Today is Day 67 of the Power 90/P90X program.
Gold Star
Last week I figured that it would be a good idea to not wait until the last minute to order the P90X program. So I placed my order, and it arrived earlier this week. The original plan was to finish the introductory Power 90 program, and then start the more advanced P90X program.
What I forgot was that I often turn into a "blind ambition" sort of of person. I forgot that there was no way that I would have the P90X dvds, and not at least experiment with doing the workouts.
After the last two days of experimentation, I've decided to switch over and start doing the more advanced P90X workouts. P90X is serious. Both in terms of the exercises themselves, and the time commitment. Most of these workouts are about an HOUR long.
Today, I made it through the Legs and Back workout, which is 58 minutes of alternating squats, lunges, and pull-ups. [In my case, pull-up variations using resistance bands; maybe I'll invest in a chin-up bar. Time will tell.] It was hard and I struggled, but I made it through.
The Awful Truth
I hated the relatively brief yoga portion of the Power 90 program. The Yoga X workout in the P90X program lasts for 92 minutes. NO. There's no way that I'm going to do 1.5 hours of yoga. I abruptly walked away from the Yoga X workout yesterday after about 20 minutes. I've decided that I'll do the Cardio X program instead on the Yoga X days.
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
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27 comments:
How do we spell "backsliding" class?
I haven't worked out for a couple of days because I've strained my knee. (I think I was running too much on the treadmill, perhaps I need new sneakers). But I haven't been all that great with my diet either.
And it's Girl Scout Cookie time. *sigh* I need to find the local food bank and drop the rest of my boxes, pronto.
I looked at myself in the mirror yesterday afternoon and asked, "Do you REALLY want to destroy all your hard work?"
The answer is no.
I got some joint supplements for my knee, and plan to start working out again Monday. And I need to go online and refresh my memory about how often to replace sneakers.
I wonder if yoga would be easier for you in a class? I usually do Pilates, but I couldn't do 90 minutes either. Sometimes though, things go faster if you're with others.
Congratulations to you Khadija!
{2 hand high fives}
Wow... you have made so much incredible progress.
I would be on the floor asking for CPR if I had to do all of that!!
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
Greetings, ForeverLoyal!
Oh, backsliding is going to happen at times. The point is to get back into the groove, and push forward AFTER giving time for any injuries to heal. AFTER taking the proper precautions against injury.
Yesterday's first "real" and completed [I walked out on the Yoga X the day before] P90X session was a test. I wanted to see how sore and/or wiped out I would be today.
If I was so sore that I could barely walk, then I would back off from the P90X workouts. [This has happened in the past with Hapkido classes filled with what felt like thousands of roundhouse and spinning back kicks.]
But since I'm just mildly sore, I figure it's safe enough for me to continue with P90X. Although, I will be extra careful when I get to the Plyometrics workout next week. If there's even the slightest hint that it will hurt my knees, then I'll substitute a low-impact cardio workout instead.
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Greetings, Roslyn!
I've tried yoga in a class before. I've really tried to, if not like, then at least be able to stand yoga. I hate it.
I hate yoga in a box.
I hate yoga with a fox.
I do not like yoga or green eggs and ham;
I do not like yoga, Roslyn-I-am.
{chuckling} But thanks for the good suggestion; classes usually are easier than working out solo. The momentum of other people's participation can often carry one along.
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Greetings, Lisa!
Thanks for the 2-hand high five. I need and appreciate all the encouragement that I get! LOL!
Yes, there has been progress in terms of fitness over the past 2 months. I would NOT have been able to even entertain the idea of doing these P90X workouts before.
Although, I'm being very cautious about it. Like I said earlier, I have my concerns about the Plyometrics workout hurting my knees. I generally stay away from high-impact stuff like that. We'll see what happens when I CAREFULLY try it out next week.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Hi Khadija!
Great you got back on the horse. I feel you on the yoga. I never did get yoga.
@ foreverloyal - When I started having knee pains from jogging/running, I bought me a pair insoles i.e., dr. sholls instead of new shoes. Helped me a lot. Also, swimming is great when you start have joint problems.
@ energize: I'll have to look into those insoles. Too bad for me, I wish I would have read your response earlier, as I already went to Target today.
@Khadija: I just finished my mixed greens salad with salmon. I've decided I've logged too much time on the treadmill and having Jillian kick my bum via dvd to wreck it all.
In other words, I'm TOO FLY to be chubby! lol.
I'm going to keep taking supplements and keep the treadmill sessions to a brisk walk.
Good for you being able to get thru P90X. That stuff looks extreme.
Greetings, Energize!
I'm "just saying 'no'" to Yoga X. LOL!
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Hello there, ForeverLoyal!
You said, " just finished my mixed greens salad with salmon. I've decided I've logged too much time on the treadmill and having Jillian kick my bum via dvd to wreck it all.
In other words, I'm TOO FLY to be chubby! lol.
I'm going to keep taking supplements and keep the treadmill sessions to a brisk walk."
{raised fist salute}
Yes, P90X is extreme---that's what the "X" stands for! LOL! The box says "Extreme Home Fitness."
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Khadija,
Congrats on your progress! I'm still thinking about doing something about my weight and health. I think I'm going to start with the healthy eating. I also am going to start walking because I live in agreat neighborhood where it's safe to walk. (a by-product of moving out of the hood)
Another dream of mine is to live in NYC. It's what I've wanted to do since childhood. While I won't be able to move there for another year (after I graduate from grad school), I'm excited because I'm about to take a trip out there for Spring Break. I'm gonna try to do a lot more exploring than I did the last time. I will be there for 6 days. So, I'm really happy and excited about that.
Peace and solidarity,
Tasha
Greetings, Tasha!
Thank you for the congratulations!
You said, "I'm still thinking about doing something about my weight and health. I think I'm going to start with the healthy eating. I also am going to start walking because I live in agreat neighborhood where it's safe to walk. (a by-product of moving out of the hood)"
Yep. It's time for you to get moving, Young Lady! LOL!
You said, "Another dream of mine is to live in NYC. It's what I've wanted to do since childhood. While I won't be able to move there for another year (after I graduate from grad school), I'm excited because I'm about to take a trip out there for Spring Break. I'm gonna try to do a lot more exploring than I did the last time. I will be there for 6 days. So, I'm really happy and excited about that."
Great! I've always enjoyed my visits to NYC. To me, NYC is the only US city that compares to Chicago in terms of excitement, and amusing cultural things to do (I love museums and dance concerts). [Said as a true Chicago native! LOL!]
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I ran an 8K race this morning. I did not come in under my goal time but that was to be expected because I am still slightly suffering from shin splints.
Next Sunday, I am going to begin training for a 10K race which goes down in April. I would start tomorrow but I am going to have to ride the bike instead so that I do not re-injure my shins.
@ DeStouet: Wow, an 8K. I can barely jog for 2 minutes before I have to take a sip of water and start walking again. Good for you!
Hey K!!
AmazonWarrorQueen Tracy Here!
I know that you are getting so sick of me telling you this, but YOU ROCK GIRL!! KEEP GOING!
You never realize how far you can go til you push yourself - Last September, I wouldn't have dreamed that in a little more than six months, (drum roll please) over 65 pounds would be gone and I would be jogging! I can look down and see my feet! My boobs aren't hitting my knees anymore.....
Or have I shared too much? Anyhoo, congrats, Big Gold Star, and baby steps, you will get there!!
oh by the way, got 7 good chapters done on the book, gonna need an editor big time tho!
(happy dance)
Khadija,
Good choice! I love the ambition! It’s exactly why you’ll get there, “heart” is more important than anything.
A 1 hour workout is about perfect, especially in regards to cardiovascular workouts. Keep it in the ‘I’m sweating’ zone, but not in the ‘I’m gonna die’, eyes rolling back in your head mode – that’s way too hard (and won’t help do anything anyway but injure you, for lots of physiological reasons). So your choice on the expanded time is perfect.
And better choice on dropping the Yoga part. Yeah, I know, great for meditation, stretching and all, but its workout input is negligible. Focus on something else for the workout. Do the yoga stuff for other reasons, if you have the time.
Foreverloyal: good decision on keeping it to a brisk/fast walk if the running is hurting you instead of helping. The running/jogging can come later, as the body adapts. Anything that will get your heart rate up and you sweating some, and can hold it for an hour, that’s the best. Always keep in mind that in anything cardio related Duration is more important than Intensity, especially just starting. So, if you can do something for an hour and hold a good strong (for yourself) pace, that’s SO much better than 10 minutes of ‘all-out’ something, just to blow up and stop. Go for time/distance/duration, always.
Girls, remember the best one-liner I ever heard in coaching. Make it your motto:
“Train – Don’t Strain”.
It doesn’t help yourself to hurt yourself. Keep the levels tough, but do-able. 6 months of steady workouts will yield results you wouldn’t believe. Much better than 5 ultra intense days to hurt yourself and be out 6 months.
Keep at it!
@foreverloyal,
thanks!
I am battling stubborn tummy fat and from what I understand all the ab work in the world will do nothing until you burn the layer of fat covering the abs, so that is what I am working on. I am doing interval training which is said to be highly effective in burning calories.
I'll be incorporating more weight training and ab work in next week.
P.S. For inspiration, I watch Rocky 3 and 4 (the other Rockys do nothing for me), for some reason it always gets me really hyped up to work out.
I have the soundtrack to both movies on my ipod.
Hey I can't be the only sister jogging to Eye of The Tiger!
@ NuGirl:
LOL! I thought that I was the only one that watched kick-_ss movies to work out by!
A friend of mine made a mix-dvd for me of the fight scenes from Alexander, 300, the Transporter movies and Kill Bill - I can stay on my stat. bike and pedal hard for at least 45 min!
As for jogging music, gimme some Salsa!
Greetings, DeStouet!
You said, "I ran an 8K race this morning. I did not come in under my goal time but that was to be expected because I am still slightly suffering from shin splints."
I'm "scared" of you! Keep up the great work! {raised fist salute}
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Greetings, Tracy!
You said, "Last September, I wouldn't have dreamed that in a little more than six months, (drum roll please) over 65 pounds would be gone and I would be jogging!
...oh by the way, got 7 good chapters done on the book, gonna need an editor big time tho!"
YES!YES!YES! Now that's what I'm talking about! {happy dance, finger pops, and then a raised fist salute}
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Greetings, Whiteboy Reader!
You said, "Good choice! I love the ambition! It’s exactly why you’ll get there, “heart” is more important than anything."
Thanks for the encouragement, dude! I'm greedy when it comes to accomplishments. LOL!
You said, "A 1 hour workout is about perfect, especially in regards to cardiovascular workouts. Keep it in the ‘I’m sweating’ zone, but not in the ‘I’m gonna die’, eyes rolling back in your head mode – that’s way too hard (and won’t help do anything anyway but injure you, for lots of physiological reasons)."
Yeah, I swore off those "I think I'm dying---would you happen to have a cardiac defribrillator handy?" types of workouts even when I was still taking Hapkido classes.
[They were really good at inducing that particular sensation at that dojang! One of the instructors was used to screaming at South Korean army conscripts. I had to remind the chief instructor that I had signed up for lessons, NOT a S. Korean army-induced heart attack.]
Anywaaay, I'm thinking about investing in a heart rate monitor. Thanks for the input. I truly appreciate it!
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Greetings, Nu Girl!
You said, "I am battling stubborn tummy fat and from what I understand all the ab work in the world will do nothing until you burn the layer of fat covering the abs, so that is what I am working on. I am doing interval training which is said to be highly effective in burning calories.
I'll be incorporating more weight training and ab work in next week."
{raised fist salute}
Yep. No such thing as spot reduction. From what I've read, one can have wonderful abs but nobody will know if they're covered in a layer of fat. I've read that the fat comes off in whole "sheets." Fat loss is first noticeable in the places where one has the least of it.
"Gonna Fly Now!"
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Tracy,
We are kindred. I too have music on my ipod from 300, Kill Bill (one of my favorite movies) etc.
Maybe some of us newly fit and fly sisters can get together and do a Nubian version of Kill Bill. Sisters w Samurai Swords, now that I am all for that.
Honored,
Nu Girl
@NuGirl, nothing will flatten your abs like weight-training. I know it sounds crazy, but muscle burns fat much faster. For years I had an incredibly flat tummy from doing nothing but squats and deadlifts. (Of course, that was prior to myomectomy, c-section and gall bladder removal). Now I see it coming back ever so slowly. You want to work your big muscles (glutes, quads) and do as many reps with as heavy a weight as you can handle. You'll be amazed at how quickly your body will change.
Hey Nubian!
Now that's what I'm talkin bout!! I always thought that Vivica Fox could have stomped "Black Mamba" if she was given about five more minutes! LOL!
Honestly, tho, doesn't it feel great to do something that is making you look and feel great?!? You Can Do It Girl!!
oohhh..Sistahs With Samurai Swords...I feel a screenplay coming on...yes, I will give you credit!
And thanks Roslyn, yes weight lifting burns fat everywhere quickly. In the almost two weeks since I have started, I have lost an inch from my waist - a real inch, not the one where you suck in your gut and pull the tape real tight...
Let's just face facts ladies - WE ALL ROCK!!
Honored squared..
Hmmmmm..Sistah with Samurai Swords...I feel a screenplay coming on!
Khadija,
You gave me the best laugh of the day, picturing the instructor yelling at the class in Korean! ‘Didn’t sign up for a South Korean Army heart attack’! I’m rollin’ over!
That, my friend (can I say that?) is why many times, people who are really, really good at something are not great coaches/instructors for first-timers/newbees. They can’t grasp others are not as intense, passionate or even fit enough yet to do what they do with ease.
Keep at it girls.
Like I have reported in a previous post, I have been working out regularly. I told you before you were my hero for even thinking of the P90X series. I use The Firm series. I love it and can't seem to do any other series.
Now for my question and I hope it does not sound crass, but does anyone ever feel that during that time of the month you just can't excercise.
I feel no motivation and I can't even seem to drag myself from bed early mornings (when I usually excercise). Then when I return home from work, I still have no motivation to move.
Does anyone else have a similiar problem? Do you ladies have do anything differently at that time?
Sorry to take it there, but none of my close friends work out often enough for me to ask...
Intensity matters. Research in fitness indicates that you will have better results doing short-term high-intensity exercise rather than long term low-intensity exercise.
Cardio at high intensity is the only way to increase fitness (if you only want to do cardio). Low-intensity cardio will not cut it. Not only that, but your body will continue to burn calories after the workout. The harder you train, the more calories you will burn after the workout is over.
@Tam, I have a similar problem. Especially as I get up in age and have entered what they call peri-menopause. My cycles are irregular and I do seem to be very tired at that time. I work around it several ways. I tell myself that I'll only do five minutes, if I still want to quit I give myself permission. I'll take a long walk at a fairly leisurely pace. No, it's not as good as my Jillian Michaels, but it's better than nothing. Sometimes a long walk is just what my spirit needs to rejuvenate itself. Or, I'll do something equally nurturing like Pilates. I love Pilates, and it seems to ease the achiness and basic 'yuck' feeling I have at that time. I suspect that it's a signal to treat myself more tenderly and kind and I act accordingly. HTH
Hello there, Whiteboy Reader!
Oh, yeah. I still vividly recall each student being required to yell out the rep count in Korean while doing thousands of so-called warm-up exercises. We would start off fairly crisp, but after a while:
"Hana..." [One.]{hoarse voices}
"Dool..." [Two.]{said while grunting}
"Set..." [Three.]{more grunting}
"Net..." [Four.]{students' voices gasping for breath and trailing off...as a result, the S. Korean army instructor forces the count to start over}
"Hana..." {full-throated yells from all students}
So, what was originally stated to be a certain amount of reps of each exercise turned into examples of geometric progression. It was crazy. So, no, that instructor had no clue about the starting fitness levels of average, office worker, adult students.
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Hello there, Tam!
I've been blessed that I've never really had menstrual cramps or discomfort. {Yes, I do realize what a blessing that is!} So, unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions about that.
And I'm happy you asked about that. That's what this forum in general, and these weekly check-in posts are for! This is a safe space for us to talk about our REAL concerns.
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Greetings, Anonymous!
Thanks for sharing!
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Hello there, Roslyn!
Thanks for addressing Tam's question! Mutual support is what the check-ins are about.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Oh my goodness!
Power yoga?! Hahahahaha!
I am singing aretha franklin "ain't no way" right now. Wow.
But I must give you your props for hanging in there and keeping at it. :)
Tam said "I feel no motivation and I can't even seem to drag myself from bed early mornings (when I usually excercise). Then when I return home from work, I still have no motivation to move. "
Tam, Thanks for bringing that up. I can definitely relate. I started taking calcium supplements and reduced caffeine intake (sigh). This has helped. It seems as though during this time my brain is stuck in first gear.
I totally agree with Rosalyn. I don't fight it. I will take the stairs and walk more during the day and drink more water (ugh).
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