Week 2

Ok, now I am back on track. I missed last Friday and Saturday (Legs/Back & Kenpo) which was disappointing to say the least. After all that talk about determination and I fail in the first week. Well, Monday night I completed the Chest & Back workout. It actually is one of my favorite because push-ups and pull-ups are probably the best and most basic exercise. I felt really good afterwards with some good pumps in my chest and arms. Pull-ups are still somewhat difficult as I feel like if I didn’t use a chair, my arm is going to snap because of my plates. It is probably more so a confidence thing than anything else. Then, to top off such a good workout, I did the Ab Ripper X. That shit is such a tough 15 minutes and they don’t lie about the ab ripping part! Once I get to the leg climbs and I can just feel my abs ripping but it’s definitely a good feeling. Regular crunches and ab machines are very ineffective compared to this workout. People don’t realize that you don’t necessarily need weights or machines to workout but rather your bodyweight can provide good enough resistance.

Tuesday night, it was Plyo X. Even though it is high-impact (strenuous on the knees and ankles), I feel a better burn cardio wise than any other cardio workout. Also, it helps with any athletic performance. If all I did was workout, Plyometrics will help achieve my goals because it is that effective for any leg workout. Regardless, I definitely feel grateful to be doing these workouts. I can tell my health has been changing for the better and will be in the best shape of my life soon enough. Although, I have enough nutritional supplements to open up my own vitamin store, I attribute my success more to the workouts themselves than my supplements. Yes, supplements help to a degree but first comes the diet. I have been tweaking my diet more and more to adjust to the new physical demands. For overall health, I would say that diet accounts for 60%, exercise accounts for 30-35% and the nutritional supplements make up the remaining 5-10%. Even if someone just walked daily but ate very well, they would have a healthy weight (after a consistent diet timeframe) and less risk for diseases and illness. Granted, genetics play a part for diseases but you cannot change that. You can only change your health and physical activity. With that said, a daily multi-vitamin and even a protein drink will help catapult results much faster.

Wednesday was Shoulders & Arms but unfortunately I had to cut it short due to a prior obligation. I did do the Ab Ripper X workout as well which is getting much easier and my abs are finally showing. It’s in between a 4 pack and a six pack I guess. Thursday morning was Yoga X. That is probably the best one for the morning since it’s a calm atmosphere and mentally cleansing.

I wish I had more to say but it’s starting to come along nicely and my progress is now more visible. It feels gratifying to make this commitment and stick to it (almost 100%, anyway). It’s so easy to get caught up in a routine that not only do you lose track of time but of who you are and what you are capable of. All throughout my childhood and adolescence, I was an active person who played in many sports and was physically fit. As years went by, college came and went, jobs came and went, stress attaches to your out-of-shape body and hang on for dear life. Not only does your body transform when you change everything completely but so does your mind. Positive thinking, happiness and confidence replacing fat, stress and fatigue as residents with healthy nutrition and exercise as the happy landlord couple. If they leave and new landlords come into the picture, most likely fat, stress and fatigue will return. Stress will still exist with any kind of lifestyle but when taking care of yourself, it’s effects are less noticeable and easier to deal with.

As I close out this week, I can only look forward to the future. My progress will only become more apparent, my energy levels will increase, positive mood changes and enhanced confidence. Basically, an improved sense of well being. I should also note that I meditate as much as I can. It is a great way to clear the mind and focus your thoughts on problems on hand. For now though, take it a day at a time and love every minute of it!

Day 4

Today, I am feeling great. Not only did I complete the Shoulders & Arms workout last night after work but I also completed the Yoga X workout this morning. First off, the Shoulders & Arms workout is a long and difficult workout consisting mainly of isolation exercises. This means that primarily one muscle group is worked out at a time (i.e. shoulders, biceps, or triceps). Whereas an exercise like pushups work out the chest, shoulders and triceps at once so it is a compound exercise (works 2 or more muscle groups at once). Both have their positive and negatives and together, they are quite effective towards strength training and muscle toning. This workout is intense to say the least, but then again all of these P90X workouts are intense. When I started, I was slightly concerned as I had muscle soreness but determined to keep on track (especially the first week), I completed the workout. Once finished, I felt extremely accomplished since this was the first time I really had to push myself and climb over this mini-mountain in my Himalayan trek that is P90X. I realized that this muscle soreness was not severe enough that my movement restrained my exercises and actually disappeared for the remaining 80% of the workout. At this time, my arms do not feel as sore as when I was still contemplating Shoulders & Arms.

Tip: Determination equals success and if it’s not equal it will at least help you succeed much easier and that is generally true in any aspect of life.

Now then, this morning was Yoga X and when I went to bed last night, I was adamant about waking up earlier than normal in order to complete this 90-minute workout. A few snooze buttons later (yes, I’m a snooze button slut), I get up and pop in the DVD. I’m not the biggest fan of Yoga and have done it before but just never had the patience, but it’s a part of the program for a reason. It helps with flexibility, balance and even works stabilizing muscles that contribute to more effective weight training. After about 20 minutes, you start feel the burn and it’s not a typical burn in that it differs from cardio and weight training. This routine is broken up into 2 basic sections; moving positions and balance positions. Both are challenging and once I finish, my muscles feels stretched out and I have a decent sweat for 8 in the morning. In the video, they look more content and focused than me but for a first run through, I was not expecting this and just wanted to focus on the form instead of clearing my mind. So, at this point I am almost done with the first week (only 2 more required routines left) and can tell this will be a difficult program but highly beneficial. Tomorrow is Legs & Back followed by Kenpo X (a fun routine) and I will take it a day at a time and love every minute of it!

Day 3

Ok, this is day 3 of my 90-day seemingly never-ending journey. I started off with the Chest & Back workout on Monday (Day 1) and let me tell you, this workout is challenging. For starters, about 1 year ago, I broke my arm. I broke my arm so badly in fact, that I needed 2 plates implanted for structural support. Yes, it was that bad (bone popped out for anyone that really wants to know). Anyway, onto my new life transformation; the endless pushups and pull-ups are challenging indeed, mainly because I feel like my arm is going to snap off, but I power through using a chair slightly for the pull-ups as I don’t have too much confidence yet. Also, I really don’t want to go through that whole ordeal again. After the workout, I feel vibrant and accomplished; however, it was only day number one. I should note that when I started, I planned on waking up before work for this program, and so far, no success. Sleep is just too good right now.

Day 2 was much different from day 1, in that it was Plyometrics time; the mother and beast of all the Power 90X workouts. I should mention that I did do a few workouts the week prior (Cardio X, Shoulders & Arms and Kenpo X) as a feeler of what I was in store for. Let me tell you this (whoever reads this, which will probably only be me), this workout was one of the toughest 60 minutes I ever experienced. I could only muster up the strength to complete each exercise about 20-25 seconds out of the 30 seconds indicated on the video. By the end of each grueling cycle, my thighs were burning with pain (good pain, however) and I felt not only completely out-of-breath but like my heart was about to shoot out of my chest and run for its life. A few breaks later and I once again, hammer through the workout minus the bonus round, unfortunately, but feel undeniably powerful and gratified that I finished (which is goal 1 for week 1). To anyone who plans on doing these workouts, if you do not have the determination and discipline to complete these workouts as much as possible then, you will collapse like a thin piece of plywood underneath a towering skyscraper; the plywood being your frail body and lack of determination while the skyscraper is this program itself. I, however, would like to envision myself as an industrial drill underneath this skyscraper, powering through to the very top and demolishing every increasingly challenging floor in my path.

Now then, onto today, day 3; pretty much every muscle in my body is sore. I think even my eyelids are sore. Just kidding. Still, I was unsuccessful with waking up at my planned 6:30 start time (I know, plenty of other people get up before that, but sleep is the best thing for my recovery right now. At this point my muscles feel too sore to complete the shoulders and arms workout as I definitely do not want to injure myself. One important thing many people do not realize is that recovery is just as critical as working out and without ample recovery time, the muscles will never reach their potential and you will fail to make the necessary progress. We will see how I feel after work, but since all my previous workouts have been in the evening, this one probably will need to be as well (to satisfy the minimum recovery time as just mentioned).

Finally, since this is my first entry, I should also mention my nutrition changes since these are just as, if not more important, than the workouts themselves. Carbohydrates are the enemy right now. Fight every chance to eat them with every meal. One meal per day, yes carbs are good but in moderation. I go for either lunch or dinner. For example, my typical food intake consists of an apple and/or banana for breakfast, ham and cheese pita (no sauce) for lunch. Dinner is usually what I change (I know, it is boring), but some good options are eggplant parmesan (personal fav), grilled chicken and veggies, or some pasta. Be very careful though with pasta as the complex carbs can be killer right now for burning fat. I usually eat about a fists worth but start off with a salad (with oil & vinegar, of course). Supplements are also important as it is pretty much impossible to get all necessary vitamins and minerals from almost any diet, but get a quality product from an actual vitamin store and not the cheap versions from grocery stores. A daily time-release is the best way to go. Also, protein shakes for after your workouts. You have to go with whey here if you want the most effective protein within 1 hour after your workout. These are the bare essentials. Any other performance supplement (fat burner, testosterone booster, etc.) could help but tread lightly. Any vitamin store representative can honestly tell you what would be effective for your goal if you want to spend the extra dough. This post is a long one since its first and I will share my status soon but for now, will take it a day at a time and love every minute of it!