Weighted vest + Plyo X = tough as $hit!

As I did last week, I strapped on the weighted vest for my Sunday Plyo X workout, thinking that I shouldn’t have any problem getting through the workout.  Well, I did.  I made it about halfway through before I had to remove the vest.  My body just couldn’t handle it today.

I started the workout strong, but as the moves intensified, I felt as though I was sacrificing my form by keeping the vest on.  I was landing oddly and wasn’t getting the height on the jumps.  So, I took off the vest right before the jump knee tucks and let me say this….I almost jumped through my ceiling.

Having a 14# vest one while you are jumping makes you body adjust to the added weight.  Once I removed it, my legs were still pushing like I was 14 pounds heavier.  Needless to say, white men CAN jump.  I was getting higher than I ever got before and it felt great.  Plyo X has become my favorite workout, with or without the vest.

Week 10 has begun! 4 weeks to go.

Yes, I have started the 10th week of P90X classic and I must see that I am loving the results every single day.  To start the week, I had Chest Shoulder and Triceps and Ab Ripper.  The first day of my p90x weeks are Saturdays and I usually do my workouts earlier in the day.  Not this time.

My wife and I took my daughter to a county fair in my home town and we didn’t get back until late, so we didn’t get a chance to workout until after my daughter went to bed at 8:00.  To add to the mess, I ate 2 gyros at the fair and since my body has been so used to eating clean food, they really upset my internals.  I just didn’t feel right.

When we finally got to push play, I told myself to get out of my head and just bring it.  Don’t worry that it was late, don’t worry that I ate like crap.  Just hit it hard and that is exactly what I did.  I improved on everything across the board!!!!  Reps up, weights up and my energy level was up.  It was an interesting thing.  See, I believe my body needed a cheat meal.  I had been keeping my carb intake low, which probably depleted my glycogen stores.  When I ate the gyros, my body absorbed the carbs and started working hard to process the excess calories.  The excess calories, in turn, helped me push through my workout.  Moral of the story, everybody needs a cheat meal once in a while.  It does the body good….

After the C/S/T workout, my wife and I tried the new ab ripper video from the P90X One on One series.  let me just say….holy crap was that tough.  The workout focused a lot more on the core muscles, using slow controlled movements, opposed to the original ab ripper, which focused mainly on the abs and fast movements.  If you are looking to spice things up, you must try AR2….get it here!

I can’t believe I only have 4 weeks left on P90X. 

I must say that the first 9 weeks have been an absolute blast.  My strength has increased, my endurance has increased and my weight has DECREASED!  I feel great and cannot wait to start week 10.  The journey has been tough but the results will be worth it.

Now on to my recount of Kempo X.  This week, I upped the weight in the vest to 12 pounds, say as I did in Plyo.  The additional 4 pounds made a huge difference, especially during the X jacks.  Another thing I did this week was keep the hand weights in my hands the entire workout, not just for the punches and blocks.  You would think that would make a difference, but man did it.  You still use your arms a lot when you are doing the kicks by keeping them in a defensive position.  The additional weight in my hands really had my shoulders burning.  In fact, they feel as if I hit them with a hard delt workout yesterday.

One other point I want to mention about Kempo X is that this is one workout that goes by really quick, despite the fact that it is 59 minutes.  The segments are broken up very well, which makes the workout flow quick.  I must say that Kempo X is one workout I don’t think I will ever get tired of.

One last thing.  Since I have made it through the first 9 weeks of P90X, I want to give everyone my few small pieces of advice, which I have picked up over the past 9 weeks, to help you get through P90X.

1. Remember change does not happen overnight.  You will start to see noticeable results around day 30.  Stick with it!
2. Diet is everything.  If you are working out hard but not fueling your body properly, the results will show that.  Eat clean, eat frequent.
3. Find what motivates you.  For me, it is being healthy, setting an example and feel good.  Find your motivation.
4. Some days you won’t have it.  This is ok, no one is perfect.  The most critical thing is just pushing play.  Giving 70% is better than giving 0%
5. Listen to your body.  If it hurts, modify.  If it is rested, push hard.  Listen and adjust.
6. Be accountable to someone or something.  I have a calendar on my fridge that I use to cross off my workouts when they are complete.  If I don’t see an X, I feel guilty.  Hence I am accountable.
7. Lastly, HAVE FUN.  If you don’t enjoy working out, you won’t stick with it.  So have fun. 

I thought I was going to use the weighted vest for this workout but I just didn’t have it today.

We all know that P90X is a brutal workout program.  Legs and Back is a brutal DVD in the program, doing it with a weighted vest….more brutal.  That was my exact thought when I got up this morning.  In my head I wanted to strap on the vest and engage in an intense workout, but my body was telling me something completely different.

Remember everyone, you must listen to your body.  Many people ignore the signs of fatigue or wear and tear, only to seriously injure themselves, me included.  In fact, as I reflect back on my torn pec injury in December, I realized that I wasn’t in tune with my body.  I was fatigued, my muscles were beat, but I pushed on and ended up having to have reconstructive surgery.  But I digress…

The point I am trying to make is that it is ok to play it safe some days and not push yourself to the limit.  My intentions were good this morning but because I have learned from my mistakes, I made the right decision to forgo the weighted vest…I made the right decision.

I still got a great workout because legs and back is tough to begin with.  All of my pull up numbers increased again this week, which is a huge accomplishment for me.  However, I did not feel 100% this morning and I think I only gave about 90%.  That truly frustrates me on one hand, but on the other hand, I know my body needed a little slow down.  Remember, the tip of the day is:

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!!

BEACHBODY JUST ANNOUNCED NEW P90X “Buy From A Coach Advantage Program”

When you order P90X through a Beachbody Coach, not through the informercial, you will get two FREE DVD workouts—a $40.00 bonus value. Here’s what’s included:

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This is a fantastic program and the bonus workouts are incredible.  Click here to order P90X, claim your 2 FREE gifts and have me as your personally fitness coach.  I look forward to helping you succeed!

Day 59 was August 16th, my birthday, and boy did I give myself a birthday present. During the first week of P90X after my shoulders and arms workout, I told myself that my goal was to do 15 reps with 40 pound dumbbells for the alternating shoulder press.

See when I started, like I said many times before, it was only 3 months after my surgery and my shoulders were week. I had a tough time doing 20 pound presses, so I figured a 100% increase in 90 days was a good goal. Well, I hit my goal in 59 days!!!! Yep, on my birthday, I knocked out 15 reps with 40 pounds no problem. This was something to me. For one thing, it truly showed the power of this program. By following the routines and progressing week by week, I have increased my strength 100%. I am not complaining at all!

The only bad thing about day 59 was that it was my bday and I had a cheat evening. Yes, I strayed from my diet, but it is ok. Cake, some hummus and pita bread at dinner and popcorn at the movies…..I deserve it. And guess what, I woke up today and was completely motivted to stay strict with my diet. I had this very guilty feeling in my stomach….interesting.

Day 60, today, was Yoga X. Not much to say about this workout except the fact that it is getting easier every time I do it. The only move that is still really tough for me is the crane. I just can’t seem to hold myself up that long. Other than that, no complaints here.

lastly, I know I said I was going to weigh in today and take my 60 day pics, but I didn’t get the chance to. Tomorrow definitely…

PHASE 3 HAS BEGUN

Yes everyone, I am finally in the final phase of P90X! The first 2 phases were incredible and I am very excited to check my weight and take more photos on day 60! Getting better every day.

So, it has been a few weeks since I have done the Chest and Back workout, so I wasn’t quite sure where my numbers were going to be. Wow, what a pleasant surprise. All of my sets of push ups, I increased the reps an average of 8 per set! I felt great. Pull ups increased as well. Without the chair, I was able to do a few more reps each set. I am still not out of the woods yet, but I am getting there. If I can do a set of 10-12 unassisted pull ups at the end of this round, I will be thrilled! All in all, another great workout in the books.

Now on to Plyo X. Some of you may think I am crazy but again, I used the weighted vest. This intensifies the workout tenfold. I am only using 12 pounds, but those 12 pounds make all the difference. Average heart rate = 172. Sweat poured off of me to the point where I looked like I was stuck in a torrential downpour. This vest is going to become part of me for the final phase of P90X. Definitely going to use it for Plyo, Kempo and most likely, legs and back. Time to truly bring it in phase 3.

Getting ready to enter phase 3 of P90X!!!!

Well everyone, I just finished my recovery week after phase 2 or P90X. I had to modify things slightly, but all in all, it was a great week. I feel totally refreshed and ready to push hard in the final pahse.

For phae 3, I plan on changing a few things in my diet to tighten things up. For starters, I am going to up my protein intake to about 300-350 grams a day. My carb intake, at least from grains, will be 50 grams or under. Lastly, I am going to try to eat every 2 hours instead of every 3 hours, which should help me get more protein in.

As for training, I am going to push as hard as I can this phase. I will leave nothing on the table. All out! For my cardio workouts, I am going to use the weighted vest and up the weight to 12 pounds. I also think I am going to alternate weeks using it for legs and back. The ride is going to be a great one!

Day 60 for me is Tuesday, so I will be taking photos and checking weight then. Last time I weighed myself, I was down 15 pounds. 34 more days to drop 5 more to hit my goal of 20. Stay tuned for my progress…..

I love stir fry so I found a way to make a healthy alternative to the traditional thick sauced Chinese food. Let me know what you think…

I NEEDED THIS TONIGHT

The x-stretch video really helped me tonight. I have been pretty tense lately and I could feel that my muscles were very tight. However, after 57 minutes of intense stretching, I feel like a new man! I love that this workout is in the middle of the recovery week because I believe, not only does it stretch you, it also preps your body for the next phase. For me, that is phase 3! I am pumped. My wife is too (because she is starting Brazil Butt lift after P90x).

Anyways, the workout was great, core synergistics tomorrow. I even had time to put together this video on a snack I eat at night. Let me know your thoughts.