PAP Upper

This is a monster of a workout.  Previewing it, it didn't look all that hard, but neither did Lower.  These workouts are just as much cardio as they are resistance.  The first complex, 4 sets of 4 exercises, is absolutely brutal.  You start off with renegade row push ups.  Plank, with dumbbells in your hands, do a push up.  Right arm row, left row, repeat 10 times.  I think I made 10, 8, 8, and 8.  You immediately dive into 6 clap push ups.  For me that, was simply push ups with getting my hands off the ground.

At this point, you're sucking wind pretty hard, so what does Tony throw at you?  Plank with feet on a medicine ball, for a minute.  As if that isn't hard enough, you finish the complex with superman.  Do this 4 times and it is incredibly hard.  Personally, there is plenty of room for improvement in this complex.

I'll review the second half in my next blog post.  For the record, the first time my brother did this, he texted me part way through and pretty much summed it up in two words..."Holy sh*t!"

X2 - Missing entries

I missed a few blog entries but have been keeping up.  PAP Upper is a MONSTER and I'll review that in an upcoming post.  Missed yoga, but did get PAP Lower in yesterday.  Increasing the size of the step in the first exercise changed the whole dynamic of the workout, it really pushed me.

X2 - PAP Lower

I slacked off a lot during recovery week.  There are supposed to be three yoga workouts during the week.  I did precisely none.  I feel a little guilty about that, but it was also the hottest days of the year so far, so only a little guilty.  My body needed the rest anyway.


Today marks the start of phase 3.  There isn't much to phase three, only 4 workouts.  PAP Lower, PAP Upper, Yoga, and Recovery and Mobility(rest day).  PAP stands for Post Activation Potentiation.  Here is Steve Edwards blog posting about PAP:  http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/2010/08/post-activation-potentiation.html.  He states, in a nutshell, "In laymen terms, this means that doing heavy lifting prior to explosive activity can actually help you fire higher threshold muscle cell motor units which, even even simpler terms, means that you will jump higher, run faster, or life more weight. "


This is certainly one workout you get out what you put into it.  There are 2 blocks, with a water break between.  Each block is 4 exercises, 4 times each.  At a run time of 62 minutes, there is a new(!) 10 minute warmup.  No stability ball this time around.


The exercises have a fair amount of variety.  The first block starts with Step up convict.  With dumbbells in your hands, just for added weight.  Your right foot steps up on a step.  Left knee comes up high.  Left leg comes down, right leg comes off the step into a step back lunge.  Rinse and repeat 8 times for each side.  This is followed up with a short, explosive exercise.  Plyo skaters, only 8 times.  Think super skater with a jump to the side, changing legs.  


The next exercise, I have trouble with.  Not because I can't do it, but because it kills my knees to do it.  One leg hops, pretty much hot foot from P90x plyo.  Front and back, 5 seconds, side to side five seconds, repeat, and then change legs.  I did it on both feet.  Finally, a strength move, and this one is going to leave my hips sore tomorrow.  Lying on your left side, you raise your right leg, and keeping it straight, touch your toe to the ground in front of you.  Then, lifting it as high as you can, bring it behind you, touching your toe to the ground.  8 times, each side.


I will save the second round description for my next post as I'll be doing this routine 6 times over the next 3 weeks.  You wrap up with another round of NIS(neuro-integrated stretching).  It's the same thing plyocide wraps up with.  I can't say it does much for me, but I tried it this time.


I'm not wiped out.  I definitely held back a little since I was learning the exercises and didn't really know what was ahead.  To anyone doing this, definitely watch it ahead of time, and TRY a couple of the exercises, particularly the ones that use dumbbells as they fairly complex moves.

X2 - Catchup

Wow, it's been almost a week since my last post.  I've stayed on target, completing another grueling week of  phase 2.  Thank god this week is recovery.

So a couple highlights from the week.
V-Sculpt was better than last time.  I'm still not a huge fan since I don't have bands and there are at least 2 or 3 exercises that require them.
I got back to yoga, doing the shorter one on one yoga.  I felt pretty good...afterward.  I'm going to shoot to do yoga at least 2 out of the 3 times I'm supposed to this week.
Base and Back, still the hardest workout for me.  Tony puts it best, "Most people go to the gym, do a set of pull ups, fool around for 3 and a half hours, and do their second set.  We do Plyo!"  Do I really need to say much more than that?

X2 - Not Recovery

Sunday my brother asked me to do another week of the resistance phase.  I can't say I was excited by that request, but I agreed, even though my body didn't approve.

I sucked it up through Chest/Shoulders/Triceps on Monday, seeing minimal gains, but definitely improving my form and technique on the tougher exercises.

Today was plyo, thank goodness.  We had the pizza fire truck come to work for lunch.  Needless to say, there was a remarkable quantity of pizza consumed by me and everyone.  At least I felt a little less guilty courtesy of plyo.

FYI, my body hates me.  Can't wait for rest day tomorrow.

X2 - Base and Back

I decided to hold off on yoga for one more week, so yesterday I had off.  This morning, we had an early soccer game, so my workout didn't get started till around 10:30.  Probably around 70 degrees, but 80% or so humidity.  I pushed hard and definitely felt it.

This workout really beats me up, leaving me tired and a bit sore, already.  My legs and glutes are definitely feeling it, and I dread the next couple days.  On the upside, Recovery Week!

X2 - V-Sculpt

It's been a couple days, but I remain on schedule. Struggled through Plyo, 2 days ago and enjoyed rest yesterday.

This morning was the last new resistance workout, V-Sculpt.  As much as I liked the new Chest/Shoulders/Triceps, I disliked this one.  I can't put my finger on anything exactly, I think I just disliked the combination of exercises.  There are a ton of pull ups, which I'm resigned to doing my best at, and getting 0 with out a spot.  Then there were several band based exercises.  Since when are the bands an equipment requirement?  I did my best to adapt/mimic them, but it's not the same.  Then my least favorite thing, plank with dumbbells, which just wrecks my hands.  I just did these exercises bent over.

There were some interesting/challenging new ones.  Like rows in plank, one hand on a med ball.  There was also a curl from the same position.  A little tough on the wrists, but good exercises.

It's not a bad workout, I just don't care for it.  Everyone has their favorites and their least favorites.  So it goes.

X2 - Chest + Shoulders + Triceps

For our last week of resistance training, we decided to swap in the extra/bonus workouts, to see what they hold and provide some additional muscle confusion.  What a ride!  The workout chimes in around 48 minutes.  With the standard warm up and cool down, that only leaves around 35 minutes to squeeze 22 sets in.  It's actually 11 exercises, repeated.

This is no walk in the park since you're using all the complementary muscles in every exercise.  First up, chattarocker push ups.  I'm still learning the motion of these, but I'm getting there.  Next up, Shoulder Press Strip set(one leg on a chair).  8 reps per set, 3 sets, reduce the weight each time.  I went 35->30->25.  My shoulders were screaming.  Next, you dive into tricep extensions on the stability ball.  Nothing new here, except your shoulders are completely shot.  That is the first group of exercises.

Next up, 3-ball extravaganza.  Push ups on 2 med balls, both feet on a third.  Each rep, one knee comes to your chest.  Similar to the classic prison cell push up.  Real tough to balance.  Follow that up with a callahan press, which Tony doesn't demo, he just dives in.  It's pretty much an Arnold shoulder press, once again, one leg on a chair.  Third exercise in the group, tricep kickback while lying on a stability ball.

Last group of exercises are Tony's favorite side arm balance, with med balls.  Then the X2 Circle fly.  Light weights, I used 10 the first time and went down to 5 the second time.  Lie face down on the stability ball.  Extend your shoulders in a Y and do 15 forward and 15 backward circles.  Finally, 3-ball dips.  One med ball under each arm, and then both feet, or just one on the third med ball.

Then you repeat the whole thing.  This moves remarkably fast.  There is only one water break, after the first set of dips.  Otherwise, you're moving the whole time.  My upper body is a mess, and it feels great.

X2 - Catchup

I've been crazy busy and haven't had time to update the blog for almost a week.

I've kept on target, keeping up with all the workouts.  Plyo was absolutely brutal as I ended up doing it after work in 80+ degree heat, with 90+ % humidity.  I was dripping by the time I picked I put down the stability ball.

I skipped yoga again as my hamstring still doesn't like my leg being straight and me bending.  I did spend a good 10 minutes stretching my hammy's that day, and I think this week I'll get back to yoga....carefully.  I'm still afraid to do groiners during the warmup.

Yesterday was Base and Back.  I hate pull ups, probably because I can't do any, but I try hard in this workout, and when you mix the plyo component in, it is one hell of an ass kicker.

I'm enjoying rest today and next week, the last week of resistance training, we're going to swap out chest/back and shoulders/arms in favor of Chest/Shoulders/Triceps and V-Sculpt.  So look for a review of those 2 videos coming soon.