P90X Diaries

[deuceswild 15]

So I got fat. I've pretty much triangulated the cause to this:

and this

.

 

Enter P90X.

 

I've started it twice, let me preface your face. Both times kinda like "heh, whatever. I'm still young, I can knock this out." And both times limping away after a week or two with "better things to do".

 

This time I'm serious. So serious that I'm going to hold myself accountable with a daily update of my success whether you like it or not.

 

Day 1: Chest, Back, and Ab Ripper X

 

So I hit up Wal-Mart to buy some 30lb dummies for this particular exercise. It's not enough to max on anything but enough weight that I'm feeling like a new man by round 2. And that new man is dying a rapid death from the inside out. BTW, don't buy 30lb weights. They're freaking expensive. $25 apiece for them. I wanted to get them so my money spent would justify me having to use them. If you're interested in P90X, just borrow the neighbor's 3.5 to 4 year old child and throw them around. It's cheaper.

 

Round 1: Standard push-ups, Wide front pull-ups (I have a pull-up bar), Military push-ups, and reverse grip chin-ups. Cake. But, I only do 10 apiece. I've done this a couple times before and a few things I know fo sho:

1) By round 2 you'll want to murder-suicide yourself if you aren't careful

2) The level of soreness this workout gives you the next day makes you dream of the things I mentioned in bullet one.

 

Next, wide-fly pushups, closed grip overhand pull-ups, and decline push-ups. I'm rolling at this point. Doing 10 of each and even feelin my biceps getting tight with my other hands and I get kind of excited. "Gonna show these guns off on facebook before too long" I said outloud by myself in my house.

 

Diamond Push-ups... fuhhhh.... Lawnmowers, easy but I'm probably doing them wrong, Dive-bombers ...suuucckk... and Back Flys.... get money honey.

 

I even took a break in between Diamonds and Mowers to change my music channel from "Metal" to "Party Favorites" just in time to catch a Britney Spears song. I'm pumped. Bring on round 2.

 

I keep everything at 10 reps for a while except for pullups which I downgraded down to 8. It was about all I could do. Diamond pushups I was down to 5 and by the time I got to Dive-bomber Push-Ups I found myself gasping the numbers out loud with a push that a birth-giving mother would have been proud of.

 

I gave Tony Horton the bird when he wanted to walk me through the cool down exercises and I laid underneath my ceiling fan with my head cocked out of the way of the recliner because that just happened to be the way I fell down. I didn't feel good.

 

But it wasn't over... Ab Ripper X on deck.

 

You know you're in trouble when the exercise sounds like a military weapon used in Afghanistan.

 

I rolled around on my mat and attempted to do his 15 minutes of gut torture. I did about half. Meanwhile, my cat had perched himself on the chair I used for decline pushups and kind of mocked me while I writhed in pain on the last few exercises. Cats are bastards by the way.

 

The video was over, I laid motionless on my hardwood floor for some time, soaking in it's cool temperature and praying that I'll survive 89 more days.

 

Tonight is Plyometrics.

[vthokies4life 10]

Get after it, Deuces. You know you'll have all the support, encouragement, and accountability we have to offer.

[Guest The Variable]

I started it once, then stopped and justified it because I wanted to mix running in with the program.

 

Its tough, and I hope you can stick with it. To put it into perspective, the workout is about half a days worth of what we do in basic training (depending on the drill sergeant and how ate up you are as a human being) packed into an hour or two. Except for the Yoga...and why the hell is yoga so hard?

[BeaverHokie 35]

I'm in my mid 40s. I've heard enough to know that I am wayyyyy too far out of shape to do that. Maybe eventually. My ex-wife and her new husband got the idea to do this, and I know he bought the DVDs for it. They got as far as watching them...that was it. No way will they be able to do it. She doesn't like to sweat, or push until it hurts...so she'll not do well at it.

 

Anxious to see how you do with it. Are you doing any "before" pictures or measurements? Not that you should share yet, but it would be interesting. Also, how old are you? I think that factors into it in a big way.

[hokie07 11]

So I got fat. I've pretty much triangulated the cause to this:

and this

.

 

Enter P90X.

 

I've started it twice, let me preface your face. Both times kinda like "heh, whatever. I'm still young, I can knock this out." And both times limping away after a week or two with "better things to do".

 

This time I'm serious. So serious that I'm going to hold myself accountable with a daily update of my success whether you like it or not.

 

Day 1: Chest, Back, and Ab Ripper X

 

So I hit up Wal-Mart to buy some 30lb dummies for this particular exercise. It's not enough to max on anything but enough weight that I'm feeling like a new man by round 2. And that new man is dying a rapid death from the inside out. BTW, don't buy 30lb weights. They're freaking expensive. $25 apiece for them. I wanted to get them so my money spent would justify me having to use them. If you're interested in P90X, just borrow the neighbor's 3.5 to 4 year old child and throw them around. It's cheaper.

 

Round 1: Standard push-ups, Wide front pull-ups (I have a pull-up bar), Military push-ups, and reverse grip chin-ups. Cake. But, I only do 10 apiece. I've done this a couple times before and a few things I know fo sho:

1) By round 2 you'll want to murder-suicide yourself if you aren't careful

2) The level of soreness this workout gives you the next day makes you dream of the things I mentioned in bullet one.

 

Next, wide-fly pushups, closed grip overhand pull-ups, and decline push-ups. I'm rolling at this point. Doing 10 of each and even feelin my biceps getting tight with my other hands and I get kind of excited. "Gonna show these guns off on facebook before too long" I said outloud by myself in my house.

 

Diamond Push-ups... fuhhhh.... Lawnmowers, easy but I'm probably doing them wrong, Dive-bombers ...suuucckk... and Back Flys.... get money honey.

 

I even took a break in between Diamonds and Mowers to change my music channel from "Metal" to "Party Favorites" just in time to catch a Britney Spears song. I'm pumped. Bring on round 2.

 

I keep everything at 10 reps for a while except for pullups which I downgraded down to 8. It was about all I could do. Diamond pushups I was down to 5 and by the time I got to Dive-bomber Push-Ups I found myself gasping the numbers out loud with a push that a birth-giving mother would have been proud of.

 

I gave Tony Horton the bird when he wanted to walk me through the cool down exercises and I laid underneath my ceiling fan with my head cocked out of the way of the recliner because that just happened to be the way I fell down. I didn't feel good.

 

But it wasn't over... Ab Ripper X on deck.

 

You know you're in trouble when the exercise sounds like a military weapon used in Afghanistan.

 

I rolled around on my mat and attempted to do his 15 minutes of gut torture. I did about half. Meanwhile, my cat had perched himself on the chair I used for decline pushups and kind of mocked me while I writhed in pain on the last few exercises. Cats are bastards by the way.

 

The video was over, I laid motionless on my hardwood floor for some time, soaking in it's cool temperature and praying that I'll survive 89 more days.

 

Tonight is Plyometrics.

 

Good luck with that, man. I know people who have done it and the results are real.

 

I've always wanted to try P90, but I've been on the move so much recently that I really don't have a set place with free weights to do the required exercises. You can get by the first few sessions OK with just a set of dumbells, but won't you eventually need to graduate to basically a full gym once you get deep into the program? That's what a friend of mine who is doing it now said. I dunno though, it might just be too good of an excuse for me to listen to and not do it...

 

Because of those supposed reasons I listed above, I decided that it was in my best interest to do Insanity. Let me tell you, the name does it absolutely no justice. I'll preface this by saying that I would absolutely concede the fact I'm not necessarily "in shape" per say, but at the same time, I wouldn't classify myself as severely or grossly out of shape (I have put on about 20-25 lbs from where I want to be weight wise, but I can still run a couple miles if I had to, etc. I honestly just have no motivation to do so).

 

But back on topic, I tried Insanity a while ago, and was tapping out after the warm-up session. I am really wanting to get back into getting my ass raped by Insanity, but it's one of those things I'll always do tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.

 

This thread holding yourself accountable might, just maybe, possibly, make me start it again and make me feel even more like a lazy ass when I know I should be doing it again. Thanks!

Edited November 8, 2011 by hokie07

[hokie07 11]

P.S. dueces: 1,996.

 

And then there was 3...

[Lance 228]

I'm way too far gone for P90X...but i can handle the Doritos and Xbox part of this lol.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Good luck, and go for it. It's going to take quite a bit of determination, but you've got it in you.

 

Like many others here, I'm not in nearly the starting shape to try this. Much respect.

Edited November 8, 2011 by UVAObserver

[Guest The Variable]

I'm way too far gone for P90X...but i can handle the Doritos and Xbox part of this lol.

 

Tell him to send you all of his junk food.

[deuceswild 15]

I'm a ripe 26. And I'm in "shape" like someone else said in that if I had to run a couple of miles, I'd do it. I did some 5k's this summer and I'm still alive. The program is what you make it. If you want to just do the first round of each video, you'll still see results. If you do as much as you can, you're doing enough. I'm trying to do the whole thing.. there's no excuse. I'm at an age where if I don't start now while I'm unmarried, living alone, and still spry then I'll never do it.

 

I haven't taken any pics and I don't even weigh myself. I just do it. I figure I'll see results soon enough. I can already feel results. I can hardly lift this Mt. Dew can to my mouth.

 

My biggest thing is eating. I need to convince myself that eating out at lunch everyday with the work guys is bad. Its hard for me to get something "good" off the menu. I'm trying to discipline my diet. The exercise is twice as easy as convincing myself to eat better.

[Guest The Variable]

I'm a ripe 26. And I'm in "shape" like someone else said in that if I had to run a couple of miles, I'd do it. I did some 5k's this summer and I'm still alive. The program is what you make it. If you want to just do the first round of each video, you'll still see results. If you do as much as you can, you're doing enough. I'm trying to do the whole thing.. there's no excuse. I'm at an age where if I don't start now while I'm unmarried, living alone, and still spry then I'll never do it.

 

I haven't taken any pics and I don't even weigh myself. I just do it. I figure I'll see results soon enough. I can already feel results. I can hardly lift this Mt. Dew can to my mouth.

 

My biggest thing is eating. I need to convince myself that eating out at lunch everyday with the work guys is bad. Its hard for me to get something "good" off the menu. I'm trying to discipline my diet. The exercise is twice as easy as convincing myself to eat better.

 

Wife makes my lunch. Everyday...except today, I had a Chik-fila gift card.

 

Everything you say here is correct. But youll last longer if you drink water. Promise. I always run faster and further when I drink water the days I run.

[deuceswild 15]

Wife makes my lunch. Everyday...except today, I had a Chik-fila gift card.

 

Everything you say here is correct. But youll last longer if you drink water. Promise. I always run faster and further when I drink water the days I run.

 

Yeah, definitely. Our men's bathroom and water fountain are having work done today, so instead of facing the chill and going out to one of the other buildings to fill up my water bottle, I settled for a Mt.Dew.

 

Don't worry, I already feel guilty.

 

So you're saying I should go ahead and get married so I can get work sammitches? My girlfriend sent me to work today with some soup but I'm pretty sure it was terrible for me. I think she just melted 8 sticks of butter over some mashed potatoes and called it chowder but boy it was good.

 

Seriously though, tomorrow, I'm eating better. And no more Mt. Dew.

[Lance 228]

Tell him to send you all of his junk food.

 

I'm in perfect shape. round. lol.

[deuceswild 15]

DAY 2: PLYOMETRICS

 

So, did some PLYOMETRICS last night.

 

For those of you unfamiliar, PLYOMETRICS is derived from the Latin word PLYO meaning "Go" and METRICS of course meaning "Die".

 

At the beginning of the video, Mr. Horton states something along the lines of "This is the most X-Treme workout on P90X." And he's not kidding.

 

The first time I tried this workout a few years ago, I remember it being easier but I remember being sorer than I had ever been in my life two days later. Not the next day. It took my body 48 hours to realize what I had done to it. So, I have until tomorrow to get the full range of motion out of my joints before my muscles completely shut down.

 

I definitely didn't drink enough water yesterday. I was feeling pretty tired during the 8 minute warmup and by the time we got through the first round of exercises, I knew I was doomed. Started getting light headed and the puke mobile kept revving its engine. Really all plyometrics is, is jumping, squating, and twisting in about 30 different ways. It's the squat part that gets me. And the jumping.. and the twisting.

 

Tomorrow I'll feel like I rode a horse for 44 days, upside down.. or the horse road me.. or I road a horse made out of fire.. or something involving a horse and not a good time.

 

Anyway, I did the entire routine with just socks on. Mistake. After 30 minutes I had worn my big toes into little nubs and I was just walking on blisters. Next time, sneakers.

 

The soundtrack last night was alright. I started with the music channel on rock, which kept me pumped. But toward the end, I really thought I might die and I wanted to enter heaven with a happier tune in my head so I switched it over to Party Favorites again just in time for "Lets Hear it For the Boy" by Deniece Williams off the Footloose soundtrack. I knew right away that my TV was mocking me, so I flipped it the bird and called it bad names.

 

The very next chance I got, meaning the next time I felt I could walk over to my remote control without having to force back a vicious puke, I changed the station over to Electronica and Dance. The songs there all have bass tracks that simulate giant heart beats and that moment I needed to feel as though I was lodged in a massive bosom.

 

Cat was unamused all night. He sometimes darted under me during my "Tire Jumps" but mostly just sat on the back of the couch and judged me.

 

I made it to the end. I pretty much half-assed the last few exercises but I stuck with it as much as I could.

 

Tonight is shoulders and arms. The last two parts of my body that aren't in agony.

[Guest The Variable]

Bravo, Deuces. Aside from the puking part (I never get nausea from working out) that is EXACTLY how I felt. Even the judgemental couch borne cat that even though unable to speak was able to tell me how shameful I truely am with its stare.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

 

I definitely didn't drink enough water yesterday.

 

It was the Mt. Dew!

 

 

Anyway, I did the entire routine with just socks on.

 

Terrible mental picture. I need some mind bleach.

[deuceswild 15]

It was the Mt. Dew!

 

 

 

 

Terrible mental picture. I need some mind bleach.

 

 

Haha. I had on clothes. Just no shoes!

 

Naked plyometrics WOULD amuse my cat.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

Haha. I had on clothes. Just no shoes!

 

Naked plyometrics WOULD amuse my cat.

 

Yeah, if you weren't careful something like this could happen:

 

[deuceswild 15]

Yeah, if you weren't careful something like this could happen:

 

 

Couldn't find a vid of a cat chasing a hot dog on a rope? lol

[BigBlueAlum 12]

Couldn't find a vid of a cat chasing a hot dog on a rope? lol

 

I didn't want to be too graphic. It made me hurt just thinking about it.

 

In other words: No, I couldn't :(

[Guest The Variable]

I hope Deuces didnt die last night doing Day 3.

[deuceswild 15]

I hope Deuces didnt die last night doing Day 3.

 

No sir. I feel an awful lot of pain to be dead.

 

 

DAY 3: SHOULDERS & ARMS, AB RIPPER X

 

Last night went fairly well. I only own 30lb and 10lb dumbbells, so I'm somewhat limited on variety with some of the exercises. 30lbs is a lot of weight for multiple bicep exercises and 10lb is just about right, if not too little for tricep stuff. Moral of the story, I need to buy some 20's.

 

These exercises repeat their series directly. So instead of like Day 1 where you do the entire routine and then do the entire routine over, Day 3 you do 3 exercises and then repeat those 3 and then move onto 3 more.

 

Alternating Shoulder Presses, In & Out Bicep Curls, and Tricep Kickbacks were a breeze. Did them each twice accompanied with some Ric Flair "Woos".

 

Deep Swimmer's Press, starting to feel it, Full Supination Concentration Curls...getting tough, and Chair Dips, no problem. Repeat the whole thing, I'm still alive.

 

I watch these on my computer so that I can have access to my television's surround sound. I flip the music channel from Classic Hip-Hop to Rock and Daughtry was there with his cover of "Feels Like the First Time". I hate it when my TV mocks me.

 

I was halfway through when Upright Rows with 30lb dumbbells started to murder me. And that's when I would have went down to 20's but all I had was 10's. So I basically finished the last five exercises with 10lb dummies though I was probably able to do a little more. I was feeling tired and tight, and 30's just wasn't going to happen.

 

I was tanked at the end and knew Ab-Ripper was on deck so I skipped the bonus round which is another three exercises repeated. Ef-that. I'll work up to it. After all, it is called the "Bonus" round. I didn't feel too "bonus".

 

I was still... I am still immensely sore from the first day's ab workout and my tailbone hurt from rolling around on just a yoga mat on my hardwood floor. Enter really soft and thick pink blanket, courtesy of the girlfriend. I'm a poon. She wasn't there to see the amount of sweat and tears I poured on it though. It's now neatly folded back on the couch where it was. Maybe she'll never know.

 

So, I make it through the first two ab exercises when I suddenly feel a tug in my lower abdomen. My first thought was hernia. My second thought was ouch. My third thought was, I'm 26, did I really just herniate? I laid back for a moment to survey the damage with my eyes shut and just rubbing the spot with my fingers. Meanwhile, the cat no longer likes rock and lays on the remote to change the channel to Reggae. Reggae is the worst possible music for working out. I mean, just terrible. But I was in no form to get up and change it back... I laid there while P90Xers went on with an exercise and Reggae did whatever it does.

 

Turns out, it was just a cramp in my abdomen which aside from bathroom related cramps, I've never felt a muscle cramp there. I didn't like it. No sir.

 

I finished out the rest of ab-ripper as much as I could. Often taking breaks and more often, screaming.

 

Today at work we have sponsors here to visit our facilities and the parking lot was full so I had to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up. It's almost 100 yards and about a 55 degree incline. I almost didn't make it. Plyometrics and Ab-Ripper have destroyed my insides, my legs, my buttocks, and my will to live.

 

Fortunately, tonight is a low impact night, Yoga. Unfortunately for Yoga, Virginia Tech plays Georgia Tech. The Yoga-X DVD is 90 minutes..but the "Stretching" DVD is somewhat shorter. I think I'm going to do the Stretching DVD tonight instead. Is that fair?

[Guest The Variable]

Yesterday I said I didnt get nausia. What I get is gas, which is a particular reason I do not go to gyms. Its funny in the military and everyone laughs, apparently in the real world its a social fo-pa.

 

I get those abdomen cramps often when I work out hard. I know it sucks.

[deuceswild 15]

DAY 4: YOGA X

 

Yoga X kinda sucks and it's long... so I replaced it with the STRETCHING routine.. because it was shorter and the Hokies played soon and I couldn't wait to drink.

 

 

So... I stretched for like 45 minutes. Not too exciting.

 

Today is LEGS & BACK.

[deuceswild 15]

DAY 5: Legs & Back X

 

Did it until about 5 exercises left because I had to leave to go to the game on Friday. Wall squats suck. One legged wall squats double suck.

 

DAY 6: KENPO X

 

Love this DVD. It's the easiest day of the week save for stretching day. You punch, kick, and block air for an hour. I pretended I was punching Paul Johnson in the face for most of it.

 

DAY 7: STRETCH

 

I basically laid on the couch all day. I have a bum knee recently. The left one just hurts like a mo-fo and causing me to limp. I thought I'd take Saturday to relax it on the recliner while I wrecked my XBOX360 all day.

 

The rest of my body is no longer sore which is a good sign for me moving forward. I"ll be able to get the most out of each of my exercises instead of squirming in pain.

 

Tonight the loop starts over again with Chest & Arms.

 

I haven't weighed myself yet but I also haven't quite adjusted my eating habits like I should. I definitely feel like I'm tightening up some but I need to work on the eating habits moving forward or all of this is for not.

 

Anyone have any eating tips for when and what you should eat on days you lift or do cardio, etc.?