because that is where the true benefit is going to come from.  I am determined to master many of those poses because they keep showing up in other workouts I am starting to notice.  Perhaps next week I will try doing it after work.  Come on energy! Stay with me.  

Friday, again, I skipped my morning session but I get off work early on Fridays so mid afternoon, I took a little of the E&E Beachbody supplement and blasted through legs, back and abs.  It was a great workout and boy do my calves and legs feel it today.  I think I need to try to start doing a pull up here and there rather than always using the resistance bands.  It is time to start challenging myself a little more and stepping things up a bit now that I am more familiar with the workouts.

After my E&E inspired workout.  And look at what is starting to show in my arms!

Today I decided to do the Cardio X workout rather than Kenpo X.  Cardio X is a mixture of Yoga X, Kenpo X and Plyometrics coming together to form one massively awesome workout! I held on for the most part, but there was some areas that I just had to take a break.  I guess I wasn't feeling too worn out though because afterwards I decided to do the Stretch X DVD.  It certainly left me feeling much better and was just what I needed.

I will not have a "rest" day until Monday because I have something going on Sunday night that will cause it to be a late night so I am doing Monday's workout tomorrow to stay on track.  I also have some exciting news that I will be sharing in the next day or so so stay tuned.  Thank you everyone for continuing to follow my journey.  It truly has only just begun. 

Kicking Off Week 2 With A Bang

I started week two of my P90X journey this morning with a repeat of the Chest/Back/Ab Ripper X workout that I did last Monday.  Now that I knew what to expect, I felt more prepared and was able to keep up with the group a little more.  I followed Tony's advice and paced myself during the first half and then took it up a notch for the second half.  I still cannot do full push-ups, but I will get there in time.  I really tried to pay a lot more attention to form, especially on the military style push-ups, so that I could make sure I was getting the total benefit from each move.  I am excited to feel stronger already.  I cannot wait to see the end result.

 

Last week I mentioned that I was not too happy with the same routine all three days for Ab Ripper X.  Today, though, I did want to do the program the way it was intended so with just a few pauses/breaks, I followed the Ab Ripper X from start to finish.  One thing I noticed about both programs today was how quickly they flew by.  Before I knew it, I was done with both and that says a lot for a workout that is over an hour long.  I honestly had a mental block when it came to working out at home and would find every excuse not to do it, but I have definitely changed my tune.  I believe I am getting a much better work out now and am enjoying what each day's challenge will be.  See ya tomorrow for another round of Plyo!

A Little Catch-up and Week 1 Recap

Don't worry, I am still here.  I had to go out of town and that is why I went silent for a few days, but I have officially completed my first week of P90X! Only 12 more to go.  Woohoo!

I have to say that I feel great and am down two pounds! Yay me! Friday was leg/back day.  It was actually a day that I was dreading due to possible soreness that I was not looking forward to experiencing, but even with all the lunges, squats and other various exercises Tony had in store for me, I only experienced mild soreness.  It is possibly my favorite workout so far because it also included more back exercises so there were a lot more chin-ups to add to the mix and keep it interesting.  I ended up burning over 700 calories during this workout too.  I think I have another reason to look forward to Fridays for a few weeks now!

Saturday's Kenpo X, on the other hand, was probably my hardest workout so far even beating out Plyometrics.  Just in the warm up alone, I was ready to die.  Now, it could have been the late night I had the night before, but some of those yoga moves from Thursday made their way back into my life with this workout and I was not ready for that.  Many moons and what seems like a lifetime ago, I actually took kenpo karate and received my brown belt so I was familiar with the moves, but I seriously could not keep up for the most part and that made me a little bummed.  I know it was my first time doing the workout so I am more prepared for next week and hope I can keep up a little better this time.  There will also be no late Friday nights this week.  

Sundays are usually my meal prep days so that I can be ready for the week, but since I was driving back today from my trip, I didn't have time to go to the grocery store or prep anything.  This does make me feel a little out of sorts, but I have a few things left over and will be back on track so that all my work I did last week will not be forgotten.  I am also out of my Shakeology shakes, my new addiction, but should be getting more soon so everything is just slightly out of order but nothing I cannot handle to keep me focused and on my path to success.  Do not let small setbacks discourage you either.  

Tonight is the Superbowl and I hope that everyone is making healthy choices or at least not overdoing it.  I indulged a little this weekend, but kept it in moderation and do not feel guilty about it.  If we do not allow ourselves a little fun every now and then, it will make this journey a lot more difficult to enjoy.  Here's to a fantastic week for everyone! Week 1 is in the books and I'm ready for week 2 and hopefully another two pounds to add to my total.