Day 44

Today I introduced Joyful to the wonders of Plyometrics :)  I personally enjoy doing Plyo, but Joyful made the comment that Plyo to her is like Yoga X for me. 

My heart rate got up there like it's supposed to, but not crazy high, so that was nice.  The highest I saw was 170ish, which is less scary than the 185 I saw the first time I did Plyo.  It's kinda funny with the Plyo...with the other workouts, you see progress by how many reps you can do, or what resistance you can use...when I do Plyo I can see progress by how much I do or do not want to die...I feel like I want to die less often now than I did 44 days ago, so I'd call that progress :)

Day 43

Last night was a late workout, so I didn't update the blog before bed :)  So yesterday I did the whole getting up and running 3 miles in the morning and then doing my workout after work...it was good and bad.  The good was that I got in an extra half hour workout, and I got a run in on a gorgeous morning.  The bad was that I did the legs and back workout Sunday, and then I ran 3 miles Monday morning...it's Tuesday morning and my butt and legs still hurt.  My butt pretty much always hurts a little, and then when I attempted to run this morning, my legs SCREAMED at me to stop.  But hey, once the soreness goes away, I'll have stronger legs :)  It reminds me of the first time I did a half marathon...I got so stiff and sore I could barely do stairs, now it's not that big a deal...same thing with what I'm doing now...my body just needs some time to adapt and strengthen muscles.

The p90x workout last night was Chest, Shoulders and Triceps...killer workout as always.  Though I'm getting better at it...it was fun to write down on my workout sheets and see improvement over the week before.  It made me think that it'll be awesome when I get to Phase 3 of p90x and I go back and do a couple of the workouts from Phase 1...it'll be nice to see the progress.

Day 42

Today was Legs and Back plus Ab Ripper X...boy are my legs tired now.  I finally figured out a good way to do the balance lunges...I used the couch instead of a chair so it didn't slide all over the place...I was actually able to do all the reps, and then I pushed myself on wall squats, so now my legs are tired.

Speaking of tired legs...starting tomorrow, I'm planning on going for a run when I get up in the morning and then doing my p90x in the afternoon...we'll see how that goes :)  I really need/want to get to running so I can do the Omaha Half Marathon at the end of September...I also want to actually do well at it :)  So I need to start running now...I'm planning on doing like 3 miles in the mornings for now...that's only 30ish minutes, so not too crappy :)

Day 40 and 41

So yesterday was Day 40...I was super duper duper tired...I went to bed at like 7:00 and slept until about 6 this morning...crazy, yet awesome.  Consequently, I'm going to use my day off tomorrow to do yesterday's workout.

Today's workout is Kempo X...Joyful's going to do this one with me again, so that'll be fun.  Kempo's nice because the time flies by when you're doing it...we're watching that movie, Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, then we'll get to the workout once the kiddo's nice and asleep.

Day 39

Today was the Yoga X...I'm still not a huge fan of yoga personally, but it was nice today because Joyful did the workout with me...she had been doing Slim in  6 the last 6 weeks, and she's all done now, so she did the yoga with me...it was good to have the company. 

As much as I dislike it, I did notice that I could do some of the poses better than before...I'm getting better at Tree on my right leg, and I can hold the Right Angle series longer...plus I was super excited because I managed to hold Crane for a few seconds!  Then I totally fell and almost hit my head on the floor...but I held it for a little bit!  I need to try it again and have Joyful take a picture so I can have proof :)

Great video with John Salley

Day 38

Today was Back and Biceps...the "glamor muscles" as Tony puts it...it's a good workout because I really feel the workout, and I can actually do everything in it!  Joyful and I did the workout together today, which was fun...she had been doing Slim in 6, and finished that a couple days ago...so she's going to try out some of the other Beachbody workouts to see what she wants to do next.

The exciting thing today was that I really felt like I'm making progress in the Ab Ripper X...I can actually knock out sit ups and some of the stuff that was just physically impossible for me a month ago, I can do now!

Day 36 and 37

I didn't get to my workout until before bed yesterday, so no blogging...just sleep.  Yesterday was Chest Shoulders and Triceps...that's a hard, hard workout...I learned my lesson after last week and did my push-ups on my knees...they do some evil push-ups on this workout and I just can't keep up doing them normal.  I like the workout because it really feels like a hard workout...I hate it bercause it really feels like a hard workout...

Today was Plyometrics...I always like that...great cardio and it's kinda fun...today was Isaiah's first day doing the daycare thing...we've got a friend from church watching him Tuesday through Thursday while we're at work....I had a short day at work, so I got home, mowed the front yard real quick and then did my workout while I was temporarily kid free...

Day 35

Today is officially a rest day...I decided to go ahead and do Cardio X since I'm feeling pretty good.  My legs were tight in the hamstring/booty area, but other than that I was fine.

It's a neat workout...it combines stuff from several workouts...it starts out with about 15 min. of Yoga, then it does stuff from Kempo, then stuff from Plyo, then stuff from Core Synergistics.  It's a nice mix of stuff...plus the whole workout's only like 45 min. long, so it goes by fast.  It's designed to be a supplemental workout if you're doubling up on days or working out on your rest day...but it's still a good workout that gets the heartrate up and the sweat flowing :)  I'm thinking I'm gonna work on upping my intensity with the workouts.  The first 30 days, I was figuring out the workouts and figuring out how my body would respond to doing P90X...I think now I need to push myself and get the most out of every workout.

Day 34

Today was the Kempo X...that's always a fun one.  I like it a lot because it goes by so quickly...it's just thing after thing after thing with minimal break in between.  Plus, during the actual break times, if you're feeling good you can keep going with jogging in place and jumping jacks.  Today I took a break on the first one so I could drink some water, but all the other ones I kept going with Tony...I was really trying to keep the intensity up to get everything I could out of the workout.  I was dripping with sweat when I got done, so I'd say I did a pretty decent job...I forgot to put on my heart monitor, so I was trying to gauge my intensity off how I felt.  I never felt like I was overdoing it, but I never felt like I was being a wuss either...

Tomorrow's my day off, but I think I'm going to do Cardio X.  I haven't done that one yet, and I've been feeling good (not sore and what not), so I figured I'd give it a shot...

FYI

I added a thing on the right side of the page so you can subscribe to my blog and follow along with an RSS reader...just thought someone might enjoy that :)

Day 33

Today was Legs and Back.  It was good and bad today...the good was that I was way better at wall squats than I was the last time I did this one...the bad was that my balance still sucks...especially anything where I have to balance on my right foot.  I'm still not as strong with that ankle ever since I broke my right heel bone a few years back.  Hopefully if I keep working at it, I'll get better/stronger.

As a side note...I hate summer.  I was sweating before I even started doing my workout, so you can imagine how bad I was after the workout...ridiculous.

Day 32

So it turns out I didn't blog after yesterday's workout...I got done late and just wanted to go to bed :)  Yesterday was Yoga X.  So with 12 different workouts in P90X, something's inevitably going to be your favorite, and something will inevitably be your least favorite.  Yoga X is definitely my least favorite.  When I see that I have to do it, my heart sinks, just a little bit.  I just despise doing yoga...it's as simple as that.  It sucks, because I know that it's a great workout, and it's great for me, bla bla bla...I just despise doing it.  But I did it, darn it!

Pictures

So you'll notice to the right my day 30 picture for that pose...here's another before/after for ya:

Day 1                                                                      Day 30

Day 30 and Day 31

Yesterday was the magical Day 30!  The workout was Plyometrics...always a good time :)  I did my measurements and updated my stuff on the Beachbody website.  I'm stoked 'cause I'm 30% of the way to my weight goal!  I'm 1/3 done with P90X and I'm about 1/3 there on my weight goal :)  My measurements were a little disappointing.  I shrunk a little bit in my mid-section, but not much.  My arms stayed the same size...my legs stayed basically the same size.  I attribute my lack of change in measurements to me not being uber disciplined with my eating.  I feel like I'm looking a little better...when I flex my abs, I can actually see that I'm doing something now...and I can see definition in my quad muscles in my legs...in short, I feel like I'm making progress even if I'm not shrinking quite the way I'd like...I'm certainly more fit than I was 30 days ago.

Today, being Day 31, I did Back and Biceps.  It was a good workout...for starters, it was a touch shorter than some of the others...I personally find it fun to do workouts like today, because as Tony puts it, it was working the "glamor muscles".  I want to have great arms and back muscles, so it was nice doing all sorts of exciting stuff to work them...my arms are definitely tired now, so I guess mission accomplished.

I'll put up Day 30 pics soon...I'm sure you all want to see a new picture of me in my undies :)

Day 29

Today is the first day of the new weekly schedule for the next 3 weeks.  I had Chest, Shoulders and Triceps for the first time.  I dare say I hate that as much as I hate Yoga X.  It probably helps my hatred somewhat that I really didn't want to work out today, but Joyful kept at me and made me do it...consequently I had a horrible attitude the entire time.  I figured at some point I'd start to enjoy it and forget that I'd much rather be sleeping right now, but no...

The workout is killer...tons and tons and tons of push-ups in exciting new ways...clapping push-ups, one handed push-ups, super slow-mo push-ups.  Then tons of shoulder/tricep stuff (which happens to make push-ups all the harder for me).  And then more push-ups.  I bet eventuall I'll like this workout...I could see me liking it if I were stronger and more able to do the stuff the people on the TV do.

Tomorrow's Plyometrics...I know I like that one :)

Day 27 and Day 28

So as I mentioned in the previous post, we've had friends staying with us this weekend...consequently, I didn't get my workout or blog post done yesterday.  Fortunately for me, today was supposed to be my off day, so I just moved yesterday's workout to today and called yesterday my off day.

I was supposed to do Yoga X, but I didn't get to the workout till after 11 tonight, so I did Core Synergistics again.  It's a great workout, and one that I really need.  Plus I hate yoga :)  I suppose some time I'll have to make up the Yoga workout that I missed.

It's crazy that today's already day 28...Tuesday will be day 30 and I'll get to do my glorious Day 30 pictures and measuring and what not...I feel like I've made progress...both in performance and in how I feel I look...so hooray for that! :)

Day 26

Today was Core Synergistics...it's a good thing I like that one, because it would have been really easy to skip today :)  We've got friends staying with us this weekend, so it was tough getting to the workout in the first place...then I was relegated to the basement to workout because Joyful and her friend, Anna were working out together in the living room.  But i did enjoy the workout...I was able to do some stuff better than I did the last time I did the workout...I still can't do Sphynx push ups, but I was able to do the V position this time, so that was sweet :)

Day 25

Today was X Stretch...that was awesome!  For starters, I barely sweated, which was nice...it's hot out and I sweat constantly, so it was nice not sweating much :)  The stretching/pseudo yoga was nice...it was extra nice to notice how my flexibility has improved.

So exciting news!  I weighed myself today and I'm down to 203 and 19.5% body fat...that's down 5% body fat and 11 pounds since I started...sweet stuff...plus yesterday I did a pull up!  A whole pull up!

Day 24

Today was Kempo X...that's a fun one.  It's probably a little more fun if I have some aggression to take out, but it's fun all the same.  I actually got some great sleep last night, so I was able to get up and be awake and do the workout...turns out it's a lot easier to get the workout done when I'm awake :)

Recovery week is interesting...it's not like they're easy workouts, just less extreme...I really enjoyed doing Core Synergistics...I'd be okay with doing that again this week...I really haven't looked at the schedule for the week to know what's coming up, but I did enjoy that one.  It was nice doing something new...plus I really need core exercises and that one worked the core, but in ways that I felt I could physically do.

Day 23

So today was a little weak on my part...I was doing Yoga X, but I got up this morning and sat down on the couch and fell asleep...I woke up and didn't have time to do the whole thing, so I did what I had time for, figuring something's better than nothing.

Tomorrow's Kempo, so that will be fun.  I always enjoy doing that one :)

Day 22

Today was supposed to be Yoga X, but I didn't realize that until I got up and checked the schedule to see what it was today...I didn't wake up early enough to get it done, so I did tomorrow's workout today.  I did Core Synergistics today...that was a neat workout.  I really had no idea what to expect.  It was a cool workout that worked multiple parts of the body at the same time, but every move was designed to engage the core muscles.  There was some fun stuff, some evil stuff and some stuff that made the sweat pour off me.  So I'd say it was a good workout :)

Day 21

Hooray for rest day!  My booty is kinda sore from doing legs on Friday and Kempo on Saturday...it's a good sore, though...just enough so I know my body's working but not so much that I can't move :)

It was a good morning...church was great...they did a surprise thing for Trent Baker for his 40th b-day...I had a number of people comment to me or Joyful that I looked like I was slimming down and wondered what I was doing...it's always nice to get the affirmation that what you're doing is working :)  Then, when I came home, I tried on a pair of jeans that has been way small for a really long time just to see if I could magically put them on...sure enough, I could!  I didn't even have to suck it in to close the button...they actually fit!  Ridiculous...and people wonder if the whole P90X thing really works...

Day 20

Today was Kempo X...it's crazy that I've been at this for 3 weeks now!  I feel so much better about myself.  I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm doing something about it!  Plus it's great that I can see a difference when I look in the mirror.  One of the things I read in the P90X stuff was that it said just going by how much weight one loses isn't the best measure of your results...go by body fat % and your own perception of yourself.  I don't generally have the greatest self esteem, so it's nice to see something good in myself :)

Day 19

Today was Legs and Back plus Ab Ripper X...I had to break up the workout today 'cause I remembered mid-workout this morning that I had to be to work at 6:30 instead of 7, so I finished my workout tonight.  For some reason the workout killed me tonight...it got my just pouring sweat and my heart pounding!  It's not even like you move fast or anything...but when you're using those big leg muscles so much it gets your body going :)

I've made it my goal that by my rest day next week I'll be down to 200 pounds...I'm down to 206 right now.  This last week or so my eating hasn't been that great...people keep bringing doughnuts to work and I can't resist :)  Stupid doughnuts...  The first week I was doing the P90X, I was pretty nazi-ish with my eating...I need to get back to that.  So come Day 28 we'll see where I'm at...I'd love it if for my Day 30 picture I could be under 200 pounds...dropping 15 pounds in 30 days would be sweet :)  I've got a week of some serious work ahead of me...

Day 18

Today was Yoga X...it wasn't the most effective workout in the world because my kneck/shoulder was KILLING me...I slept on it funny, and of all the workouts that came today, it had to be Yoga....stretching and turning the head don't work very well when I can barely turn my head...but I did what I could, which I figure is better than nothing :) 

I believe tomorrow is legs and back, and I should be able to do that just fine and dandy...

Day 17

Today was Arms and Shoulders...nothing but "Shoulders, Bi's and Tri's"  My arms are tired now...it's a good workout.  I like doing shoulder stuff 'cause I can see results quickly in my shoulders, so it's always encouraging.  I worked on figuring out resistance better today so I could stay in the 8-10 rep area so I can hopefully get some muscle size.  It'd be sweet if I could manage to get nice looking arms :)  I'm sure Joyful wouldn't mind at all...

I really really didn't want to work out today...thankfully I had Joyful there to make me do it...I'm not gonna have the awesome transformation if I skip days :)

Day 16

Today was Plyometrics...I do enjoy that one.  One of the things I really like about the cardio stuff for p90x is that it doesn't really require coordination...Plyo is just a bunch of jumping around...it's not crazy moves that I can't figure out...plus I can tell that it's a great workout and it's actually changing my body!  Thus far I'm down 7 pounds and 3% body fat...I got out a pair of shorts from last summer that I haven't worn yet this year and they're baggy!  sweet stuff :)