Almost there

I've been very lax about posting here, but I have been working out. I missed a few days, so my finish date got pushed back about a week.

I had my last Core Syn workout today. Yoga tomorrow and then rest/stretch to finish out this round. This has been a much longer and harder road than either of the other rounds.

I did finally go to the Dr about my shoulder. He took some X-rays and did some tests with me and thinks it is a small rotator cuff tear. He gave me my choice, some basic exercises, or MRI and maybe surgery. I opted to start with the exercises.

More catch up

Another week has gone by. I missed a day this week, so that pushed things back. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm burned out. But I still intend to finish.
I'll put the number up at some point. I have a feeling these last 12 or so workouts are going to take 15+ days.

P90x Catch Up 2

I've been keeping up with the workouts, but not the blog. Sorry about that.
I ended up skipping kenpo last week, but otherwise, on schedule. Had a great yoga workout today. When I focus on doing the moves right, and really make the effort, I feel so great afterward.

two and a half weeks left till I'm done.
Definitely going to have to go to the Dr about my shoulder. Hopefully a cortizone shot will be all I need and not surgery

P90x catch up

I have been working out, but too busy to post.
I took rest after CST and did Plyo today.
The weather man said tropical humidity and he wasn't kidding. Another shirt wringer of a workout. I felt good at the start and finished strong despite the lack of air for me to breath.

P90x Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

I shifted rest/stretch to tomorrow since I might not get to workout.
I had a tough time getting started this morning, as I have a lot lately. I ended up bringing it for the first time in a while.

P90x Kenpo

I was supposed to do Kenpo this morning, but was so tired from all the dancing last night, I had to sleep in.

I figure all the dancing was a fairly even trade, so I'm crossing this off as done.

I'm swapping rest/stretch and CST tomorrow, so I'll be working out again.

P90x Yoga

I managed to get through Yoga yesterday. I was sore everywhere. Push ups were downright painful till I warmed up. I had to skip a few things to fit it in, we had a wedding to go to. Still, had a good workout.

P90x Legs/Back

Wait a minute, I did Shoulders/arms yesterday, why am I doing legs/back today? I have a wedding to go to tomorrow and want my legs to function a bit so I can dance. I'm not a great dancer, but I'm sure my 2 little girls will get me out there.

So it's legs/back today and yoga tomorrow.

Felt pretty good considering I finished a workout 13 hours earlier. For whatever reason, the workout just works for me. I don't mind it at all. I'm not even tired of it like a lot of the other ones.

P90x Shoulders/Arms

Yesterday morning I overslept a little and just didn't have the motivation to workout, so I skipped it. All day the guilt of skipping it sat heavy on my shoulders. So I got home, sucked it up and did it.
The biggest problem I have with this workout is the number of dumbbells I use. Yesterday I did it outside, so I had to cart them all out. Took 5 trips. Then I had to cart them all in...as you can guess, that was worse.

Here are the stats:

P90x Plyometrics

Trying to get back on track with my workouts. Another 80+ degree morning with 90% humidity. My allergies yesterday wrecked me, I went through close to a box of tissues with a runny nose. Feeling better today, but still dragging.

Had a very hard time getting started this morning but finally did. I struggled quite a bit today. I usually do the week after core but not as bad as today. It was another shirt wringing out sweat.

Have a good one gang and Happy Birthday to my little one, Liz.

P90x Chest/Back

Back into the belly of the beast. Last phase. Tried hard to bring it today.
You would think getting back to the routine, which I like, would be easy and you'd improve in every exercise...wrong! I struggled to match my last performance in week 3. On top of that, my allergies were terrible. Blowing my nose constantly and feeling like there was an iron band around my chest made it hard to breath.
I'm nauseous, have a headache, and can't stop sweating.

Off to the showers.

P90x Stretch

Eased myself back in with stretch, which is the correct workout for the day. Felt good.

P90x Another Day Off

I've been feeling some mental fatigue setting in this round. I know all of the routines and even all of Tony's lines. It is getting stale. I'm also out of gas mentally with the discipline required to get up and workout everyday. I've been at this 10+ months.

So I took another day, lets see if it helped.

Day off

We had an incredibly busy day yesterday and a tough night. I just couldn't get my body in gear for Core this morning. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I could do Core tomorrow, Yoga Tuesday, skip rest, and dive back in, on schedule with Chest/back. That puts a lot of strain on my shoulders with push ups that many days in a row. We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning.

P90x Stretch

I'm falling behind again with these posts. So easy to do on a weekend.
Anyway, yesterday was stretch, with I'm really starting to appreciate and even show some gains in. I must be getting old.

P90x Kenpo

Overslept this morning, and since you can't really cut anything out of this workout, I ran late this morning and had to race around afterward.

I had a nice sweat, but I wasn't pouring it off like I had been. It was only 80ish this morning. I love how easy this workout is without having done legs first.

P90x Core Synergistics

Donating blood yesterday was a good thing to do, just not in relation to my workouts. Around 70% of the way through the workout, I was spent. I finished, but the rest was definitely at reduced capacity.

Prison cell push ups are so hard. How does Adam get 18!?! I get 7 and am happy.
Anytime I have to lie on my chest, I stop breathing and want to die when that exercise is over. I need to work on that.

P90x Rest/Stretch

As expected, yesterday ended up being a rest day. Not much else to say...I donated blood.

P90x Yoga

Today was supposed to be the last day of week 7, Rest/Stretch. I know tomorrow I might not get to workout, so I swapped the first day of recovery week in, just in case.

I'm going to refer to this a bad yoga day. My legs were still a tired and stiff from Sunday and because of allergies, my nose was running and my balance was awful.

So it goes.

P90x Kenpo

Got 2 on call calls last night/this morning. Getting up was crazy hard as was getting started. Thank god it wasn't plyo.

It was also slightly cooler this morning, so I didn't sweat through my shirt. Tomorrow is supposed to be Rest/Stretch, but I'll be swapping that with Yoga, day 1 of recovery, and taking Wednesday off. Game night tomorrow and we usually stay up way too late to workout the next morning.

P90x Legs and Back

Had a pretty good workout this morning. The 2 interruptions from my daughters early on gave me a couple extra minutes rest....always nice.

Recovery week is right around the corner. No more pull ups. Still lots of push ups, and double yoga. As my brother put it at one point, I do yoga 3 times in 8 days, or something like that. Still, my body will appreciate the changes as it has been feeling a bit beat up. I know the 4 weeks between this recovery and the last week of recovery is going to be a long haul, it always is.

P90x Yoga

Forgot to post yesterday. Too busy.

I had to abbreviate yoga a bit, probably cut out 15 minutes. I did work really hard during the vinyasas, etc and definitely felt it. I think I've been getting sloppy lately, so I paid extra attention to my form.

Busy day in the sun.

P90x Back and Biceps

Another tough on call night. 5 hours of sleep. Did pretty well, but definitely had a bit too much herking and jerking at the end.

Not much more to say today. Stat's below.

P90x Plyometrics

Felt pretty good getting up this morning. Once I got started it felt like I was carrying a 40lb weight.

I'm really curious what's been causing me to drag the past week or 2. I'm wondering if my body is desperate for a recovery week, or worse, after 10 months of P90x and insanity, it wants a break. We'll see since recovery is next week.

Maybe it's the weather, the heat and humidity. I don't know.

P90x Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

Ugh, had a terrible night. Stayed up too late, got a call from work just before midnight,and then the wife woke me at 4 because she was restless.
Like they say, I "just kept pressing play" I dragged a lot this morning, but put up some decent numbers.
My body is getting tired. I can't wait for Recovery next week.
I managed a dozen clap push ups today. Not bad.

P90x Stretch

I'm really starting to show improvements with this. I've still got a long way to go, but the floor is now sometimes within reach of my finger tips.

6 weeks down, 7 more to go.

P90x Kenpo

Yesterday was a busy day. Legs in the morning, playing in the park with the kids around lunchtime and then 2 hours in the pool with them, so I was completely wiped last night. Then the little one came to visit around 2 AM, always a good time.

Needless to say, I almost overslept this morning. It was tougher than usual, but I got a good sweat and hopefully loosened up my legs.

P90x Legs and Back

The first exercise, balance lunges is such a hard one to start with. I really struggle with it at the end. I'm still warming up.

Anyway, got a good sweat this morning and am happy it's done. We went to church last night, so hopefully we'll have a quiet, laid back Sunday.

P90x Yoga

Stupid cat woke me up again this morning. Doesn't it know it's Saturday and the kids were up late, so they should sleep late too?

I really struggled this morning for a while. Pushing hard with shoulders and arms was great, but I was pretty tight and sore this morning. So it goes. I feel great now.

P90x Back and Biceps

What a burn today. Having the day off, I got to sleep in a little and felt good going in. Brought it pretty hard, going up in a lot of the exercises.

I'm definitely still tired in the shoulders from CST a couple days ago. I think that holds me back a little.

Anyway, here are the stats:

P90x Plyometrics

14 hours after CST, in an 85 degree house, with enough humidity that it was almost foggy, I dove into Plyo, it was not pretty.

I was out of gas by jump knee tucks. There was no air to breath. I made it through, but it was far from my best performance.

When I was done, I took my shirt outside and wrung it out. There was at least a cup of sweat that came out of it, leaving a 2+ foot diameter puddle on my patio. I was still sweating when I got out of the shower.

P90X Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

What a day! 95+ degree heat and almost as much humidity. Got to bed a little after midnight, up at 4:30, an hour drive, hang around the hospital while my daughter does some tests, another hour drive home, a quick snack, off to grandmas to help my father put in a new vanity and help hang a new cabinet, then, finally home to do CST.

Not enough calories, even with the AC on, the room is around 85 degrees, and I'm totally exhausted...BROUGHT IT!

Went up or stayed the same in all exercises. I'm complete mush now and will be heading for the 90 degree pool, but I got it done and done well.
Stats:

P90x Stretch

I went to bed last night trying to decide if I should Stretch or do CST today as tomorrow looks to be a very busy day.

When I wokeup, my body was telling me stretch. Even at 5:30am, it was hot enough in CT to sweat while stretching. Wow. My brother just emailed me he was going to do Plyo outside...he must be nuts. I think the heat index is over 100.

Hopefully I'll find a way to fit CST in tomorrow, even if it is in the evening.
Stay cool.

P90x Kenpo

I think I actually sweat beer today. Here in CT, it was 90+ for the 4th of July, so it was a pretty heavy beer drinking day, homebrew is so good. I wasn't bad with what I ate, so I'm not feeling too guilty about that. Certainly wasn't the P90x diet, but there was plenty of fruit and not too much processed sugar.

Kenpo this morning wasn't a big deal. Worked up a decent sweat, loosened up my glutes, which were tighter than usual after legs, and now I'm off to prepare brunch for some out of state visitors.

Early Morning Workouts

Yesterday I was talking with my brother and he said how he had gotten up that morning and done yoga straight away. The exact quote was something like, "How the hell do you workout first thing in the morning?" My answer was "You get used to it."

As with just about anything, just doing it makes it easier. Your body and mind learn to adjust. So don't be intimidated by bad performance if you are working out first thing in the morning for the first time. Your body will adjust and you'll get back to your expected performance.

Early morning workouts have a lot of benefits. Your body is primed to burn calories all day long. You always get to workout at the same time each day, a big benefit if you have kids, and most importantly, you get it done. It's not hanging over you for the rest of the day. There are fewer things that can get in the way or distract you from getting your workout done.

P90x Legs and Back

What a sweat! Started at 7:00 AM and it was already pretty hot and stuffy. Allergies and back were once again torturing me, but brought it anyway. I feel good and am happy I got this in before I begin eating too much today.

Have a great 4th of July everyone!

P90x Yoga

Woke up and my back was still stiff. I'm getting tired of that.

I was a little unmotivated to start...the 1.5 hours is such a turn off for Yoga. Once I got going, I felt good, strong. As usual, I did all the push ups, but this time, they were easy. It's that whole muscle confusion thing again.

P90x Back and Biceps

What a great workout this morning. Hands and forearms were burning by the 5th exercise. I tried to be smart and went down in a lot of the weights, but will be returning to my previous dumbbells for a lot of the exercises next time.

Back is still a little stiff, but getting better, slowly. Hopefully yoga tomorrow will help.

The only problem with Back/Bis is setup/cleanup. I've got to drag out a ton of dumbbells and get the ladder I use for pull ups. The video may only be 52 minutes, but it still takes me an hour.

I'm afraid I'll be a preying mantis tomorrow because my bis will be so tight.

Almost forgot my stats:

P90x Plyometrics

Another day of Plyo. This is a great workout, that just doesn't seem to get easier. The pile of crap I ate at my wife's Tastefully Simple party last night probably didn't help.

I brought it and managed 45 and 35 on the jump knee tucks. Man is that hard and it makes the Mary Katharines afterward even more difficult.

Looking ahead, I've got legs and back on the 4th. I almost hope there won't be a basketball game.

EDIT: I almost forgot, I've been using a folder up chair for swing kicks, so today I finally swapped it out for a bar stool. 12 seconds in, I knock it over.

P90x Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

If you've been reading this blog, you know this is the workout I like the least. I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning, determined to bring it and I did. My numbers weren't as great as last time, and I reduced some dumbbells a little, but I pushed hard and had a much better workout than I expected.

It's been 6 hours and I'm starting to feel it already. Gonna be sore tomorrow. Had a decent go with Ab Ripper completing over 300 of the 349 moves. Considering my lower back is still sore, I was satisfied with those numbers.

Here are my stats:


I'm looking forward to pushing harder next time and returning most of my dumbbell weights to their previous highs.

P90x Rest

I really wanted to stretch this morning as my back is still tight, but I just didn't make it out of bed early enough, or with enough motivation. So today became a rest day.

Tomorrow is CST(Chest/Shoulders/Tris). After previewing it earlier today, I remember hating it even more.

P90x Yoga

As I feared, not enough time to get everything in. As usual, I made it through the first half and select parts of the second.

Tomorrow is my last day of recovery before starting phase 2. I really don't like phase 2. Chest/Shoulders/Tris (CST) sucks. Back and Bis isn't bad. I have to be honest, I don't miss my inability to do pull ups either.

Lower back is still stiff. Better than yesterday, but not great. Hopefully tomorrow's stretch will help.

P90x Core Synergistics

What a great workout that is. I was a bit sluggish getting up this morning and have to do a little work this morning, so I kept with the regular schedule and did Core this morning. My lower back is still tight, so I was hoping this would help loosen it up. It didn't bother me much during the workout, but is already getting tight now. Maybe I'll have to do stretch again tonight.

Started strong, 30 of the staggered push ups. By the end, I was sucking wind bad. It is HOT and Humid here, even in the morning, so I was sweating buckets. On top of that, my body has gotten used to working out starting at 5 and eating breakfast around 6:30. If I sleep in a bit and don't workout till 6:30 or 7:00, I'm HUNGRY partway through the workout and will sometimes run out of gas toward the end. I was borderline today.

Loving my protein shake now.

P90x Stretch

Thank god today was stretch day. Yesterday afternoon my back started tightening up and this morning it was tied in knots. Worse than it has been in over a year. Struggled through a few of the stretches, but it definitely helped. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is Core, followed by Yoga on Monday. I'm thinking of switching them so I can be sure to have the time to complete yoga. My only concern is a bunch of push ups for core, a day of rest, and then starting Chest/Shoulders/Tris(CST for short), my least favorite workout.

P90x Kenpo

Had yesterday and today off, so we packed as much as we could into it. Discovery Museum, Mall, and over an hour in the pool. After hopping around in there, while holding both of my kids, my legs were tired this morning. They were ok for Kenpo, but much to my surprise, my lower back tightened up, a lot. I'm not sure if I did it in kenpo, the pool, or is related to something from core. Anyway I look at it, it's tight and the wife wants to spend an hour in the car today. Gonna be a long day.

Time for breakfast, and then the beach.

P90x Core Synergistics

Today was Core Synergistics. Another workout I enjoy. It was 80+ degrees and 1000% humidity in my family room. I'm dripping like I just got out of the pool.

Prison cell push ups and plank to chataranga run, so challenging. I'll do it again in a couple days.

I do enjoy recovery week. When I first started P90x, it was so hard. Now, while it is challenging, my body appreciates the change of pace.

P90x Yoga

Day one of recovery week. I managed to get up early enough to do yoga, which is the appropriate workout. I felt good today. My push ups were strong and other than a little pain in my right shoulder, which I've had for years, everything was good.

I still need to work on that last set of vinyasas.

P90x Rest

I overslept a bit this morning and while I doubted I'd get to Stretch tonight, I waited till I was sure I wouldn't get to it to post.
So today is a rest day.
Tomorrow starts recovery week. If I get up early enough, it will be yoga as scheduled. Since I have Thursday off, if I oversleep a little, I'll switch Core and Yoga and do Core tomorrow and Yoga Thursday.

P90x Kenpo

Yesterday was a very busy day. After legs in the morning, my wife joined me a little later for Ab Ripper X...she hates me today. Then it was race around to setup for Father's day. Needless to say, I was wiped out by last night.

I really like Kenpo after legs. I know I've said it before, but it really works for me. Legs are STIFF today, so Kenpo loosen them a little.

I've decided I really don't care for Wesley Idol. The workout isn't that hard, but he's just not bringing it. Even more annoying to me is the fact he has trouble keeping pace. His timing is frequently off. Certainly, he doesn't teach kenpo as a cardio workout, so all this can be forgiven, even if it does annoy the crap out of me.

Stretch tomorrow and then recovery week!

P90x Legs/Back

Another great workout today. I was slow to start, but once I got going, had a great workout. Sometimes I think this is mental and directly related to the amount of sweat on my shirt. Well today, being a bit warmer and more humid than it has been, I don't have a dry article of clothing on my body.

Off to prepare for all the Father's Day guests and for any fathers reading this, Happy Father's Day!

Future Workout Routines

Yesterday a friend mentioned he had heard about Beachbody making a new P90x. I was immediately excited as I really enjoy the routines, but a little variety could certainly spice things up.

A little Google-Fu and I found part of a video from a Beachbody Coach event.

At around 6:30 of the way in, they start talking about what we want to hear about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex8lgqX2aPw

Highlights include
1. Late 2010/early 2011 - Insanity Sequel - I don't see how they can make this much harder without real concern for injuries.

2. They will also start work on a Shaun T one-on-one series(Insanity Asylum), with monthly videos.

3. At some point(Soon I think), they will start releasing Volume 3 of one on one with Tony Horton, however, they are rebranding it as P90x one on one.

4. Those videos will contain segments of the creation of P90x Next. He talks about more muscle confusion, but holds that the setup of P90x just works. I saw somewhere else online they mention it will be another 12 DVDs, so a whole new regime. Unfortunately, that won't be out till Fall 2011. I can hardly wait.

P90x Yoga

Woke up feeling pretty good this morning. Got through the first half with minimal problems. I doubt I'll ever be great at it, but I'm making very slow improvements.

I finally managed to finish a complete yoga workout. No soccer or other time limits. Both kids got up during it, but were good, so that always makes it easier.

P90x Shoulders/Arms

Another workout I'm going to miss. Such a good workout that I enjoy doing. The only complaint I have is setup/cleanup. I use 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 lb dumbbells. They're a pain in the but to drag out.

I was afraid after mowing 2 lawns yesterday that I would be having severe allergy problems today, but it looks like the zyrtec kicked in as I feel pretty good and went up in a lot of exercises.

Here are today's stats:

P90x Plyometrics

Having today off, I slept in a little...an extra 30 minutes. I expected to wake up feeling pretty refreshed and ready to go. That could not have been further from the truth. I felt like I was trying to start an old car that had been sitting for years today.

I've been blaming allergies for the past couple weeks, so I finally started taking Zyrtec to see if that would help. No dice so far. I'll give it another couple days.

As much as I struggled, I worked insanely hard. In fact, I sweat more than I did for Insanity. My shirt could not have been more wet if I thrown it in a pool.

Recovery next week, so that means a week off from plyo. I'll miss it, I enjoy kicking my own but. By the way, for the record, 46 Jump Knee Tucks on the first pass and 36 on the second! Now I just need to work on getting my knees higher.

P90x Chest/Back

This is one of my favorite workouts, which makes me sad since I don't do it again till week 9! That's right, 6 weeks. That sucks. So made made sure I brought it today, going up in almost every chest exercise.

I want to add a note here about pull ups. At 6'-3" and 250lbs, pull ups are definitely on the things I want to do better list. So to further that goal, I go very slow, especially on the negative...several people have posted on the P90x forums that this is the best way to make good gains at pull ups. It has definitely helped me. I can do 2 chin ups now.

Here are today's stats:



It's hard to believe recovery week is right around the corner.

P90x Stretch X

I was really happy to head to bed early last night so I could get up and get this in. I feel great now, very relaxed.

I want to add, this is a great workout. My glutes were still tight when I started, but feel so much better now. My hamstrings are looser than they've been in weeks as well.

P90x Kenpo

I really enjoy the combo of Legs/Back followed by Kenpo. I'm ALWAYS sore after legs and Kenpo really does a nice job of helping stretch me out. They have to be paired this way for that reason.

Here is a little P90x trivia. Did you know KenpoX was originally billed as a boxing video. I think it was XBox...Ironic, it's pretty far from a video game. Anyway, do a youtube search for the making of p90x and you'll find a series of clips. At least one of them uses that name when discussing the workouts.

Stretch tomorrow, hopefully I'll get it done.

P90x Legs/Back

I don't know what it is about this workout. I really enjoy it. It's hard, but not so hard that you're dying or you want to quit. For me, it goes fast too.

Added some dumbbells in this week for a few of the exercises. I also added shrugs during the slow part of the calf raises. All in all, a great workout, hopefully enough to work off all the beer I drank and crap I ate at a picnic yesterday.

P90x Yoga

I didn't miss this workout yesterday, I did, once again, run out of time and have to cut it short. Fortunately, it was the last week of soccer, so next time I should be able to do the whole thing.

I worked through the first half and then ran out of time. I had hoped to come back to it after soccer, but that didn't happen. So it goes, I got the hard part done.

P90x Shoulders & Arms

Wow, what a great day! Brought it and pushed hard. Added the 40's in for a couple exercises and moved a couple biceps to 35s. Surprised myself a little.

Another early soccer game for my daughter tomorrow, hopefully I can get up early enough to get all of yoga in.

P90x Plyometrics

Woke up feeling good this morning. Brought it!

I have to say that Insanity definitely helped my cardio capacity. I'm still working with plyo as there is a lot of power associated with so many of the moves. But I'm able to catch my breath better than before.

There aren't any stats to keep for Plyo, but my brother and I still compete with at least one exercise, Jump Knees Tucks(JKTs). Today I got 45 on the first round, I went the whole 30 seconds without stopping. The second round I made it to 30 before taking a quick breather and then tacking 5 more on for a total of 35. A very good showing. Now I have to work on getting my knees higher.

P90x Rest/Stretch

Unfortunately, yesterday ended up being a rest day. I really wanted to get stretch in, but by time the kids were in bed and I had helped my wife with her math homework, it was bedtime.

P90x Chest/Back

Alright, yes, I'm messing a little with the order. I'll be up late tonight and won't have time tomorrow morning to workout. So in case I don't get to workout at all, I shifted rest/stretch to tomorrow and did chest/back a day earlier. No big deal.

I brought it big time this morning. My body is already getting back in the groove. Net increase of 20 push ups and 10 more on my knees(diamonds). Also went up a dumbbell size.

Here are the stats:

P90x Day 6 Kenpo X

Woke up this morning and my legs, particularly my hamstrings and glutes were pretty tight. I definitely felt them during the Saunder's Cycle at the beginning. But that helped loosen them up as did all the kicking.

My brother(who also does P90x) and I have considered swapping out kenpo in favor of something more difficult. Lets face it, this is not a hard workout. But it does do a great job of helping recover from legs and back, which is the day before. So we leave it in, and are happy for an easier day.

Stretch tomorrow, every time I say I'm going to do it, and every time I sleep in. Lets see what happens tomorrow.

P90x Day 5 Legs/Back

I like this workout. It's hard, but doable. The only problem is I hurt the next day...even after doing 2 straight rounds of P90x, this workout still left me sore every time.

Tomorrow will be no different. My legs were a little stiff going in and halfway through, my hamstrings were already starting to feel tight. I dread tomorrow and the next day.

I'm already tired of summer, I sweat so much this morning, I was dripping on the floor.

I did skip the weights for all exercises today, except calves. I also merged a shrug in with the slow calf raises.

P90x Day 4 Yoga

Time was tight yesterday morning, so I didn't get a chance to post, but I did get yoga in. I had to skip a couple moves or we would have been late for soccer, but so it goes.

Yes, yoga is hard, but at the end, I felt great. Fairly well stretched out and relaxed.

P90x Day 3 Shoulders/Arms

My chest and back are still extremely sore. The jumping jacks during warm up were actually painful until I got warmed up. Legs feel pretty good, with a little soreness settling into my glutes.

I like shoulders and arms. It's not a terribly difficult workout, but you can get great results if you put the effort in. It's 4 rounds, each with a shoulder, then bicep, then tricep exercise. Repeat them, move on. There is also a 5th, bonus, round. Did it all, definitely lost a little, but also could have pushed a little harder. Stats are below.

I'm looking forward to yoga tomorrow. I know it's long, I know it's hard, but I also know I'll feel so much better afterward. My biggest problem is my daughter has an 8 am soccer game. Not sure if I'll be able to get up early enough.

P90x Day 2 Plyometrics

Wow, lets start by saying I brought it hard yesterday and definitely feel it today, a lot. Chest and back are stiff and sore, shoulder joints hurt from all the push ups. I can't wait to get my push up mojo back. I understand why people who have never worked out a lot quit here.

Let me start by saying, after completing Insanity, I expected Plyo to be a piece of cake....I could not have been more wrong. I'm still having allergy issues, and the humidity was like drowning. Plyo, while much more slower paced than Insanity, has a lot more power requirements. Lots more squatting/lunging/jumping. On the upside, I only had to stop for a couple seconds once or twice to catch my breath...right after Jump Knee Tucks(the mother of all P90x exercises), and this was probably from allergies.

I really like Tony. He does a great job of acting as an instructor and he does a much better warm up/cool down than Insanity. With Insanity, I swear you needed to warm up before starting the video.

Anyway, I can feel my glutes already getting tight. Tomorrow morning is going to be brutal, I expect that, and I know that's when a lot of people quit After day 2, everything hurts. But things start to settle down with day 3, get through the first week and you're well on your way.

P90x Day 1 - Chest/Back

Wow, that was a lot harder than I remember. I had to be very careful with the shoulder I hurt as I could definitely feel its weakness. despite the night I had, I still put up pretty respectable numbers.

Got to bed at 1:30am, and my daughter threw up at 2:30, 3:45, and 4:45. Then got up at 6:30. The wife was wiped out, so I let her sleep in a bit. It helps that I have the day off.

Had a terrible allergy cough develop halfway through. Hacked up lots of phlem, which will help in the long run, but even now, 30 minutes later, my belly is not happy.

Here are my numbers, I'm trying to publish a google spreadsheet. Results from last round and now this one. Don't forget, I took a week off after the last round, then did Insanity, and then took another week, so I have had some rest.

Day 62 - Fit Test

Officially done!

Here are my fit test stats, first week and last week
Switch kicks 102 123
Power Jacks 43 58
Power Knees 66 98
Power Jumps 32 40
Globe Jumps 8 9
Suicide Jumps 12 15
Push up Jacks 23 31
Plank Oblique 38 56

Overall I'm happy I did Insanity. I'm not sure I'll do it again. I'm still considering mixing some of this into P90x. Haven't made any decisions yet.

I'm anticipating starting P90x Tuesday or Wednesday. A little sooner than I wanted, but I can't lie around too long.

Day 61 - Max Cardio Conditioning

Yesterday, it was 93 degrees and humid when I got home from work. It thunder stormed overnight, lowering the heat a little, but it was still 82 in my family room this morning...never mind the humidity.

I started sweating just putting my sneakers on. Managed a good, LAST workout. I still have a fit test tomorrow, but the Insanity is pretty much over.

I'm happy I was able to complete it, but I don't know that I will do it again. Unlike P90x, I do not think this is sustainable long term.

Day 60 - Max Interval Plyo

Man has this week been hard. I'm not sure if it's my body breaking down, the added humidity, the fact there is no recovery workout, or all of the above. Any way you look at it, this has been a TOUGH week.

I was a pool of sweat today. There was not a dry article of clothing on my body when I finished. Still, it feels good to know I'm almost done.

Day 59 - Max Interval Sports Training

I felt a little better today. Still tired, but since this workout isn't as hard as the other 3, I had a better mental outlook at well.

2 days to go. I'm definitely doing P90x next, I night hybridize it with Insanity, not sure. I'm trying to blend the P90x diet, Insanity diet, and what I believe/like/will eat into something useful. More on that to come....it's all in the prep.

I will continue to blog about that as well.

Day 58 - Max Interval Circuit

I'm done. It's like I didn't even get my rest day. This morning's workout was brutal. When I finished, there was not a dry piece of clothing on my body, and the hand towel I use was wet as well. I'm not sure if the humidity has risen, or I'm just having to work harder, but I'm wiped.

I have been concentrating more on using my core and I'm definitely feeling that, so I'm still improving on that at least.

Day 57 - Max Cardio Conditioning

Yesterday I mowed/bagged the grass, spread the clippings in the garden, and then worked in there, planting a couple dozen plants. My allergies are killing me today. Sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and tight chest, no air to breath. I'm like a allergy medicine commercial.

Warm up was definitely slow, but I did finish. Can't wait to complete Insanity.

Day 56 - Max Interval Plyo

I really pushed it hard at the beginning of this workout. Worked at getting as many push ups as I could and focused on keeping my core tight. It wiped me for later. With 15 minutes left, I was done. I brought as much as I could for the rest of the workout and can honestly say this is the hardest I've worked in any Insanity workout.

Day 55 - Rest

Another well earned rest day. My last one. Six more workouts and I can proudly say I completed Insanity. This looks to be a hard week, with no Recovery day in the middle.

Day 54 - Max Interval Sports Training

Still haven't recovered fully from staying up so late the other day, but still got a decent workout in.
There are some "football" floor exercises that are absolutely brutal. The 2 minute basketball "suicide" drill really wipes me out for cardio.

Rest tomorrow and then the last week.

Day 53 - Max Interval Circuit

Today I officially crossed a line. I got to bed shortly after 1:30 this morning. Since my body is used to waking up around 5:00, it did. I rolled over and told myself 20 minutes more and if I wake up, I'd Dig Deep and get it done.

I might have dug to China. So with less than 4 hours of sleep, I did the workout and only crashed a little at the very end. This is probably the "easiest" of the core three you do this round. It's still an ass kicker. One more this week and then rest.

Day 52 - Max Recovery

Today was my last Max Recovery...man does next week look hard!

I struggled a bit today, my shoulders got tired more quickly than usual. Then I remembered I gave blood and spent an hour+ raking my garden yesterday. That pretty much explained it. I'm going to be up late tonight, which makes tomorrow morning so much more challenging, if I can even get up.

Day 51 - Max Cardio Conditioning

I have the day off today, but really needed to get the workout done this morning. I had a good start with Max Cardio Conditioning, but both my daughters got up as I was finishing it. Since I had to get them breakfast, and ready for school, I had to skip Insane Abs....can't say I'm sorry about that as it is total murder after the other workout.

I might try to fit abs in tonight or tomorrow. We'll see, but no promises.

Day 50 - Max Interval Plyo

This is the hardest workout. In the first 2 circuits, you're on the ground for half of them. The last exercise being 16 pushups, 16 mountain climbers, twice.

I had a real hard time committing to getting started, but once I got warmed up, I dug deep and had a great workout. My back is still sore, but not as bad,so once it gets warmed up, it isn't killing me, just annoying.

10 days left. I think I've almost figured out what I intend to do next.

Day 49 - Max Interval Circuit

Today was supposed to be another fit test. Skipped it. I struggle enough with the workouts. I did have a good day today. Rest day did my body well. My back is still bothering me, but otherwise, I felt good.

I made it almost to the end of the first circuit with a break. The last set of ski abs, jack push ups, etc I had to take a break during.

What is it about this set of videos and women's names, they almost all start with A:
Arial
Anna
Amanda
Angelique
Ashley
I think there was one more too. And there's the guy, Akeil.

Day 48 - Max Interval Sports Training

According to the schedule, I have my choice today of Core Cardio and Balance, again, or Max Interval Sports Training(MIST). I went with MIST even though it was an hour. I liked it. Some tough exercises, but plenty of rest.

My back is still very sore, so there were a couple exercises it got in the way of. Otherwise, not too bad, Not a ton of impact either, lots of hopping, not as much jumping.

Rest tomorrow and definitely needed.

Day 47 - Max Cardio Conditioning & Insane Abs

I've figured out what my problem with Insanity is. I don't have a workout I particularly like, since they are all so similar. That gives me nothing to look forward to except finishing. So it goes, I'll suck it up, stop complaining, dig deep, and finish.

Today brought the addition of Insane Abs. 33 minutes of abs. Yup, I said 33! It's a nice video to watch, since I did that 40-50% of the time. How he expects another 30 minutes of effort after Cardio Conditioning eludes me. Some great exercises and I certainly did them all, just not all of them. I'm sure I'll be feeling it shortly.

Day 46 - Max Recovery

This workout is so different, no jumping or high impact exercises. It's still work, but not as grinding. Lots of squats/lunges/planks/push ups. I will admit I'm tired of push ups EVERY day. It's really beginning to stress my shoulders.

Adding Abs back in tomorrow.

Day 45 - Max Interval Plyo

I really didn't have it today. Took me forever to get started. I was afraid I'd be calling it in for the whole workout. Once I finally got going, I did well.

I pulled a muscle, to the left of my spine, about shoulder blade height. It is uncomfortable to breath and big jumps and push ups kill me until I get going. Amazingly, I improved on push ups.

Day 44 - Max Interval Circuit

This one has a couple really challenging sequences that absolutely wreck you. Right out of the gate, I think the second exercise, you're on the ground for ski abs, push up abs, in/out abs, and one more. Then in the last sequence, when you can barely move, back down for 8 mountain climbers, 4 moving push ups, and 8 oblique push ups.

I was surfing the TV last night and QVC was selling P90x. Tony was on. I'm enjoying Insanity, but miss the well roundedness P90x. I will probably merge the programs for what I do next.

Happy Mother's day to any mom's who happen to see this.

Day 43 - Max Cardio Conditioning

I hate it when my workout time gets bumped around, especially in the morning. I didn't get to start till 8:40, which means no breakfast till late, which usually means I run out of gas during the workout. I definitely did better than last time.

For a cardio workout, there sure is plenty of time on the floor. The push up exercises really tax you.

When I do this again on Wednesday, Cardio Abs or Insane Abs gets tacked on the end...I can hardly wait.

Day 42 - Rest

Another rest day. It couldn't get here fast enough. Three weeks to go.

My body definitely needed the rest. It's still tired today, but healing a bit. Hopefully my legs will get there strength back.

Day 41 - Max Interval Plyo

This one is just plain old hard. There is a ton of leg strength stuff followed up by a bunch of ground work. All kinds of pushups.

This is the end of my first week and while I did better than the last time I did this workout, my legs were feeling it. My body can't wait for rest tomorrow. I did have to modify 2 exercises. I've finally learned that my knees don't like jumping up and down on one foot repeatedly. So for the single leg exercises that had a hop at the end, I didn't do the hop.

2/3 of the way done.

Day 40 - Max Interval Circuit

Tough day today. I have it off, so I slept in a bit and by time the kids were off to school, it was almost 9 and I hadn't eaten yet. I made the decision to workout then, instead of eating and waiting. I crashed midway through the last segment....could just be I couldn't do it also. I'm not sure.

This really is a grueling workout. The new warm up is hard and the first circuit has a brutal plank/push up/ground work combo that really taxes you. After that, there are exercises that should be relatively easy, except for the fact Insanity has mopped the floor with you.

Day 39 - Max Recovery

I'd love to see Shaun T's definition of recovery. While there was no jumping around or high impact stuff, there was plenty of sweat. Tons of planks and push ups. I did lay off the last set of 16 slow push ups as I could feel my shoulder getting funny and I really don't want to chance reinjuring it.

I woke up feeling good and still feel that way. As I expected, my body is adjusting to the workouts. For those of you who have done P90x, this was very reminiscent of the first time I did Yoga. Lots of uncomfortable holding and breathing.

Recovery Tip - Shakes

I'm breaking away from my daily updates to talk for a minute about recovery. In P90x, Tony always pushes the P90x recovery drink. Shaun T also pushes a recovery drink, which I believe is the same as the P90x one. It is supposed to be a VERY good drink, both in taste and nutrients. I can't afford it. After doing some research, it is 1 part protein to 4 parts carbs(sugars). Many people substitute chocolate milk as it has that same ratio.

I like to use milk, protein powder, frozen blue berries, and frozen strawberries. Obviously the powder provides the protein and while I haven't measured it out, the berries contribute a fair bit of sugar. I also feel I get some other benefits out of this as berries are a great source of fiber and anti-oxidants.

After experimenting in P90x, a recovery drink really does make a difference when taken shortly after working out. It reduces soreness and restores energy levels much quicker than food. I felt it was important to put this down for anyone who is following this and not drinking something.

Now go Dig Deep or Bring It!

Day 38 - Max Cardio Conditioning

I'm not capable of putting into words how I feel right now. I have today and the next couple days off, so I should be able to recover. After the past week of painting and laying the laminate floor in my family room, I would have been wiped. Throw the second month of Insanity on top of that and I'm struggling to move.

This is the hour long counterpart to Pure Cardio, but it does include some ground work. He really does a fantastic job of combining moves and beating the hell out of you. It took me 30 minutes to build up the effort to start and the warm up almost did me in. After that, every move was effort. I did finish and look forward to Max Recovery tomorrow.

Day 37 - Max Interval Plyo

This has been the hardest routine to date. So many power exercises and so much ground work(Push up variations). I could ring my shirt out, never mind the puddle I left outside.

Extremely tough start today. I spent all day yesterday finishing the flooring, putting down the trim, dragging all the furniture back into the room.

I am so tired. Big time cardio tomorrow!

Day 36 - Max Internval Circuit

So today starts month 2 and a whole new set of videos, which now jump to 60ish minutes long. Today was supposed to be the Fit test and Max Interval Training(MIT). After previewing the workout, I opted to skip the fit test. Good thing I did. I really don't see how you could do both and have anything left after the warm up of MIT.

I was slow and sluggish from laying laminate flooring yesterday, so it took me a little longer to get started, but once I did, I dug deep, and made it all the way to China. I don't know how to describe this other than say it is ridiculously hard. I spent a fair amount of time watching all the floor work as there is a ton of it. On the up side, after this, I'm pretty sure my shoulder is almost all better. Tomorrow is supposed to be more floor work...great.

Day 35 - Rest

Another rest day. Which is great, except for the fact I start month 2 tomorrow and based on what my brother has been telling me, I'm scared. We'll see.

Finished painting yesterday, so no more ladder, now it's just going to be laying laminate flooring tonight and tomorrow, after the workout.

Day 34 - Core Cardio and Balance

The end of Recovery week is here and I'm scared of what next week holds. I took it a little easier today than previously this week as I have a busy night, up and down the ladder painting.

Day 33 - Core Cardio and Balance

One more after this. I woke up this morning completely wiped out. We are painting our family room which has a cathedral ceiling, so I was up the ladder, down the ladder for a few hours yesterday. Add to that some very high spots where I was way too tense standing on top of the A frame and my body was feeling it.

I seriously considered skipping, but in the end, sucked it up and did it. I did skip the hop on one leg 4 times, switch, repeat as that is starting to bother my knee. I had the same problem with Hot Foot during Plyo in P90x.

One more of these and then the true test begins.

Day 32 - Core Cardio and Balance

Not much I can say about this today. After 4 straight days, I don't have much to add except I am now officially more than halfway done!

Since I was off today, I did this late morning. My wife kept laughing at me as I was panting and sweating all over. Then she would add, "This is your EASY workout?"

Day 31 -Core Cardio and Balance

Round 3 of this today. I took the day off to help my wife with some stuff, so I got to do this workout later in the morning, around 11.

It's still hard, not unbelievably, like the other workouts, but the hip flexor and shoulder exercises make me doubt even finishing it completely through.

I stumbled on this today, it is a review of each of the Insanity workouts.
http://blog.extremefitnessresults.com/product-reviews/insanity-workout-reviews/insanity-workout-reviews-2/

Day 30 - Core Cardio and Recovery

Round 2 of Core Cardio and Recovery. I woke up this morning and my hip flexors were soar and stiff from yesterday. It was a bit of a struggle to get started, as it has been a lot lately, but I did well.

I made it most of the way through without stopping. My shoulder is feeling better, so I made it through the push ups and walking plank. I finally crashed on the hip flexor exercises.

Day 29 - Core Cardio and Recovery

This is the start of recovery week. This workout six consecutive times. I like it on the first pass through, hopefully I will after 5 more.

There is no high intensity pounding, which is what my body needs. At the end, my shirt was almost as wet as a regular Insanity Workout.

Day 28 - Rest

Rest day, glorious rest day. My body has really been feeling it this week. I'm not sure if it is the 4 weeks of pounding on it, or the fact my allergies have been getting hammered. I heard on the radio the other day that the measurement of pollen in the air is rated 1-12 and that CT was at 12. That explains a lot.

Anyway tomorrow I start Cardio Core and Balance. I'm anxious to see how it goes.

Day 27 - Cardio Circuit

I overslept this morning, almost had to postpone the workout. I was obviously tired and my legs let me know. They felt like they were full of lead. My father used to say my brother was "harder to start than an old buick", when trying to get him up for school. I felt like that today.

It took me most of the warm up to get going, but I dug deep and didn't stop for a breather till the push ups, which is pretty standard for me. I did several sets of the push ups normal, so my shoulder is definitely healing, slowly.

Rest tomorrow, can't wait. Six straight days really wears me down. Fit test weeks aren't as bad.

Day 26 - Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

I took a vacation day today, so I slept in a bit and did my workout late morning.
I had expected to perform better since I had eaten breakfast, but it didn't really make a difference. I did take the opportunity to do it outside, which was a nice change.
Tomorrow is Cardio Circuit and my last day of Month 1.

Day 25 - Cardio Recovery

This was my last Cardio Recovery. The squats aren't bad, except the really long hold. The lunges are a bit more difficult for me.

I'm excited, but also nervous about finishing month one. 2 workouts left and then recovery week.

Day 24 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I am dumb. In addition to doing extreme workout programs and playing D&D, I have another hobby, that attempts to shift me back to the cool side of hobbies....homebrewing beer. Yesterday was my daughter's first communion and we had a party and I brewed beer for it. Over the course of the day, 5 or 6 of us drank all five liters of the keg I brewed, equal to around 50 bottles. I was probably in the 8-10 range. Even after drinking several glasses of water, I was a bit slow to get up and get started this morning.

I took a while to get warmed up, and did have to push pretty hard to keep up, but in the end, got the workout in and am happy I did. I feel much better, even if I am wiped out.

Day 23 - Cardio Power and Resistance

I just finished my last Cardio Power and Resistance workout. Can't say I'm sad to see it go. It's hard, actually, they're all hard.

I took a peak ahead at month 2, I'm scared.

My body is desperate for recovery week. My legs are TIRED.

Day 22 - Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

After eating crap for 2 days and mixing in my rest day, I was happy to workout today. I definitely paid for the beer, wings, nachos, wine and pizza today. Interestingly, my legs are still tired. I'm not sure why, the only difference in the past few days has been playing soccer in the backyard with the kids and a long walk I took with the wife the other night...Surprisingly, I think it was the walk.

This is my last week before recovery week, which will be the halfway point.

Day 21 - Rest

Today is the official end of week 3. I needed the day off. I will say I am definitely making some gains. Just running around the yard with the kids is much easier. Of course, much of this is p90x related as well but I can't comment since that was mostly winter time.

I've said it 100 times already, but I really need to buckle down on the diet. I'm leaving so much on the table with regards to weight loss and probably general health.

Day 20 - Cardio Circuit

We are definitely in allergy season. After 37 years of it, I recognize the car parked on top of me every morning as a result of pollen.

My body was also tired today, particularly my legs were heavy. I'm happy tomorrow is a rest day as I need it. With the kids spending the night at the in-laws, I even have the chance of sleeping in a little. Which means I'll be up at 5:30 or 6:00.

Day 19 - Cardio Power and Resistance

I think I've decided I like this one the least. Probably because it is the most challenging. Right from the start, during warm up, you're doing power moves.

On the upside, I was able to do a few regular push ups on my knees, so my shoulder is slowly improving, so that is good news.

The funniest thing during all the workouts are these little notes that flash up on the bottom of the screen. Things like keep core tight, you're jumping around like a madman, you can't see that unless you're sucking wind. My favorite comes during the 30 second breaks, it says "keep moving around" and on the video, half the people are sitting/lying on the floor trying to breath.

Tomorrow will wrap up week 3 for me.

Day 18 - Cardio Recovery

I definitely needed a slower day today. My legs were beat yesterday. Unfortunately, I stayed up a little too late last night and was dragging getting started this morning. On the up side, this is the shortest workout at only 33 minutes.

Other than holding the squats/lunges, I had a good workout. I still need to work on holding them.

Day 17 - Pure Cardio and Abs

I'm still recovering a little from my cold and throw some yard work and allergies on top of that and I really struggled today. Just getting started was the hardest part. After hacking through the first 10 minutes, all the crap in my chest loosened up and I had a pretty decent workout.

One thing I really like about pure cardio is you don't repeat anything. So if you're bad at something, or it's really hard, just struggle through and know you don't have to go back to it.

Abs still poses a challenge, but this was only my second go around with it.

My Apologies

I just want to apologize to anyone who just got 1/2 a dozen bizarre postings about vampires, Moil, Sigil, and a host of other things. In addition to maintaining this blog, I also maintain a Dungeons & Dragons one.

Day 16 - Cardio Circuit

What a struggle to get started. I've been dragging from a cold. I've always thought the best way to get rid of a cold is to burn it out. I will be surprised if I have much left after this. I could feel it sweating out of me during the first half.

Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow for Pure Cardio and Abs.
For the record, I made it to the first round of pushups before taking a break.

Day 15 - Fit Test

Dug much deeper today than the first time, some significant improvements which are even more impressive since I have a cold and am hacking up phelm.

Exercise First Time Today
Switch Kicks 102 120
Power Jacks 43 54
Power knees 66 92(I switched legs 1/2way through)
Power Jumps 32 33
Globe Jumps 10 8 (I must have miscounted the first time)
Suicide Jumps 12 13
Push Up Jacks 23 27
Low Plank Oblique 38 48

I did have to change the angle of my push up to use more shoulder, but still respectable.

Day 14 - Rest

Today is a rest day and thank god it is. My boss was in town last night so a bunch of us headed out to dinner. Had a rich meal and several beers. Throw allergy problems in and I'm struggling today.

Day 13 Pure Cardio/Cardio Abs

13 hours later and I'm back at it. I was not ready. Struggled a bit through pure cardio, not terribly, but a little.

Cardio Abs was another story. Between just seeing the stuff for the first time and being wiped, I struggled anytime my feet had to come off the group. I definitely feel it in my core.

Rest day tomorrow. Well earned after the past 14 hours.

Day 12 - Cardio Power and Resistance

Had a late night last night, didn't get to bed till 1:30am. Needless to say, I missed this morning's workout. I did manage to squeeze it in after work.
Not my best performance, the lack of sleep and 3pm cookie break at work did me in.

Pure Cardio and Abs tomorrow morning, I hope I can recover in time.

Day 11 - Cardio Recovery

I was looking forward to an easier day as my legs are definitely feeling it. While this is easier, the squat/lunge sequence is tough. I did sweat less and enjoyed the shorter 33 minute workout.

Off to get ready for work.

Day 10 - Cardio Circuit

I was a little confused today as the workout sheet says Cardio Circuit. I don't have a video named Cardio Circuit. I have Plyometric Cardio Circuit, but that is also listed on the sheet. Not wanted to miss a morning workout, I did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit video.

Had a great workout despite what I ate yesterday. I made it all the way through the first circuit without breaking, other than to wipe seat off my head, but that was between exercises.

Halfway through week 2 and I'm showing some good improvements. Also on the up side, the shoulder I hurt is definitely starting to heal as there is less pain when I use it. Hopefully it will be up for the second round when things get tougher. Off to shower.

Day 9 - Pure Cardio

It's slowly coming together. I made it through the warm up and all the way to the third exercise before I needed a quick breather/water. Longer than a couple people on the video.

I swear, during the third round of the warm up, they speed the video up. He's just so fast and explosive.

Pure Cardio, a good choice for the amount I'll eat today. Happy Easter.

Day 7/8 - Cardio Power & Resistance

Today was the start of week 2. In looking at the calendar, I realized I should have counted the Fit Test as Day 1, so this is actually Day 8.

I think I like this one best so far. The power jacks during warm ups and power jumps in the first round a brutal, but for the most part, I can keep up. Looking forward to see how I do in a couple more weeks.

Day 6 - Rest

A well deserved rest day. Nothing else to report.

Day 5 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

So now we start repeating workouts. To be honest, I don't see much difference between a lot of them. Many of them have overlapping exercises.

Enough complaining, as I had hoped/expected, I'm starting to see some improvement. Made it through warm ups without wanting to die. My ankles are definitely getting stronger as they took longer to get sore and I was able to work through it. Made it to the push up section without much rest, then sucked wind. The in and outs toward the end are absolutely brutal.

I blew out my achilles tendon 3 years ago, completely ruptured it. I wasn't a good boy post op and I've had a little swelling in that leg ever since. I've been told some of it is a result of weakness. Well after 2 rounds of p90x and this, the swelling is almost completely gone. Still missing some strength in the calf.

Day 4 - Pure Cardio

I have to admit I was dreading and excited about this one at the same time. Excited since I was looking for a break from push ups and other heavy leg exercises(the bug jump ones). Dreading, because it's pure cardio.

It's not a whole lot different than most of the other videos. I think the warm up was actually easier. I got a nice break with 2 minutes left in the stretch sequence when my laptop crashed and I had to reboot it, then it was something like 16 straight minutes of cardio, no water breaks, nothing. I did a bit of watching, as did many of the people in the video.

One more workout and then rest day. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bit. It's allergy season and I'm struggling with that.

Day 3 - Cardio Recovery

Not a bad workout. It has a similar feel to P90x yoga. Some stretch exercises, some pulse stuff. There is a squat/lunge sequence in the middle that is a little challenging because he goes really slow. I'm sure I'll adapt to it in another week or 2.

For anyone who doesn't know me, I usually workout in the morning, getting up around 4:45/5:00 and getting it done.

Day 2 - Cardio Power & Resistance

Once again, the warm up was tough. I actually spent a few minutes before I worked out doing a slower warm up. I'll be 37 next week, so I guess I take a little longer to get started.

This one was a little tougher than yesterday, my ankles took a long time to loosen up, so they hurt at the beginning and by time we got to the resistance exercises, I was pretty winded.

Still, Dug Deep and finished strong. It doesn't hurt that my brother is doing this too, so we'll be making sure the other one doesn't miss too many workouts. He's a week ahead of me, so he's done all of the first round workouts at this point. He tells me tomorrow is a bit easier.

Day 1 - Plyometric Cardio Circuit

That was a challenge. The warm up is tough, more like a first round of exercises than a warm up.

I sucked a fair amount of wind during this and spent some time catching my breath on my knees during push up time, but I did fairly well. Having taught aerobics years ago, the moves weren't hard, I just need to get more wind.

Fit Test

I did the Fit test last week, while I was taking a week off between P90x routines, so there are valid push up numbers here:

For my count, a single rep was 1. So the first exercise, switch kicks, if I did each leg once, I counted that as 2 reps.

Switch kicks: 102
Power jacks: 43
Power knees: 66
Power jumps: 32 - This is not jump knee tucks from P90x
Globe jumps: 10
Suicide jumps: 12
Push-up jacks: 23
Low Plank Oblique: 38

P90x and Insanity

Having just completed my second round of P90x, I had intended to do a third round, pushing Insanity off till the summer, when I could do it outside. Unfortunately, during my first workout of P90x Round 3, I did something to my left shoulder that made push ups extremely painful to do.

I gave it a week and it feels a little better. So rather than go to the Dr and have him tell me to wait 4 weeks and come back, I decided to just wait 4 weeks on my own. I had made great progress with P90x and didn't want to lose it, so Insanity got the call.

There are some push up exercises, so I'm modifying those a little. I am able to hold a plank without issue, so that helps with many of the exercises.

Time to dig deep and go Insane.