Pictures, 25 Exercises in...

Since I am going out of town to see the KY Derby, I wanted to take these pics before I stuff myself with...er... alcohol.

FRONT, normal:

FRONT, flex:

SIDE, normal:
SIDE, twisting:


BACK, normal:


BACK, flexing:
Weight for today! 169.8. HOOWAH!

VACAY TIME

Another major setback - going on vacay tomorrow for four days to watch the Kentucky Derby. Nice.

Anyways, we last left off at Real Day 26, Workout Day 23, and Exercise 25, right? Ok, so when I get back on ... Sunday, that will be Real Day 30. Exercises will resume on Real day 31.

Workout day will be Day 24. So in 31 days, I've donked off 7 days, which makes sense - 3 missing from before, four now.

Exercise 26 (Legs/Back) will be up. SO, the heading for Monday will read:

LEGS BACK (Real Day 31 / Workout Day 24 / Exercise #26).

Yoga X (Real Day 26 / Workout Day 23 / Exercise 25)

Yoga X done very late at night again. That's why I am blogging at 1:46 am.

Notes: Right Angle Stand - easy!

Sidearm Balance - easy! AND with a leg raise.

Half Moon - MUCH better, still sucks.

Crane - still shaky but doable.

Plough - I can touch the ground now!

Shoulders Arms (Real Day 25 / Workout Day 22 / Exercise 24)

Did this workout VERY late at night - unsure how it affected my sleep:

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 14x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 14x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 13x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 14x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x + 8x hammer
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 14x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x + 2x hammer
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x (OW)
Crouching Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x (on wall!)
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x
Crouching Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x (on wall)
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Straight Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x
Congdon Curl: 20 lbs. / 15x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (15x)

Straight Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x
Congdon Curl: 20 lbs. / 14x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (15x)

My biceps don't seem to be getting any bigger, and I wonder if I'm doing too much weight on my triceps. The one drawback of the Selecttech weights - space saving, but kind of a pain to quickly pause and get a new clicked weight.

AB Ripper X - what can I say?

PLYO (Real Day 24 / Workout Day 21 / Exercise 23)

Plyo - same old shit. Back hurts, knees popping, lots - o sweat. Oh, and I did it at 5 am again. BLECH.

Still owe Ex. 21 - X Stretch.

Chest and Back, Week 4!! (Real Day 23 / Workout Day 20 / Exercise 22)

So I skipped Exercise 21 (X Stretch) and I'm gonna bank that to maybe catch up one day.

Instead, I leaped over my rest day and went right back into Chest and Back following Kempo.

Gradual increases:

Round 1:
Standard Pushups: 25x
Wide Arm Pullups: 7x normal / 5x assisted
Military Pushups: 25x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 5.5x normal / 6.5x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 25x
Close Grip Pullups: 3x normal / 9x assisted
Decline Pushups: 20x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Dive Bomber Pushups: 12x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x

Round 2:
Wide Arm Pullups: 1.5x normal / 10.5x assisted
Standard Pushups: 25x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 3x normal / 9x assisted
Military Pushups: 21.5x
Close Grip Pullups: 12x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 22x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Decline Pushups: 20x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x
Dive Bomber Pushups: 11x


Slow slow increases. Also, AB Ripper X - V Up Rollups and ....well, hell, everything getting better.

Kempo X (Real Day 22 / Workout Day 19 / Exercise 20)

So finally on Saturday I resumed the regimen. Kempo X up this time.

Nothing really to report - got good and sweating, and was disappointed for missing out on Friday.

So to recap what the headline numbers means: I'm 22 days in since I started. Of 22 days, I've worked out 19 - meaning I donked off 3 days somewhere. I am on Exercise 20 in 19 workout days, which means I doubled up somewhere.

(Real Day 21 / Workout Day 19 / Exercise n/a)

On Friday April 25, I also did nothing. Grrr.

Legs and Back (Real Day 20 / Workout Day 18 / Exercise 19)

So after my day hiatus, I went right into Legs and Back

Balance Lunges - no weight
Calf Squat Raise - 12.5 lbs.
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 8 regular / 4 assisted
Super Skater Lunge - no weight
Wall Squat - did AWESOME ***
Wide Front Pullup - 5 regular / 9 assisted
Step Back Lunge - 12.5 lbs.
Side Lunges - no weight
Close Grip Pullup - 4.5 regular / 7.5 assisted
Single Leg Wall Squat - not as bad
Deep Leg Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 12 total, 5.5 normal, eventually 6 and 6, assisted leftovers

3-way Lunge - no weight
Sneaky Lunge - no weight
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 5.5 regular / 6.5 assisted
Chair
Toe Roll Lunge - no weight
Wide Front Pullups - 2.5 regular / 9.5 assisted
Groucho
Calf Raise - 12.5 lbs.
Close Grip Pullups - 2 regular / 10 assisted
Speed Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 12 total, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, and 2, all assisted.

AB Ripper X - all of it getting better.

(Real Day 19 / Workout Day 17 / Exercise n/a)

On Wednesday April 23, I did nothing. Boo. COuld I sub in my "rest" day for this day? Maybe, but I wanna bank my X-stretch for a day when I need a two-a-day.

Note on the new headings

This is just to help me keep track, since I've been missing a few days here and there. For example:

(Real Day 5 / Workout Day 5 / Exercise 5)

This means its been 5 days since I've started, of those 5 days, I've exercised on five of them, and the last number tells me which number in the p90x series I'm on.

Recap Day 18: Yoga X (Real Day 18 / Workout Day 17 / Exercise 18)

So, Yoga X was a LOT better today, all of sudden!!!

Points:

I did CRANE for a few seconds! My arms actually held up!

Plough and Shoulder Stand - I could actually DO it. My toes actually touched the ground during Plough!

Wheel - held it the entire time!

All the other moves, Half Moon, Toe Lock, Side stand - All were a lot better.

Hmm. Maybe this program is paying off.

Weight: 172.

More Recap: Day 17 - Shoulders/Arms (Real Day 17 / Workout Day 16 / Exercise 17)

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 15x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 12x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 10x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 12x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 10x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x
Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 20 lbs. / 8x
Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 16x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 16x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (15x)

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 16x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 16x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (15x)

AB Ripper X - again, not bad. AND, the V-up Curlup was a LOT BETTER!

Recap: Day 16: Plyo X (Real Day 16 / Workout Day 15 / Exercise 16)

Plyo X was a little...rough. I tried to do it while looking at myself in the mirror - not a pretty sight ;)

BUT, as far as the results: The burn in the thighs is good, and I notice that my recovery time is getting better. Still, sometimes I feel a pain in my back. Hmmm.

More recapping! Day 15: Chest and Back (Real Day 15 / Workout Day 14 / Exercise 15)

I am horrible at blogging, I realize. So, to recap:

Round 1:
Standard Pushups: 20x
Wide Arm Pullups: 5x normal / 7x assisted
Military Pushups: 20x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 5x normal / 7x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 20x
Close Grip Pullups: 3x normal / 9x assisted
Decline Pushups: 20x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Dive Bomber Pushups: 12x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x

Round 2:
Wide Arm Pullups: 1x normal / 11x assisted
Standard Pushups: 22x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 3x normal / 9x assisted
Military Pushups: 20x
Close Grip Pullups: 10x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 20x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Decline Pushups: 20x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 13x
Dive Bomber Pushups: 10x

Basically, I'm trying to gradually increase - step up the assisted pullups, etc. Its getting better. Not much else to report.

Again, AB Ripper X - not bad at all. Feeling $.

More Day 14: X Stretch (Real Day 14 / Workout Day 13 / Exercise 14)

Did X Stretch before heading out on the town. I really enjoy X Stretch, and I am feeling more flexible. Back Hero is still a little frightening though. Plus, I'm not really sure why I can do various single leg stretches, and yet still have a problem with two leg stretches.

Anyways, I am now all caught up. No major tweaks, so I think the double session of Kempo X and X Stretch was ok.

I am getting more definition in general, and I feel stronger, but two weeks in, my stomach is still flabby around the bottom part, and I want bigger biceps..... time to be better about the diet and really hit the weights.

For Saturday - WEEK 3! And Day 15! Chest and Back!

TODAY! Day 14: Kempo X (Real Day 14 / Workout Day 13 / Exercise 13)

So today would normally be my X Stretch Day, but I regrouped and woke up at 5 to do Kempo X, which isn't that tough, really. Got all sweaty, but it was fine.

The goal is to do X Stretch before going out boozing tonight...

Another side note - I've been feeling sleepy earlier, and sleeping pretty well lately. I wonder if all the exercise has been helping. I'm sure it has.

Reporting in again tomorrow!

On the recovery drink and other thoughts.

First, I am definitely in the loop of craving the recovery drink after I work out. I need to drink water anyways, so why NOT with the recovery drink? Maybe I've been tricked into thinking this is why I have very little pain in other parts of my body, save my back.

Second thought: my weight, I don't think, is changing much (173.6 today). I wonder if I need to start adding Cardio X? I don't eat poorly, but I haven't been following the strict P90x diet. I also DO see a change in my body, even if the weight isn't necessarily dropping. Hmmm.

Recapping Day 12/13: Nothing and Legs/Back (Real Day 12 / Workout Day 11 / Exercise n/a) ... then (Real Day 13 / Workout Day 12 / Exercise 12)

So Wednesday was a holiday at work, and I was lazy all day. Did laundry, slept, and generally slothed about. As a result, I did no P90 X workout this day.

Feeling extra guilty about this, I decided to make the next two days double sessions of some sort.

Thus, on Thursday, I woke up, again, at 5 am to do Legs/Back. The results:

Balance Lunges - no weight
Calf Squat Raise - 12.5 lbs.
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 5 regular / 5 assisted
Super Slant Lunge - no weight
Wall Squat - almost died
Wide Front Pullup - 5 regular / 7 assisted
Step Back Lunge - 12.5 lbs.
Side Lunges - no weight
Close Grip Pullup - 4.5 regular / 7.5 assisted
Single Leg Wall Squat - not as bad
Deep Leg Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 12 total, 3 normal, eventually 6 and 6, assisted

3-way Lunge - no weight
Sneaky Lunge - no weight
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 5 regular / 7 assisted
Chair
Toe Roll Lunge - no weight
Wide Front Pullups - 0 regular / 12 assisted
Groucho
Calf Raise - 10 lbs.
Close Grip Pullups - 0 regular / 12 assisted
Speed Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 8 total, 2, 2, 2, and 2, all assisted

One change from before: no pain! My thighs didn't hurt at ALL after this workout, which was amazing. In fact, even a day later, I am totally fine.

On the flipside, however, I think I pulled something in my back. My normal favorite stretch of leaning over and rocking is really painful because something in my back is not right.

The back pain made AB Ripper X hard, but again, I was amazed at how much stronger my abs are.

Recapping Day 11: Yoga X (Real Day 11 / Workout Day 11 / Exercise 11)

On Tuesday, woke up at 5 am to do the 1.5 hrs of Yoga X. Again, very difficult, although I felt stronger on some poses. Here are my problem formations:

Half-Moon, from Warrior 3. This balance move has my legs shaking like nothing else.

Crane (knees on elbows): Really? This is impossible.

Shoulder stand flexibility: No chance.

Also, I'm always afraid I am going to crush my head when I am doing wheel.

Recapping Day 10: Shoulders/Arms (Real Day 10 / Workout Day 10 / Exercise 10)

Behind on blogging, so we'll catch up. On Monday, I did Shoulders and Arms. I decided to drop to 20 lbs. (in some cases, up it to 20lbs.), and do more complete reps. Here are the results:

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Alternating Shoulder Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 12x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Deep Swimmer Press: 20 lbs. / 12x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Chair Dips: 20x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 12x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 10x

Upright Row: 20 lbs. / 12x
Static Arm Curls: 20 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 20 lbs. / 10x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 12.5 lbs. / 16x
Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 12.5 lbs. / 16x
Cohen Curl: 20 lbs. / 12x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 20 lbs. / 12x

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 16x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 12x
Side Tri Rise: Right (12x) / Left (12x)

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 16x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 12x
Side Tri Rise: Right (12x) / Left (12x)

AB Ripper X was better, again.

Day 9: Plyo X......ugh (Real Day 9 / Workout Day 9 / Exercise 9)

After a day full of wine and junk, I settled in to Plyo X. The workout seemed shorter, which I guess is good - either I'm getting used to it, or I'm dogging it. My legs were sort of in pain, but my knees, which used to ACHE after this workout, don't hurt as much.

This recovery drink is working though - I actually feel better after I drink it. I wonder if its psychosomatic. I think I spelled that wrong. Anyways, I think eventually the pain, overall, will fade.

My diet is a concern though - not because I eat horribly, but because it is not consistent. I also wonder if, on days like today when I am really feeling unmotivated, if it isn't better to take a day off? Of course, then I remember to ignore the lazy inside, and push through.

This post makes no sense. I am butt tired.

Day 8: Chest and Back...AGAIN (Real Day 8 / Workout Day 8 / Exercise 8)

Is this week 2? I think its Week 2.

Today was Chest and Back again.... and more AB Ripper X. Stats:

Round 1:
Standard Pushups: 20x
Wide Arm Pullups: 4x normal / 6x assisted
Military Pushups: 20x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 4x normal / 6x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 20x
Close Grip Pullups: 3x normal / 7x assisted
Decline Pushups: 18x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Dive Bomber Pushups: 10x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x

Round 2:
Wide Arm Pullups: 1x normal / 9x assisted
Standard Pushups: 20x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 2x normal / 8x assisted
Military Pushups: 20x
Close Grip Pullups: 10x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 20x
Heavy Pants: 35 lbs / 10x
Decline Pushups: 15x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Diamond Pushups: 15x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x
Dive Bomber Pushups: 10x

I tried to do a little bit more of everything. My hamstring...quads? What's the muscle on the back of the upper leg? It hurts less, and I was actually kind of glad that my legs had the day off.

AB Ripper X was ok today too - better all the way around, but for some reason, I'm having trouble keeping my legs straight. And V-up, Rollups were a PAIN today.

We'll see how Plyo goes tomorrow. I guzzled my recovery drink today like no ones business.

Days 6 & 7: X Stretch, Kempo X (Real Day 6 / Workout Day 6 / Exercise 7) ... then (Real Day 7 / Workout Day 7 / Exercise 6)

Again, behind with the blogging. I was so sore from the previous workouts, that I decided to switch X Stretch and Kempo X. It didn't help that I woke up late on Day 6, and thus had to work out at 10:30pm. Since I didn't want to go to bed with an accelerated heart rate, X Stretch made sense.

X Stretch was good, although my hamstrings were still in a lot of pain afterwards. My favorite stretch is definitely the swam dive forward and rock back and forth with crossed arms. I wasn't sure what an hour long stretching routine would entail, but it was pretty good. I don't see why people would skip it.

On Day 7, yesterday, I did Kempo X - I'd done it before, and its a great workout. Core is worked, and sweat comes quickly. And its not a huge strain on the muscles, which was good since I was still pretty sore. If I had had time earlier in the day on Day 6, I think I could've handled this, and saved my X Stretch for Day 7.

I did notice something pop in my ankles when doing Kempo X; I hope that everything is ok down there.

With basically one week done, I do notice a slight difference in the mirror. All my life I'd never been able to see my abs, and now I THINK I can start to see them, which is exciting. Also, I feel myself getting stronger - whether it is through being able to really blow through AB Ripper X, or through the number of pullups I am able to do.

My diet has been all over the place, which I am concerned about. I am going to try to be a LOT better about that this week. I think taking better advantage of a higher protein diet and more energy drink will reduce the soreness. We'll see.

Day 8, or Arms and Back / AB Ripper X, is up for today. Not sure when I'll fit it in yet, as I am waiting to hear from my realtor. More later.

Day 5: Legs and Back, and ouch (Real Day 5 / Workout Day 5 / Exercise 5)

So, I did Legs and Back today, and let me tell you, this may be the hardest of all the workouts so far, even tougher than Plyo. I am not sure if its because I am already kind of beat from doing 5 days of P90x so far, but it was a stressful exercise. More goddamn pullups, and neverending lunges.

Here's some stats:

Balance Lunges - no weight
Calf Squat Raise - 10 lbs.
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 7 regular / 3 assisted
Super Slant Lunge - no weight
Wall Squat - almost died
Wide Front Pullup - 4 regular / 6 assisted
Step Back Lunge - 10 lbs.
Side Lunges - no weight
Close Grip Pullup - 3.5 regular / 6.5 assisted
Single Leg Wall Squat - not as bad
Deep Leg Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 12 total, 6 and 6, all assisted

3-way Lunge - no weight
Sneaky Lunge - no weight
Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 3 regular / 7 assisted
Chair
Toe Roll Lunge - no weight
Wide Front Pullups - 0 regular / 10 assisted
Groucho
Calf Raise - 10 lbs.
Close Grip Pullups - 0 regular / 10 assisted
Speed Squats - no weight
Switch Grip Pullups - 6 total, 4 and 2, all assisted

So yeah, Legs and Back killed me. I was huffing and puffing, and this is officially my least favorite workout of the series so far.

AB Ripper X, however, was surprisingly good today. Although I was working hard because I had just done L / B, I was amazingly able to maintain and complete the exercises without the normal assistance or breaks I take. Could there be improvement??? Stay tuned.

Day 4: Yoga X, and Audra (Real Day 4 / Workout Day 4 / Exercise 4)

Just finished Yoga X. The first thought that struck me was, my god, over an hour and a half???? Now I'm not one of those guys that thinks Yoga is lame - my ex used to make me do it, so I KNOW its hard. So I was actually freaked out by 1.5 hrs of Yoga.

And for good reason! Some stuff I am good at, but with a generally larger torso, some of the lift poses and ones where I'm balancing on one leg, leaning forward, were very difficult. I fell more than a few times (especially during the half moon poses. WHAT THE F.)

Lastly, this Audra chick is so hot. This is the first time I'd seen here besides the AB Ripper X video - money, money, money. I was bitter that I couldn't watch her on the TV the entire time.

Up tomorrow - Legs or something.

Day 3: Shoulders, Arms, Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk (Real Day 3 / Workout Day 3 / Exercise 3)

As I bathe in the afterglow of a Kansas basketball championship, I figure its a good time to catch up what I did today. I actually did wake up at friggin 5:19am to engage in Shoulders, Arms, and AB Ripper X. Here are the results (weights noted are per arm):

Alternating Shoulder Press: 25 lbs. / 11x
Bicep Curl: 15 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 15 lbs. / 15x

Alternating Shoulder Press: 25 lbs. / 10x
Bicep Curl: 15 lbs. / 16x
Tricep Kickback: 15 lbs. / 15x

Deep Swimmer Press: 15 lbs. / 10x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 15 lbs. / 10x
Chair Dips: 20x

Deep Swimmer Press: 15 lbs. / 13x
Deep Suppinated Bicep Curl: 15 lbs. / 11x
Chair Dips: 20x

Upright Row: 15 lbs. / 10x
Static Arm Curls: 15 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 15 lbs. / 12x

Upright Row: 15 lbs. / 12x
Static Arm Curls: 17.5 lbs. / 16x
Flip Grip Tricep Kickback: 15 lbs. / 8x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 12x
Cohen Curl: 15 lbs. / 13x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 15 lbs. / 12x

Seated Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 12x
Cohen Curl: 15 lbs. / 12x
Lying Down Tricep Press: 15 lbs. / 12x

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 10x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 10x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (12x)

Straight Shoulder Fly: 15 lbs. / 16x
Congdon Curl: 15 lbs. / 12x
Side Tri Rise: Right (15x) / Left (15x)

Not sure if I got all the names of the exercises right. Took me a while to wake up, but by the time I reached AB Ripper X, I was awake. Anyone else notice that your pants are tighter after AB Ripper X? I wonder if its because your abs are pushing out.

Also, the Selecttech weights worked well again, yet I had to pause a couple times to adjust the weight, which was annoying - next time, I'm just gonna try to do 20 lbs. for everything. I also noticed that the sheer bulk of the Selecttech weights got in the way sometimes, where they were bumping into each other.

Day 2: Plyometrics, and about eating (Real Day 2 / Workout Day 2 / Exercise 2)

Today was a killer - Plyometrics. This workout is not impossible, but the deep burn in my thighs made me stop at various points. I do like the overall workout, although I sometimes wonder if I am waking up the people downstairs with my jumping. Thank god I have carpet.

Getting into a good diet is hard. I already eat relatively low carb, and not because I have too. I just usually have no bread laying around. The hard part really is that my job doesn't allow me to eat regular small meals throughout the day. I can chomp on CLIF bars, but it's not the same. I end up eating a huge dinner because I am starving.

I have to figure something out, because I am pretty sure in the evenings I am eating faster than my body/mind can catch up, which isn't good as far as feeling full.

Oh yeah, I binged on sushi today for my parents' birthday. Although, again, I ate a bunch of no-rice sushimi.

The plan right now is to wake up at 5am to do Shoulders and Arms, and more AB Ripper X. We'll see how this works.

Day 1: Chest and Back and I'm already behind (Real Day 1 / Workout Day 1/ Exercise 1)

Well, relatively behind. On the blogging, not on the working out. Saturday was Chest and Back, and AB Ripper X, a disc I'd done before while dicking around. Here are my specs (not very impressive):

Round 1:
Standard Pushups: 15x
Wide Arm Pullups: 4x normal / 3x assisted
Military Pushups: 15x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 4x normal / 3x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 15x
Close Grip Pullups: 2x normal / 8x assisted
Decline Pushups: 15x
Heavy Pants: 30 lbs / 10x
Diamond Pushups: 12x
Lawnmowers: 35 lbs / 12x (both right and left)
Dive Bomber Pushups: 10x
Back Flies: 30 lbs / 10x

Round 2:
Wide Arm Pullups: 10x assisted
Standard Pushups: 20x
Reverse Grip Chinups: 10x assisted
Military Pushups: 15x
Close Grip Pullups: 10x assisted
Wide Arm Pushups: 20x
Heavy Pants: 30 lbs / 10x
Decline Pushups: 15x
Lawnmowers: 40 lbs / 10x (both right and left)
Diamond Pushups: 12x
Back Flies: 22.5 lbs / 15x
Dive Bomber Pushups: 7.5x

The Bowflex Selecttech 552 Weights were amazing - so easy to use, no problems. Thank god I bought them.

Finished up with AB Ripper X, which I can do most of (in my mind). I think my oversized torso makes these exercises difficult. That's me excuse, at least. I do have a big torso compared to my legs. I guess shrinking the torso is the goal. Hmm.

I celebrated that evening by eating pizza and soda, and watching Kansas and Memphis win. The Caps made it into the playoffs too, with the Wizards. It was a good day.

Last thing before we (I) begin

Oh yeah - as you can see from the title, I live in Washington, DC. Not the most attractive city in the world in terms of people; I think it was ranked as having the Ugliest People in America by some magazine recently. Yikes. A friend of mine called it Hollywood for Smart People.

Day 0: Cardio X, schedule, food, and weight

I've been doing some of the P90x workouts over the past few weeks, waiting to buy some Selecttech weights to fully take advantage of this program in my tiny apartment. I finally received my weights two days ago! I hadn't worked out in a week, so before beginning the program tomorrow, I decided to do a little Cardio X to get back and warmed up for the 90 day run.

The hardest part of Cardio X is definitely maintaining steam after finishing Plyo and going into the core workouts. "Steam engine" is a killer. It doesn't help that I'm huffing and puffing already during the earlier Kenpo section.

I decided to start P90x on a Saturday, giving me Friday as my resting day or X Stretch day. I typically drink heavily with my work mates on Fridays (I know, its not part of the program), but at least this way I can still workout on the weekends when I have more time anyways.

As part of my diet, I bought a big box of protein laced CLIF bars, and this giant tub of protein drink called Endurox. It tastes like fruit punch (supposedly), and I want to vomit upon the smell or taste of it. This program better be worth it. Next time I'll buy some Muscle Milk, which a friend recommended.

Today's starting weight: 172.2 lbs. The goal: anything below 160. Tomorrow is a brand new day.

Day 0 pictures

So apparently you're supposed to take some pictures of yourself at the beginning of P90x, 30 days in, 60 days in, and 90 days in (at the end). Fine - embarrassing, but here you go.

Front, hands on hips:


Front, flexing:


Side, arms at sides:


Side, twisting towards the camera:


Back, hands on hips:


Back, flexing:

And, here we go...

Just another guy about to start P90x, and wanting to blog about the experience. Actually, its more so I don't have to write things down on paper. Seeing as I am halfway through 28 years old and probably not going to get shredded miraculously overnight, I decided to try P90x.

Standing at 5'3", I used to weigh over 200 lbs. I've cut a large amount of weight running over the past three years, as well as 6 inches off my waist size, but its time to go that extra mile.

So, here we go. P90x and a ripped physique, come Hell or high water.