Workout 7/24 & 7/25

Double post today, because I didn't have time to yesterday!  This week has flown by, and I already feel stronger, more energetic, and more flexible than ever before.  It's a great feeling.  It's incredible what an hour a day can do, isn't it?

Yesterday was Kenpo X day, and I must say, it was the funnest workout of the week.  For those of you who haven't heard of it, Kenpo is a type of cardio workout centered around martial arts involving multiple kicks, jabs, blocks, uppercuts, etc.  The workout was approximately an hour long, and by the end I was sweating like a dog, but it was over in the blink of an eye.  Memories of the Tae-kwon-doe class I took at my middle school on Minot AFB, ND came flooding back to me.  There's nothing wrong with a 19 year old pretending to be one of the kids from "3 Ninjas".  At the end, I felt a little bit sore in my shoulders and triceps, but that was about it.  This was the most exhilarating workout I've been through yet.

Today I had the option of taking a rest day or improving my flexibility through Stretch X.  I chose the latter, no rest for the weary!  My flexibility is something I've wanted to improve for a while now, ever since I realized I couldn't do an "ab bridge" on command like I could in third grade.  At the beginning of every P90X workout, there is a five to ten minute stretching portion, and Stretch X is basically that extended into sixty minutes.  It feels great.  It felt like Yoga should have felt, and it was not as intense as most of the other workout (because comparing stretching and resistance training is comparing apples to oranges).  Just because it's not as intense does not mean it isn't difficult.  My hamstrings were on fire.  My back was on fire.  My whole body was on fire, and not a mildly warm campfire, rather, as if someone were taking a blowtorch to my knee area.

However, when it was all said and done, it felt great.  I felt like swinging my arms and legs around the room just to see what I could do at the end that I couldn't before.  Unfortunately, there's not nearly enough space in my room for that.

Workout 7/23

Today was the hardest of any of the days I've tried to complete yet.  I don't actually have a whole lot to type, because not a whole lot got done.  I burned myself out a few days ago on the Plyometrics, and as a result, couldn't do many of the squats included in today's Back and Legs workout.  Considering squats made up about 50% of the exercises, that's a pretty large portion.  I added extra pull-ups to balance out my overall output, and did the best I could, but faltered quickly during the lower body exercises.  Ab Ripper X is still kicking my butt as well, but slow and steady wins the race!

Workout #4

One day late again, I am typing this the morning after my last workout.  Yesterday, I performed the hardest yet workout of the P90X series, Yoga X.  Surprising?  Maybe, one wouldn't expect that in a system packed with resistance training, push-ups, and a workout dubbed the "Ab Ripper X", Yoga would be the most difficult element.  I had never done Yoga before, and as a result, I was at a pretty major disadvantage.  I wasn't flexible, I had no balance, I didn't know the moves.  Regardless, I pushed my way through, and came out sweating, but not feeling as if I had achieved much.  I think Yoga X is going to be something that I have to work at and might not really get the hang of until Week Three or Week Four, if not longer.  It didn't help that my Yoga mat was my carpet and my Yoga block was my square wooden safe, but I'm not going to blame this on the materials at hand.

On a separate note, my legs were still incredibly sore yesterday, two days after the Plyometrics that tore them to shreds, but they are feeling much better this morning.  I expect the recovery times to increase as my body adapts to this rather intense regimen.

Workout #3

Oops!  I'm a day late.  No big deal, here's your daily dose of update:

Yesterday afternoon I did the arms and shoulders workout and discovered that my biceps aren't nearly as strong as I thought they were.  On top of that, my left arm's bicep can lift only about two-thirds of what my right arm can lift.  I'm right handed, but I can't help but wonder if something else could be to blame for the difference in strength.  I made it through the entire workout, with the exception of the Seated Shoulder Flys, which I failed to write down and as a result, didn't perform at the gym.  Other than that, I aimed for 8-10 reps in most of the exercises, although for the first half of my workout there were a couple of weight hogs by the dumbbell stand, limiting my ability to choose a perfect piece of equipment.  In those cases, I went with the best available and generally ended up performing 15 reps.  I'm starting to really feel a difference in terms of body stability.  In the past, exercising with high resistances on the free motions machines or free weights had caused my arms to shake, in some cases rather violently, even if the amount of resistance was something I could manage.  I'm fairly certain this had to do with a general weakness in the secondary muscles required for each machine/move, so I was able to perform the exercise based on the primary muscles' ability to create the motion.  This is something all beginners should watch for, and that is the importance of making sure you work all of your muscles.  

I also completed the Ab Ripper X again today, with better results than the first time.  I actually managed to perform some of the Fifer Scissors, and generally could perform the moves better and again, with more stability, than I could two days beforehand.  I could only do about 10 Mason Twists, so there's another target: more Masons.  

Thanks for reading everyone.  Stay safe!

Can't do Diamond Push-Ups?

http://www.weightloss-hq.biz/weight-loss-forum/beginners-corner/re-day-1-diamond-pushups-problem-25.html#53921

Follow this link, the key is to work you way up one day at a time.

Workout #2

Today, I did the Plyometrics segment of the P90X program, and again, found myself pleasantly surprised.  I was able to perform the entire workout for the entire time allotted with the sole exception of the full rotation twist combos, rock star hops, and squat switch jumps.  I felt really good for the entire workout, except for the last ten or twelve minutes where my legs got a little bit shaky.  I expected this to be a fairly easy workout because of the running and cycling routine I had been performing, but I was WRONG.  Despite the fact that I consider my lower body by far the most 'fit' part of my body, this was still an incredibly difficult routine.  I can't wait until I am really in the swing of this.

On a separate note, I had doubts going into today's exercise that I was not going to be able complete it because of my stress fracture (although it is feeling a lot better) and my shins didn't feel a single pinch.  I hope this means they're healed, but the running is going to take a back seat for a while.  I feel great!

Here's what I did:

~5 minutes of warm-up
----------
Jump Squats (30 seconds)|
Run Stance Squats (30 seconds)
Airborne Heismann (30 seconds)
Swing Kicks (60 seconds)
----------
Repeat Last segment
----------
Squat Reach Jump (15 seconds)
Squat Switch Jumps (15 seconds)
Double Airborne Heismann (30 seconds)
Circle Run (30 seconds clockwise, 30 seconds counter-clockwise)
----------
Repeat above
----------
Jump Knee Tucks (30 seconds)
Mary Katherines (30 seconds)
Leapfrog Squats (30 seconds)
Twist Combo (30 seconds)
Twist Combo - Full Rotation (30 seconds)
----------
Repeat above
----------
Rock Star Hops (25 seconds)
^^^This was an incredibly awkward motion, I'm not sure what the point of the arm motions is.....
Gap Jumps (30 seconds)                  
Squat Jacks (30 seconds)      
^^^These hurt so much in such a good way.
Military March (60 seconds)
----------
Repeat above
----------
Run Squat 180 Jump Switch                
^^^This was the hardest workout of the night, possibly in part because it was so late in the routine.
Lateral Leapfrog Squats (30 seconds)
Monster Truck Tires (30 seconds)            
Hot Foot (60 seconds)
----------
Repeat above
----------
Pitch and Catch (60 seconds)
Jump Shots (60 seconds)
^^^This reminded me of how much I miss playing basketball.
Football Hero (60 seconds)

7/20 Daily Log

I went to the dentist today.  Now my teeth are white and sparkly.  I'm not one step closer to being the perfect person.  

I have nothing else to post today other than my P90X, so I'll leave you with some wisdom from Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

Root 3:

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed.