Day 3 - P90X Shoulders and Arms

I feel like I got some kind of a break with this one...which means that I may have not used the most appropriate band. I think it probably takes a couple of times before picking the right weight or resistance band. Otherwise, it was not bad at all, until you finish Chest and Arms, and jump into Ab Ripper X; that's another story...over 340+ abs, various positions, no breaks, and your abs are on fire.  I feel a lot more tired since starting P90X on Saturday, but it's all good.  My wife was wondering this morning "why are you sleeping so much?"...IT'S P90X BABY!

A note about P90X Recovery Drink

Today is day 3 of my P90X challenge (it really is a challenge). I'll be playing that 3rd video this afternoon but I just want to talk about Recovery Drinks. 3 years ago, I started working out at the gym, doing cardio and cross fit, and I was looking for a recovery drink. I had bought the P90X Recovery Drink only at the time, thinking that my workout was probably similar in intensity to that of the P90X program (tuuuuut...wrong!). I took it for a couple of weeks, 2-3 times a week and yes, it does taste delicious, and dissolves very well BUT, at the same time, I had a routine exam at the doctor, and one morning had some blood work done; the results were fine, except for my liver enzymes, which were 3 times the normal level. We talked about it with the Doc who mentioned that energy drinks sometimes contain components that can trigger your liver enzymes, so his advice was to stop the P90X Recovery drink for 2-3 weeks, stick with water or Gatorade, and do the blood work again. I did it, and it came back to normal.
So now that I am doing the P90X program, I've decided to recover with water, or maybe some good old orange juice to refill the carbs level. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, if you have a good recovery drink alternative, please let me know.

Day 2 - P90X Plyometrics

My muscles were a bit sore when I woke up this morning, but it wasn't too bad. I decided to skip breakfast this time; Tony will tell you the same thing, or wait at least an hour before you start your routine, otherwise, keep a bucket nearby!
I started the P90X Plyometrics mid-morning and believe me, it will KICK YOUR ASS! You basically get no rest for 55 minutes; heart rate in the mid-160s, and your legs are on fire from squatting and squatting and squatting more, and jumping too.
If you bought a ShamWow towel, now is the time to use it!
Reaching the mid-point of the routine wasn't easy, but I had to pause twice for 1-2 minutes after that during water breaks; 30 seconds is really not a long time when you're breathing like you just raced Steve Prefontaine...and there are 15 more minutes to go. I finished it though.
My Polar indicated 887 calories burnt...not bad...
A demain.

Why P90X?

I'm not sure why I decided to do P90X; I think part of the reasons why I'm doing it is a "mid-thirties" crisis (does this even exist?), a need to prove to myself that I can still do things like I did in my twenties (except for driving intoxicated), and also to try something new. I get bored all the time and I need challenges to keep on going; otherwise why bother? let's just eat junk, get fat and take pills. Not for me if I can avoid it.
It started earlier this year, January lst 2010 to be exact; I decided to run a marathon this year...with no prior running experience; I followed a 16-week program, ran and ran, up to 12 miles back to my house on a long sunday run, and painfully made it through week 8 of the 16-week program; it all went to shit after that; I ended up with a stress fracture on the left tibia, could barely walk or climb steps, limped for months, went to therapy for awhile, and still suck at running 8 months later. Oh well, running is not for me I guess; at least I was able to donate my registration fee for the Frederick Marathon to a charity, so it was not all lost. Now, it's time to try something else.
Some of my friends have tried the P90X program, and they all said that it was badass, so sign me up Tony Horton! I got the P90X dvds this week, went to Marshall's last night and bought a pull-up bar for $12.99, a yoga mat for $9.99, and a set of resistance bands for $16.99. $39.97 total, not bad! I assembled the bar last night, and decided to start fresh this morning with the Chest and Back routine.
First impression..let's see...DEFINITELY BADASS!
The program starts with pull-ups and push-ups, and lasts for 45-50 min...feels like 40 min too long! I finished it and really thought I was going to puke; My first advice: Forget breakfast and that cup of dark roast coffee if you do P90X in the morning; it is not a good idea!
Anyway, it was a hard start for sure, but I can't wait to see what's next.
I'm keeping track of the results with Google docs, and will publish them on a separate page. Salut!