Tag Archives: workout

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…

P90X2, X2 Yoga

Ending Recovery Week With Yoga

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Today marked my last hard day of working out in Phase Two of the P90X2 journey. It was a yoga day. Much like last time, I’m feeling like I’m getting further. I’m really excited to be ending recovery week with yoga.

Getting ever closer to being able to palm the floor in a forward bend. That’s a tough feat for someone who has long legs and stands 6’4″. I’ll tell ya, it’s kinda exciting to finally start seeing progress with all of it. Time. It takes time.

In a way, this moving through a workout regimen has been a lot like music. You build on it every day. Eventually you see the progress. At least that’s the way it is for me. Though I’m much faster with music. My body doesn’t really build muscle like most guys do. I’ve always been lean and it’s always been difficult to put on muscle and weight.

Now I’ve finally getting some definition. I’m finally putting on some muscle. Maybe it’s because I don’t do steroids. I’m not looking for the quick fix, I’m looking for the right route. So far that route started with P90X last year and is still going with P90X2 this year. Feeling stronger than ever before and definitely getting more limber than ever.

That’s a great way to be ending recovery week with yoga in the P90X2 journey. Phase three starts Wednesday. I can’t wait!

Base Back & Abs, P90X2

Final Base Back And Abs Of Phase Two

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Today marks the end of my 2nd phase in the P90X2 journey. I inserted an extra day due to a chance yesterday for a free day of skiing. One can never pass up a free day of skiing, especially when it’s an awesome spring day. As I say, a day spent skiing is a great day. Besides, Tony Horton is a skier and I’m sure he’d understand. As I mentioned at the beginning this is the final base back and abs of phase two.

Things I noticed. I got more reps on the pull ups. Most I’ve done unassisted. While I was an ardent follower of the “assist” method in P90X, I found that while I could do a lot of reps, I couldn’t manage to do a lot of pullups at all unassisted. Maybe it’s harder for a taller person to really do pullups. However, I’m finally working up numbers past 5 reps. That’s great for me. Being that I previously couldn’t do more than 3. Thus that’s a big 50% jump in reps for me.

For the plyo portions I was keeping up. Only had one moment where I had to pause the DVD as I was winded and needed to catch my breath, but I’m pushing it hard too. Despite a slightly weak start in this phase, I’m now feeling ready to take my recovery week then start phase three.

There were a couple of moves in the ab ripper where I lost momentum, or the ability to complete the move due to exertion. Beyond that I completed the rest of it. Hardest one right now is still Abernome and also Phelon. Ooof. But I keep my mind at it and continue to push.

Wrapping up the final base back and abs of phase two leaves me feeling great. Time to eat, and conduct the rest of my day. What have you accomplished today?

P90X2, Plyocide

Getting That Plyocide I Mean Plyolife

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Ah yeah, Plyocide. Last week, if you can recall, I ended up bonking out in the middle of the workout. I’m pretty darn sure it was due to a couple of things. One, being on the road and not getting the same amount of nutrition as I normally would. I wasn’t eating bad, just not to my potential. Two, a lack of sleep. I normally have a schedule that is shifted from most people. I go to bed late, but I also get between seven to eight hours of sleep. Usually eight. When I’m doing that I’m getting that Plyocide I mean Plyolife type of workout without bonking out.

Today was full on. I was keeping up. I nailed all the moves. I brought it and brought it 110%. No bonking. I did get winded a few times. Apart from that it was as strong as I’ve ever felt doing any kind of plyo type workout.

When you’re feeling this good it’s amazing what you feel like you can accomplish. I know I’m going to push the next workout. I can feel it already. May mean that I’ll move into the Phase Three sooner than I anticipated.

Have you been getting that Plyocide I mean Plyolife into your day? Are you pushing it? Are you phoning it in? Let’s get you into the discussion, let me know how your workouts are going. Join me in my NRG.

Chest Back & Balance, P90X2

Third Time Is A Charm With Chest Back And Balance

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As I mentioned yesterday I had somehow gotten off by a day. Normally I’d let it go, but instead, this time around I decided to get back in sequence. So I put two workouts back to back that would normally have a day off in between. Wow. Kicking off week three I can say that the third time is a charm with chest back and balance.

My goal was to do no pullup with any assistance. I made that goal. However the reps went down a lot. I started strong with my highest unassisted number ever, but by the end I was petering out and still did a few unassisted. There was one, the “Lever” to which I only got 1 done. I went for a second and got half way up. Damn hard that is.

The Impossible/Possible got 3x better. Instead of 1, I got 3. That’s improvement there. Overall I felt a lot better about the workout. The only thing I could have done better with is the Chattaroll and the rest of the bonus. I did do 3 of those as well, compared to 1 last time too. But I couldn’t quite get to the final two bonus moves. I’ll chalk that up to putting to workouts back to back where there should be a rest day.

Looking forward to plyocide tomorrow. Weird to say that. But then I’m feeling good having had a third time is a charm with check back and balance kinda day.

Where are you at in your journey? Join me and start blogging about your exploits here. I’m looking for a few P90X2’ers to start bloggin.

P90X2, X2 Yoga

Ah Yoga X2

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Today was week two of phase two and with it came yoga. Sometimes I really enjoy it. Sometimes not so much. I’m here to say that today I enjoyed it. So ah yoga X2. Made me feel good.

I was a little stiff to start, but after the first 15 minutes or so I was really opening up. That’s kind of a first for me. I usually don’t open up if I’m stiff going in at the start. I see that as a plus for me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, yoga X2 is nice in that it’s barely an hour. That makes it more doable compared to the yoga in P90X. Thank you Beachbody. I’m off to a great start today and I believe it has to do with that workout.

Ah yoga X2, I did it. How about you?

P90X2, Plyocide

Bonking In Plyocide

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Oh the humanity. Today marked my first time bonking in a P90X2 workout. That’s a little disappointing. Mostly because I haven’t bonked in a workout in a loooooooooong time. Great thing is I really pushed it hard. So while I ended up throwing up after the first plyocide workout in P90X2, this marks my first bonking in plyocide.

Sadly I was really doing well too. Keeping up. Means I have to make sure I’m really getting all the nutrition and energy I need. It’s a little tough while on the road, and maybe this is a residual effect of last week’s out of town trip. I’m not sure.

What I do know is that I’m still going to continue onward and upward with tomorrow’s recovery and mobility section. The journey hasn’t ended just because I couldn’t finish a workout. Hell no, I was pushing it harder than I have before and suddenly found a wall. A wall that will come down. I will overcome.

Are you getting your workouts in? Do you give up when you hit a wall? Do you take it in stride and continue on the next day? If not, you should be.

It’s better to have bonked than not done it at all. Saying so long and thanks for bonking in plyocide, I’m over and out to get some nutrition. See ya tomorrow.

Chest Back & Balance, P90X2

Second Chest Back And Balance Including Abs

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After a couple of extra days to end my first week of Phase Two, I’m back at it and going for full blast. Unlike last week, I pushed for more reps. Which is something that made me think, hmmm… Dare I say it’s harder than last time? Yes, I do. Which means that my second chest back and balance including abs workout wasn’t like last time.

First, I decided that I would do some of the reps with assists to see if I could get the numbers up. This proved to be more difficult. Meaning I didn’t get as many as I would have hoped to get in. By the end of the workout I was pushing it and realized that I didn’t get nearly as many unassisted. Strange.

I was really hurting in the pullup department. Not sure why. This time around it was a major struggle. That’s a slight blow to the ego. Hopefully next week will prove that I can get some of those unassisted reps back. At least I’m gonna push for that.

I did go for some of the bonus moves this week. The first bonus move, I got 2 reps. Yikes. The second bonus move I sat out. The third one, I went for it, got into the move and didn’t get out. Holy cow! Talk about hard at the end of a workout.

The Ab Ripper X2 at the end of the workout this time wasn’t so bad. I’m finally getting to the point that I’m keeping up with the moves, except for Abernome (spelling?) that one is still a little tough to keep up with.

All in all, it was a good workout. I may actually stick with Phase two for an extra week, unless next week goes spectacularly. But at the ending of my second chest back and balance including abs workout in Phase Two of the X2 Journey, I’m definitely feeling it!

Base Back & Abs, P90X2

Base Back And Ab Ripper

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What a trip. GDC is pretty damn wild. It’s like NAMM on steriods for tech. Lots of stuff to see. Amazing tech going on in games and in movement tracking. I could only imagine what it could do for P90X, P90X2 and other Beachbody workouts. Especially if you were looking to perfect your movement. I saw a device yesterday that watches you in real time and can tell where you are in 3D with a single camera. Great for sports related type things. Which is something I see in the back back and ab ripper workout.

There’s a pull maneuver called Kip Chip Up. The idea is to keep the legs completely still while doing chin ups. I have a hard enough time doing them as is. To keep the legs still doesn’t make it easier. Damn them.

Intertwined each pullup move with some plyo movements. It’s like two workouts in one. Wow. It moves right along.

I like it.

Ab Ripper is steadily getting better.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s workout. The next step in the X2 journey.

Where are you in your workout journey? Join me!

P90X2, Shoulders Arms & Abs

X2 Shoulders Arms And Abs

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Ok. On the road with extremely minimal equipment. Extremely minimal = none. Means that I am doing moves way modified. I wasn’t really anticipating getting any workouts in this week. Instead I’ve decided it’s worth the effort to go through and do them sans weight and other gear. Fortunately my sister does have a stability ball so I can at least make use of that. Despite the lack of gear I did get through X2 shoulders arms and abs today.

First off, my Diamond coach is in this video. Jason Scheff is my upline Diamond coach. So to see him in a video is pretty cool. Video wise, this video seems to be the most spontaneous and relaxed from a technical standpoint. This gives the work a good sense of having fun while working out. Way to go Tony Horton and Jason Scheff!

Even though I had no weights or bands with me, I worked the resistance as best I could and did the moves. Wanna know something? I’m actually feeling that in my shoulders and upper arms. I can’t wait until next week when I’m back to being able to use actual weights with these exercises.

There’s a couple of new moves in this that are not from P90X. Particularly the one I felt the most was the Y-T move. He even states there’s no need to use weights and especially not heavy weight here. I think he’s on to something.

Either way, I’m looking to get into the next couple of workouts in the next couple of days even though I don’t have gear with me. Not that I didn’t attempt to pack my foam roller. I did. Anyway, I’m writing to acknowledge that doing the moves sans weight will still produce some effect for ya. That’s some serious modification to X2 shoulders arms and abs. If you can’t do that, then you need some major motivation.