Monthly Archives: April 2012

P90X2

Two Weeks Of Rest

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It’s a little weird this morning to not get up and immediately be thinking, time to workout. I know my body needs a little time off and thus I’m taking two weeks of rest. I’m starting back up on the May 14th.

I’m gathering people who are interested in doing a 90 day fitness challenge. Nothing helps you more than having a little core group of people where you can share your experience, be held responsible for letting people know you worked out and have support when you’re in need of answers.

May 14th is the start of my next fitness challenge. Join me and a select group of people to get into better shape, lose weight, and have a great time! Contact me to join up asap.

P90X2, PAP Upper

PAP Upper Ends The First Journey

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Oh oh oh it’s magic. To steal a line from an old hit, I’m feeling pretty good. Another chapter of accomplishing something is coming to a close. I’m happy to say, or rather write, that with today, PAP Upper ends the first journey through P90X2.

I started off really strong, made it through the first round of the first complex kickin ass. The rest of the first complex had me backing off on reps with Renegade Row and the Plank Med Ball moves. Those in combination are the hardest thing I’ve encountered in the entire Beachbody workouts I’ve done.

In the second complex I was able to keep up with everything but the max pull-ups. I’ve never been good at pull-ups. Technically when I started all this a year ago with P90X, I probably could do 1 full pull-up. I did a lot of the pull-up modifications. In X2 I felt I was hindering my ability to do more pull-ups with the modifications so I stopped and pushed – actually pulled – myself to do them as they should be. Now at the end of X2 I can roughly 7 pull-ups in a round. That’s a big improvement for a tall guy.

Overall I’m ready for a short break before I start up my next fitness challenge. I’d like to encourage you to join me. You’ll be happy you did. I’ll push you, you can push me. Seriously join me for a May 14th start date on the next Fitness Challenge I’ve got coming up. Join NRG!

I want to take a moment and look back on the journey and the previous year. Here’s what I’ve got…

Some stats in P90X2:

Beginning stats on 01/31/12:

Chest:        39.5”
Arm:    11 1/8”
Arm:    11 1/2”
Waist:        34 3/4”
Hips:        37”
R. Thigh:    21 1/4”
Thigh:    21 1/4”

Total Inches:    176.125”
Weight:     172

After stats on 04/26/12:

Chest:        39 7/8”
Arm:    11 3/8”
Arm:    11 3/4”
Waist:        34 1/4”
Hips:        37 1/8”
R. Thigh:    21 3/8”
Thigh:    21 3/8”

Total Inches:    179.125”
Weight:     174

I wish I had stats from a year ago when I started doing the P90X workouts. Alas, I don’t. Only the pictures. Yet if you look at the numbers with the last 90 days, there’s an overall 3 inch increase in size. That’s fairly impressive. Weight wise I’m still a bit shy of the 182 lbs that I’d like to be. I attribute that to exercise, I eat well and I cook a lot.

With that in mind, I did say that I would post a before and after pic. Mind you, I’m not that vain with taking tons of pictures. However, with X2, I did take more. Personally I know there’s been change. Yet for some reason, the pics don’t seem to show as much as I would think they would.

Be aware that I posted the after pic on the left and the before on the right. Other things to note, I was 195 lbs in the pic on the right. I’m 174 in the pic on the left. I’ve lost just over 20 lbs in the year. Actually lost more and started gaining some back. In doing some research about my body size, I’m actually pretty darn close to the weight I should be for my bone size and my height – slightly under.

My overall goals with getting into better shape and flattening the little bubble belly you can see in right side, have been achieved. This is a major goal that I wanted. I was always active and thought I was in good shape. Now I know I’m in good shape.

I have to thank my friends that I knew were doing P90X. Especially Thai Ly. It wasn’t until I saw his transformation that I really decided to give it a go. I’m really happy I did. While my transformation isn’t as eye popping, it’s still there. I enjoyed it so much I became a coach. I really want to help others meet their fitness goals, eat better and be healthier too.

Thanks to my exploration of cooking for better eating. Friends have told me I inspire them to eat better. Thanks to Thai Ly, Jason Scheff, and Tony Horton for motivating me to do a workout beyond being active. Thanks to a desire of wanting to stay away from hospitals and OTC drugs and heal naturally. All of this has combined to inspire me to create this site.

Stay tuned!

P90X2, X2 Yoga

The Palm In Yoga

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This morning’s workout was all about the stretch, relax and do those strange poses. One thing I’m starting to dig about the whole Yoga concept is that I’m finally getting to a point where I can bend over. Not that I couldn’t before, however, for me right now it’s all about the palm in yoga. Meaning I want to be able to palm the floor.

When beginning the X2 journey I couldn’t really do much more than get my fingers to the floor. Easy enough. But getting the palms down there too, yikes that was tough. I imagine that it’s a combination of the yoga and the foam rolling. I’d bet that the foam rolling is helping more than I can tell.

Another noticeable thing today was more sweat. Yup, since I was pushing moves further I was sweating more. Another accomplishment is my longest crane hold yet. A tough move for balance and somehow I was able to finally hold it about 1/2 of the time length Tony calls out for. That’s improvement.

There’s three more workouts left in this journey then it’s on to the next Challenge! I’m excited, I’m seeing results. I’m in better shape than ever. I really think the next round will push me over the edge when I get it completed. Get in shape with me! You’ll be glad you did. Pretty soon you’ll be happy about the palm in yoga too.

P90X2, PAP Upper

PAP Upper Still Tough

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Nearing the finish line. Into the final week of this whole X2 journey. While it’s not fun to have to take a week off due to outside forces, there’s nothing that can be done about it and all I can do is move on. What have I found as I get back up to speed with X2? I find that PAP Upper is still tough.

Overall I’m doing better with the workout. The absolute hardest move is still the renegade row. I don’t know if it’s my lengthy body or if it’s the fact that I’m primarily a guitar player and don’t need huge arms, but I find it stupid hard. I tried going to 15 lbs per arm and only got 8 reps. Next round I went to 10 lbs and still found I couldn’t get full reps.

Beyond the renegade row, I find the med ball sphinx plank hold to be difficult. I made it the first round. 2nd round I fell 5 seconds short. 3rd round 15 seconds short. 4th round I fell 20 seconds short. That’s not fun when I really feel like I’m pushing it as hard and as long with good form as I can. As soon as the form goes south and I can’t get back to it, I have to drop.

The rest of the workout has been something I can hang with. Those two moves provide the most trouble out of all the P90X and P90X2 workouts I’ve done.

Tomorrow is Yoga X2 then another two PAP workouts and one more Yoga day. At that point it will be the final photos and thoughts.

Come the 30th I’ll be starting a fitness Challenge and starting it all over again. Join me! I’ve got 2 spots left for the April 30th group. I’m pretty sure I’ll stick with P90X2 for a 2nd journey before I start mixing and matching between X2 and X. I’m hoping by the end of the week that I won’t find PAP Upper still tough. One can dream.

P90X2, PAP Upper

Getting Back To PAP Upper

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Here’s a personal pet peeve of mine. People that go out in public sick. How important do you think you are that you need to go around infecting other people with your problem? I’m now getting back on track after a week of being laid out due to Strep throat. Put me in bed for a few days, came on real quick too. Today I was finally feeling human enough to be getting back to PAP Upper.

While I wasn’t able to really push the workout hard, it did feel real good to be working out again. I did what I could after being out ill for a week. The hardest move in PAP Upper today was the renegade row. I only got about half the reps. Under the circumstances, I can’t complain.

I’m hoping in the next 10 days I’ll get completely back on my game as that will be then of my 90 day journey with my first round of P90X2. At which point I’ll be starting my next fitness challenge. Who among you would like to join me in the fitness challenge? Contact me and we’ll make it happen!

I feel better for having tackled a workout. Even if it was the hardest of all the P90X2 workouts. Gotta pick up where I left off and that was getting back to PAP Upper.

P90X2, PAP Lower

Getting My PAP Lower In Gear

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Aw yeah! Second week of phase three began today and hot damn if I didn’t rock the workout today. My third time and I’m already getting my PAP Lower in gear! Of the two PAP workouts I feel the lower is easier, but until today I was still dropping a rep here or there.

The difference came today. I didn’t drop a rep and I pushed it hard. I will say that had to pause the DVD before the last Side Bridge move for about 30 seconds so I could catch my breath, but aside from that, I held out. Covered all the Side Bridge holds which was previously the hardest move in PAP Lower.

This makes me wonder if tomorrow I’ll be able to rock the PAP Upper as well. I’ve stated before that I find that to be THE hardest P90X2 DVD. Not the hardest moves, but the hardest combinations along with the constant moving. I’ll be happy if I can keep up for half the workout.

Join me in my happiness of getting my PAP Lower in gear. Where are you at with it? Are you exercising? Are you eating well?

I’m starting a fitness challenge at the end of the month on April 30th. I have 4 spots left in the challenge. Let’s help each other get in better shape! Join me.

P90X2

A Day Of Rest

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On the 7th day there was rest. Today is a day of rest for my first week of Phase 3 in the P90X2 Journey. I’m really diggin that. Mostly due to the fact that I found that PAP Upper is damn hard.

Another thing that has cropped up is a fitness challenge. My upline coach at Beachbody has put it to me that on the 30th of this month I’m going to be a part of a fitness challenge. So I’m joining in. In addition to that I’m putting out to people I know that I’m putting a fitness challenge together on the same day as well.

That’s right, I’m pushing to get you and others that I know to get into better shape and health. Are YOU interested in getting into better shape? Are YOU interested in being healthier? Then a 90 day fitness challenge is what you need! Contact me and join up. The cool thing is, you can win prizes for participating!

Get in shape and have a shot at winning something cool too? What can be better?!?

Though it’s a day of rest, I’m thinking ahead to my next round of getting into better shape and I want you to be a part of that fun. I’ll push you, you push me, we’ll all win!

P90X2, PAP Upper

Not A Normal PAP Workout

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Despite the holiday yesterday, I ended up not posting about the PAP Lower workout that I did. That is a good workout but not overly difficult. I’m able to keep up with that one. Today was PAP Upper. I’m coming to the conclusion that upper is not a normal PAP workout.

Seriously I’m finding that the PAP Upper is the hardest of all the workouts in both P90X and P90X2. Even harder than Plyocide. And Plyocide is a workout that I’ve not only thrown up to and bonked out in.

I know I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been in, yet I’m still huffing puffing and really pushing hard to get through PAP Upper and even in the 2nd half of this first week I’m still not able to keep up. That bothers me. The fact that I had to press pause a couple of times and I still couldn’t do all the reps, ugh.

Despite the mental drain of not being able to keep up, I power forward. I pushed myself on a couple of the moves to hold out longer as much as I could. I mean really hold out. More than I’ve ever pushed myself. That’s super hard to do.

Nearing the end of the first week of Phase three, I can see how this phase might be easy to burn out in. I have two more weeks to go with it. Then at the end of the month I’m starting a BeachBody Challenge. Contact me if you’d like to join up with it. There’s prizes and that’s something that can make what is not a normal PAP workout all worthwhile.

P90X2, PAP Upper

PAP Upper Equals Hard

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What does today mark for me? It marks the day that I have now seen all of the P90X2 videos. Day two of the 3rd phase in the X2 journey has commenced and been finished. To put it mildly I will say that PAP Upper equals hard. I’m not sure it’s due to the impromptu workout my arms got yesterday or if it really is that hard, but PAP Upper is the one workout so far that really worked my arms to fail.

Now mind you, I know that Plyocide was probably that one workout that pushed me to the point of bonk. Today I didn’t bonk, but I found points in the workout where I literally could not keep up. Unlike yesterday where it was more of me learning the routine. Today it was learning the routine, but also sheer difficulty.

The Plyo Med Ball Sphinx thing is probably on par with being the most difficult move like yesterday’s Side Bridge move. I know I’m shape, but good God they are hard to hold. I imagine in 2 weeks from now I will be able to hold these moves without issue.

Time for a kick ass organic meal and nice healthy fruit smoothie shake. Then it’s into the studio to be crafting more music. Oh, and I’m awaiting word from Apple as to why my iCloud account is not sending info to the outside world.

If you haven’t made it this far into the P90X2 journey, you’ve got something great to look forward to. Something that will push you like you won’t believe.  I was diggin deep into my mind to hold moves as long as I possibly could. Even for being in shape PAP Upper equals hard as workouts go. Where are you at in your fitness journey? Join me in mine!

P90X2, PAP Lower

Enter Phase Three With PAP Lower

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I almost didn’t get to starting the next phase of the P90X2 journey today. When I got up from a late night of working on music, I was sequestered to help remodel my Grandma’s bathroom. After a day of sanding and painting walls and ceiling I was pretty wiped out. A little nap and I decided it was worth getting to the workout and push it. Thus I enter phase three with PAP Lower today.

Tony Horton started out saying that I wouldn’t be able to keep up the first time through. For the first 30 minutes of the workout I was wondering what he was talking about it. The first half I found to be quite easy even though I was learning the moves. Don’t get me wrong, I was getting a workout, though not as tough as I was hoping.

The 2nd half was a different story. The moves were a little harder. Plus I think my day was catching up to me. So while I did all the moves, I was a few reps short here and there. Overall a good workout. I was sweating more than I normally do. Yet, I don’t feel overworked. I’ll push it a little harder next time.

Now it’s time for a pasta dinner so that I can restock the energy. Oooh, I forgot to mention that I had a bowl of my own homemade granola this morning. I’ll have to post the recipe in the next day or two. It was very tasty and a great way to kick off my day. Not to mention a great start to enter phase three with PAP Lower.

The Journey continues…