Day 41...Kenpo X with an additonal X

Over the past few weeks I've loved Kenpo X.  The thing is I didn't feel a lot of intensity.

So, this past weekend I picked up some Everlast Weighted Gloves.  They are 1lb each (2lbs for the set)

This made such a difference in the workout.  The intensity level shot up.  I finally "felt" the workout when I was through.  I'm sure this will significantly affect the benefit I get out of Kenpo X.

I paid $20 bucks to pick these up at Dicks.  I found out that they're $5 cheaper on Amazon so I included a link here on this page.  I'd highly recommend them if you aren't feeling a lot of intensity in Kenpo.

40 Days and Nights

Hey everyone. These posts will probably start to get boring. I don't know, but having done most of the workouts now multiple times, there's not a lot more I can say about them all.

I did Yoga on Tuesday. Its still a tough workout for me to get excited about. Every week I don't want to do it. However, when I'm done with Yoga I'm always glad I did it. Its an interesting dynamic. This week I noticed some definite improvement. I'm starting to anticipate all the moves and I'm ahead of Tony sometimes.

A side note about the Yoga and X Stretch routines. My flexibility is shooting through the roof. I've always been very inflexible. I'm starting to notice that I'm getting a further reach on some of the stretches, getting my hands to touch my toes or the floor in some stretches where I previously was no where close. Its a good feeling.

Yesterday was Legs and Back. This was a day of some definite improvements. I pushed through the Wall Squat without breaking. (Single leg wall squats are getting closer) These are huge for me. In college at the Air Force Academy, we'd have to do wall squats (There it was called "the Mother"). I sucked at them. I was always the first to pop out of position. For me to just breathe my way through 90 seconds is huge.

I also noticed some good improvements in pull-ups. On every set besides the switch grips I was able to knock out a few reps without a chair and then add the chair in. This is the first pull up workout where I was able to do that. This muscle confusion stuff really works.

So, 40 days down. 44.4% of P90X is complete!

Thanks to all of you who check in on me...I appreciate it.

Remember: Hope is not an action plan! Bring It!

Day 38: 3 Days of the X to wrap up.

Well, lets start off with a highlight of the last 3 days.  I nailed 60 Jump Knee Tucks in the second round of JKTs in Plyo.

Here's a video:

The goal in this challenge is to do as many as possible.  Obviously, when trying for quantity, you can't get your knees up that high.  But man does this get the heart pumping.

Lets do my 3 day review.

Day 36:  Couldn't believe this was day 1 of week 6.  I have a history of ditching workout plans around week 3-4.  Getting to week 6 is huge for me.  This workout went well.  I started to up weight and go for 8 reps as my goal.  If that meant a rep out of my comfort zone on an exercise...so be it.  Workout went great.  

Day 37: Plyo. I love Plyo.  Its right up my alley.  I sweat and breathe like a maniac, but I love this workout.  I must be wrong in the head.

Day 38:  Back and Biceps.  Today was great.  Last week I complained about how bad my pull-ups are.  Well, I took Tony's advice to "do my best and forget the rest."  I'm just working as hard as I can right now and I'm going to let the results come to me.  I'm not going to worry about the number of pull-ups I do or don't do.  My goal when I started this was to build strength and drop fat.  My goal was never to do 25 pull ups at a time.  Now, that could eventually happen, but I'm not measuring my success on that standard.

Well, Yoga X tomorrow and I'll be over half-way done with week 6.  I'm looking forward to Kenpo this week because I picked up some weighted gloves to make that workout more intense.

Remember:  Hope is not an action plan!

John

36 Days in! Going Strong

Past 3 days have gone very well. Wednesday afternoon I did legs and back. This workout is hit-or miss for me now. I struggle with the first exercise, balance lunges. I know my form is terrible, but so is my balance. I'm usually tumbling at some point in the exercise. I need to just ignore that aspect and keep going. I can't let my frustrations with this one move ruin the rest of my workout.

Ab Ripper after Legs and Back is always a killer. If you work your legs hard, they are so fatigued by the time you get to Ab Ripper that the ab exercises become a struggle. However, I'm still improving in some area every time I do Ab Ripper X. I'll have it almost down by 90 days.

Yesterday was Kenpo X. This workout is always pretty easy for me. My kicks aren't as high and as pretty as I like, but I always do well at this workout and it is fun. However, this is one of those workouts I wouldn't want to be doing if anyone was watching. However I do look forward to the day I can rebuff the attack of an assailant with a vicous SWORD! HAMMER!

Today is Rest/Stretch X day. Depending on how early I get back to IL I might rest, or I may Stretch.

Remember, Hope is not an action plan!

John

Days 31-32, Back and Biceps, Yoga X...and a new goal.

Hey everyone. I'll begin to talk about my first experience with the P90X workout "Back and Biceps."

This workout kicked my ass. As I said on day 1, I presently struggle with pull-ups. Even in college when I weighed 180 lbs I wasn't that great at pull-ups. Back then I could do about 10 on a good day. If I had a 25 lb weight vest on back then I'd probably only be able to do 2-3. That's where I am about now. I'm using a chair to give me an assist, but I don't feel a great improvement in the pull-up area yet.

Another thing in this workout is the fact that you do curls FOREVER. The workout is one of the shortest in terms of duration, but it has you doing curls for what seems like eternity. My biceps are feeling it even 2 days later.

Yeserday, Day 32, was interesting.

I got home from work early. I was dead tired and wanted to do anything but Yoga. I watched a show on my tivo, got on facebook. Anything to avoid Yoga. I finally got my butt off the couch about an hour later and cranked out my Yoga. The One thing I did different was I had all but one light in the other room on, along with the light from the TV. I don't know if this made a huge difference, but my focus was a lot better.

I noticed that my mind was clear throughout and I felt a lot of improvement. I still struggle with Warrior 3, but its coming along.

Also, I've got one new goal for my P90X Mission. Monica and I are going to go on a cruise in January. It will be a 7 night cruise in the Eastern Caribbean on NCL's Norwegian Dawn. I hope to be in amazing shape and avoid wearing a shirt at all opportunities!

Day 30 Baby...Bringing It and loving the results.

Hey folks. Here's the deal. 31 Days ago I took all my photos and results.

I started at 215.3 lbs on my bathroom scale. Today I actually was at 200.4 lbs on the same scale (but that was after Plyo, weight before Plyo was 203.0 this morning) So I'll say I've dropped about 12 lbs in 30 days. That's freaking awesome.

My strength levels have certainly improved. I'm picking up more weight every week when I come back to the same routines.

Today in Plyometrics I was able to get 59 Jump Knee Tucks on the 2nd round on Plyo. And I even double timed the Mary Katherines with Tony and Dom...yes Brad. I'm coming after your 66. I would have broke 60 today but my dog Buster was very curious about what I was doing and jumped along with me during the last 3-4 seconds and I stopped a bit early to avoid breaking my puppies leg.

Thanks for all your support. Brad, Malena and everyone else that takes the time to post and give me support. Especially my wife Monica.

60 More days to go...Bringing it.

Hope is not an action Plan...

John

Welcome Back...

After 2 Days off I'm glad to say that I was able to get over the cold or flu I was facing and get back into my workout routine.

Yesterday I felt good enough to do Core Synergistics after work. I'll admit I held a bit back at times and I wasn't 100%. However the biggest thing for me was to get back into the groove and routine of working out.

In my past I would do really well with a workout routine for 2,3 or 4 weeks and then just stop completely. I'd roll an ankle and stop running, I'd have to travel for work and miss a workout and just stop cold. That was my ultimate fear as I fell sick this week. I feared that I wouldn't get back into Pushing Play.

Well, I did it. I Pushed Play yesterday and I'm back in the groove. I'm going to do Yoga today then roll into week 5 starting tomorrow. 30 Day pictures will be posted by Sunday evening.

Take care kids.