P90X Round TWO ... Sigh ... is dead

Boy that sure didn't last long.

Allergies, family events, and just horrible timing have sentenced this attempt to an early doom.

P90X round 2.1 WILL happen before the end of the year though!!

P90X Round TWO

Yup, finally decided it's time to stop putting it off, and weights or no - I'm starting P90X again today, September 7th, 2009 for the second time. Time to 'BRING IT'!

One difference is that I will (hopefully) be running more, I will be replacing Yoga X with a Rodney Yee Power Yoga, (and possibly some others to mix that up a bit - I love yoga but I need to change it up!) and finally I will be replacing the Ab Ripper X program with the Ab Class I have been attending at work for some time. Of course if I miss that ab class then I've gotta do Ab Ripper X or it's no good right? Right!

So there you have it. Updates won't be as often as last time (not that those were that often anyway) but we'll see how it goes!

Before and After pictures will be after. I still have to take the Before pictures later today.

Time to sleep!

Dumbells and Abs

Last week I started the ab workout class that is offered here at work - Yow! It's awesome!

I was able to go all 3 days last week, but Monday I missed it due to a service call with Oracle support, which went an hour and a half longer than I expected. (The call was an hour and a half)

I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into the ab class again today.

Taking that class last week actually helped save me from injury during an indoor soccer game. The team we were playing against has some major kickers - and one of those kicked the ball extremely hard right into my stomach. I was still sore and very tight from the previous days ab class so it didn't do a thing to me! It felt good that it didn't hurt - made me feel tough.

Anyway - on to dumbells! I plan on doing P90X again - maybe even kind of doubles if I can find the time (for the next few weeks this will definitely be impossible due to the energy it takes to take part in this corporate indoor soccer thing we're doing!) - BUT one thing I really want to find before doing P90X again is a bigger variety of dumbells - especially more than 25 lbs for my arms, otherwise I just won't get what I'm looking for.

So - keep an eye out for good deals on dumbells for me ok? Thanks!

P90X - Before & After as promised

As promised, here are WAAAAAY too many pictures of me in my swimsuit.

The only bad thing about that swimsuit is that you can't really see my legs which is one of the areas that I feel improved significantly. I think you can see the biggest difference in my side pictures.

Like I've said before, I think I would have had better results had I followed the Classic program the whole way through.

So here they are! (and I am really, really sorry)

Front:


Back:


Side:


Yippee I'm done with that.

I very well may redo the full Classic P90X program in a few months after working on and exploring more exercise options.

If anybody has any suggestions for good programs to try out, I'd love to hear it.

We currently have the following workout programs on DVD:
P90X
Rodney Yee Power Yoga: Total Body
Gaiam AM/PM Yoga
Forza
Winsor Pilates
Core Secrets (which I guess isn't sold in the US anymore, interesting)

We'll probably buy more of Rodney Yee's yoga series since I really like them. I know there are more out there so let me hear your thoughts!

P90X - The END

Okay so it isn't REALLY the end since my pursuit of physical perfection (ha!) will continue, but as of yesterday evening I am officially DONE with the 90 days of P90X. We are taking our final pictures tomorrow evening - so hopefully I'll get at least the starting and finishing pics up here soon. I WILL do it I promise. I won't promise exactly when however because that way I won't be quite as bound...

The last exercise was Yoga - and just to finish P90X with a P90X workout - I didn't substitute the other Yoga workouts I prefer.

Earlier in the day (quite early for me on a Saturday anyway!) I went down and learned some Takedowns and Passing the Guard in Jujitsu - got banged up pretty good actually! Even used some good old Dit Da Jow on a bruise on my bicep. Woohoo! I definitely need more experience before I feel anywhere near confident in my skills... I would also like to try some other disciplines sometime.

So. What's next? My biggest disappointments in results from the P90X are in my abs and arms - and honestly I don't blame the P90X program, but the particular way I followed the program. I did about 2/3's of the Lean program, and then the last Classic. I should have done classic the whole way but was leary because of my stupid right shoulder that has been causing me problems. I probably should have done it anyway, but from now on I am going to work on my abs and my arms (including my shoulders, biceps, triceps and forearms) to get what I want. This also includes some hard cardio - hopefully outdoor running to get me outside more - in order to lose that little layer that I've been unable to get rid of right down near my belt.

I can do it - P90X has given me a good attitude and knowledge that I can - and I WILL.

P90X - Yoga

I have a problem with the P90X Yoga program.

Every time I start doing it I get more frustrated and angry. That is NOT something you want to happen when practicing yoga.

I'm no master Yogi or anything, but I'm pretty sure yoga is supposed to get you away from anger and stress...

I must admit that there have been a few times I've done the P90X yoga that haven't been too bad, but those times were always when my kids were asleep or away, and that doesn't happen often with 3 kids!

SO after getting about 15 minutes into P90X Yoga, I turned it off and put in Gaiam's Power Yoga - Total Body with Rodney Yee.

I've had this DVD for quite a while now and as soon as I got a few minutes into it I was feeling MUCH better. A very cute screaming one year old was still a bit frustrating while trying to do Yoga, but nowhere near as bad as it was when I was doing the P90X Yoga.

Power Yoga is only 60 minutes, compared to the 90 of P90X, but the setting, music, directions, everything fits me SO much better. It honestly didn't feel like 60 minutes, yet with Tony's even after 15 minutes it felt like an hour.

Thankfully not everybody has the same experiences! So for those who like P90X Yoga more power to ya. I think that I am going to stick with other yoga from here on out. (Nice to decide this on the last 2 Yoga workouts of the program!)

P90X - The Final Week

This week starts the last week of the 90 day program...
I can't believe I've been doing P90X for almost 90 days!

Last week was a very interesting one...

Tuesday I had an indoor soccer game for a work competition, we won 6-2. On the way home from work I stopped by a sports store and bought some soccer socks and shin guards so I wouldn't have to borrow for our next game. Okay amount of exercise but not enough to replace the P90X plyometrics. I knew I wouldn't have time for Plyo due to a Easter Egg Hunt my sister was having for our kids that evening. I arrived home with just enough time to change into a T-shirt and drive with my family over to her house. The kids had fun, they were SO cute!

By the time we got home it was past the kids bedtime and I knew I wouldn't be able to get Plyo in. Thankfully, every Tuesday night a bunch of guys get together up at our church to play Basketball, so I figured running and jumping and shooting would be a good replacement - I have a really hard time with late night home workouts following a video. Basketball was going fairly well until I had a run in with a room divider, which sliced a small but deep chunk out of my hand that just wouldn't stop bleeding. I took care of that while the game continued - had it all bandaged up and started playing again when BAM!! Elbow to the chin!

On top of a major hit to my jaw, I seriously bit into my tongue. Yikes! That was enough for me for the night, so I returned home to find my 4 year old had developed a Fever. Wednesday's workout and Thursday's were started late, and due to pain and screaming sick kids, were not finished. Partially just because of frustration - I could have pushed through (and probably should have) but my mental state was not condusive to a good workout.

Thankfully Friday and Saturday were both good workout days - and now we are in the final week.

It is strange to me that the final week on the P90X program is a "rest" week, since I feel like I'd rather finish strong. Especially with last week being so weak. I may just have to switch the workouts around so it's not so 'restful'. :)

P90X - Final 3 Weeks

We are halfway through week 11 of the 13 week P90X program.

Last week I switched to Classic and am enjoying that a lot. My wife has semi-switched as well, and wishes she had been doing the Plyometrics program longer, as it is the leg workout she's been looking for. :) It's definitely a good one.

It's also interesting in these last few weeks of the program to think about intensity in the workouts. Before I was intense, but I think realizing I'm almost done and not being quite satisfied with the results so far has made me push a bit harder (not to mention switching to Classic last week) in these last few weeks. We'll see how it turns out.

I need to increase cardio on top of the regular P90X workouts if I want to really get the results I'm looking for. While my wife is quite happy with how I'm looking, I'm just not quite there, so somehow I need to fit that in.

Friday lunch-time Outdoor Soccer has started up again at work - that will help a little (along with getting some sun on my skin!) - and maybe I can be a late addition to the indoor soccer competition that has started...

Finally - along with learning things like in this book, I want to take modern survival courses and learn skills that could really be useful. For some reason I have this weird desire to be able to DO STUFF, that I wouldn't normally need much, but if I DID need it, I would be fine. Know what I mean?

Here is the program description from the scout training program:

Scout Urban Escape and Evasion
While on an international business trip, you are kidnapped and held for ransom. A terrorist attack closes the business district and you find yourself in a fix. How do you stay alive? How do you get to safety on your own? This class provides leading-edge skills to civilians who live and work in challenging urban environments or in urban centers that may destabilize during a crisis. Topics covered include covert movement (day vs. night), the judicious use of caches, understanding urban baseline movement and urban awareness training, the use of urban disguises and false papers/identification, lock picking, escaping from unlawful custody, obtaining and driving local transportation, the use of "specialized" urban gear, and instruction on how to develop urban escape and evasion go-bags, etc. A one day urban escape scenario is held the final day of class

Awesome. I want to do it. Anybody want to sponsor me (i.e. pay for it!?) HA. Thanks!

P90X - Week 10 Change and other stuff

Today is the 3rd day of week 10. I decided to make a change because I'm not completely happy with the results I've been getting.

I've definitely gotten results - my lung capacity, heart rate, endurance, strength has all improved over the last 60 days, no question. BUT... being the narcissist that I am, I want more VISIBLE results. So I've switched to Classic.

Unfortunately yesterday was a bit crazy so I didn't get started on Plyometrics until about 9:45 PM. I hate working out too late. It really messes up my sense of 'Ready-for-bed-ness'. So I only did 45 minutes of the 60 minute workout. I'm a slacker. I feel good though, plus I had some good workoutish stuff earlier in the day moving lumber for my wife's square foot garden project we're working on.

So hopefully this will work. :)

In other news, I'm finally back to getting somewhere on my Ocean drawing for my nephew. Added a pretty cool Sea Turtle yesterday! I've also come up with an idea of a world for a book or something - basically for now I'm going to try to draw characters and denizens of this world. If any of them are any good (in my mind anyway) I'll put them on Deviantart. We'll see.

P90X - Day 60!!

Wow. 60 days of P90X. That's crazy.

Today we are supposed to do Yoga, but I am also doing Jujitsu tonight so it all depends on timing. I have found that the later it gets without working out, the harder it is to work out.

I have a 'cool down' period before bed where I HAVE to sit in front of my computer and 'veg' with a game or movie or show or anime or something like that. (We've also been watching Arrested Development which is AWESOME, but if it's not on my computer it's like it doesn't count - I'm weird)

We took pictures on Tuesday night since we had an awesome run and no kids to interrupt us. I know, I know, I still haven't even posted my before and after 30 days pics! I promise these pictures WILL be up eventually. After 60 days I feel good about myself, but I don't think I've achieved what I'm going for 'looks'-wise. One reason is we are doing the LEAN program and I think I need more weight-oriented workouts (and more protein to speed that up). Unfortunately, this is difficult as well due to my lame shoulder. Grrr...

Anyway, hopefully what I've heard (that the first 60 days you improve a lot performance-wise, and the last 30 days you REALLY see visible results) is true. Not that there hasn't been a change, because there have been improvements, just not quite what I want.

I just started reading the 'graphic novel' WATCHMEN, and that movie is in the news a lot lately, so to celebrate - here's Wall-E, Watchmenified:


Finally, I leave you with a news clipping from Shoebox, one of my new favorite blogs:
"An undersea volcano has erupted off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific, because you just had to throw that tiki idol back in the ocean, didn’t you! Like there wouldn’t be consequences! You know who you are!"

P90X - Week 8

Wow...
I can't believe we are at week 8 of this p90x! 5 weeks to go after this recovery week.

I'm not sure if I'm a huge fan of the 'recovery weeks' because I don't feel like I worked out enough... I usually feel GOOD don't get me wrong, but without some weights, I just don't feel as tough.

Last week we replaced the P90X Cardio routine with an outside run in the almost-spring weather. It was GREAT and a very good way to refresh our desire to continue. If the weather gets a bit nicer than it is today we may do this again!

Saturday I went and learned some new Jiujitsu techniques (escape from half-guard and after), and practiced them for about 2 hours. A couple of them were tough on my neck, so I am extremely sore from the base of my skull down to the upper middle area of my spine. No fun. Hopefully Yoga X today will loosen me up a bit. The GOOD results from these new techniques is discovering a few of my weaknesses that I can now correct.

The problems:
- I try to 'muscle' my way through things sometimes rather than just using easier body mechanics.
- I distribute my weight too far forward and need to extend it back. This is actually the reason I lost that Sumo match I posted last week or so - I didn't consistently keep my legs in a more supportive farther-back position, so I fell backwards.

I don't mind finding ways to fix my problems, so I was glad for the opportunity to both learn some new techniques and improve my overall ground game. Now to actually get an overall 'game' to utilize...

P90X - 45 Days -HALF WAY! (& Burn Out)

Last week was very difficult to do P90X. We missed one day due to a sick baby and late starts, but overall it was difficult to "Bring It" the whole week.

The exercises are still great, but the repetition of some of the workouts combined with the difficulty in juggling an hour of workouts after work while dealing with crazy screaming children has kind of burned me out on the way we are currently doing this program...

Add in a couple of people on the DVDs that REALLY bug me. I know I should just get over it... but there is this one lady on a few of the workouts - almost EVERYTHING about her annoys me to no end! Weird.

Anyway. We are not giving up P90X, but I am considering occasionally substituting a few different exercise programs in place of a few P90X ones. Rodney Yee's Power Yoga might be a good replacement for the P90X version, Forza: The Samurai Sword workout could easily replace a number of workouts, although I am slightly worried about my dumb shoulder's ability to DO that workout. I miss it. Fun hard workout. (Yes I am a geek that likes swords)

Excuses, excuses...

So I HAVE pictures - but I need to edit them, and I really don't want to do it tonight.

So there you have it - you aint' gettin' 'em yet!! MWAhahahaaa!!

And by 'edit them' I don't mean trim me up and make me look different, just cropping and grouping and lighting stuff.

The differences aren't HUGE, but there is definitely a slight improvement in trim and definition. I have read in a few places that you feel pretty dang good the first 30 but you don't really see the major changes until 60-90 days.

I definitely still have a ways to go and I'm looking forward to it!

Almost a month of P90X

We have been doing P90X for almost a month! Next Tuesday will mark our 30th day of doing these exercises and I THINK it's been going well. Due to sickness and car buying we have missed a few days, but overall we've been VERY consistent.

So that means we'll be taking pictures again after our Tuesday workout - so sometime next week I'll be putting at least SOME of my before and after 30 days pictures up to see if there really was a difference.

This week has been pretty good so far - Kenpo X last night was good - today we get to try the Stretch workout that we haven't been able to try yet. Should be fun!

P90X - Week 4 begins

Week 4 in the P90X schedule is supposed to be a "Rest" week.

We start with Yoga X today and Core Synergistics tomorrow... two of the harder workouts we've experienced! Actually the Yoga isn't HARD, it is just 90 minutes long and very intensive.

I almost can't believe that we've already gone 3 weeks - and we've only missed a few days due to car-buying and illness. Most of the days I was sick I worked out anyway. THAT was fun.

So far I'm impressed with the results I've had - the small pudginess in my midsection has gone down significantly. It's not totally gone YET but it is getting there!

Lately I've been looking into well-known artists/cartoonists/animators... Not sure why but I'm looking for inspiration and method to my artistic endeavors or something. Anyway - I rediscovered the artist responsible for MUCH of Disney's earlier movies and many many children's books I LOVED when I was a kid.

Bill Peet

I got "Bill Peet: An Autobiography" from the Library and it is really quite fascinating. SO many pictures bring back memories of his books and I really want to get them and let my kids experience them.

In Fantasy Books I picked up a new Author (new to me, not new to the publishing world and he has a bunch of books!) named Lawrence Watt-Evans, and am interested in his books so far. Interested enough that I finished the first book of the Obsidian Chronicles in a little over a day...

Finally thanks to meetings last week I am closer and closer to finishing my newest drawing and hope to finish it this week so I can get started on the planned Ocean drawing for my nephew.

I also need to start putting more of the "Brave Knight" stories down and maybe even illustrate them a bit... Have I mentioned the "Brave Knight" stories I tell my boys? I can't remember.

P90X - Legs & Back, Kenpo X

Friday was Legs and Back day and boy oh boy - I'm STILL feeling it in my calves today! 4 days later!

I think my legs are actually one of the weakest parts on my body. So this workout was very difficult for me doing it for the first time. The back portions of the workout are pullups - which I LOVE, but lately I am having a hard time with them (and pushups, my other former strength) due to my annoying shoulder.
23 different workouts, 15 leg, 8 pull-ups. The calf raises were not the hardest exercises, but like I said, I'm still feeling the effects!!

Saturday was Kenpo X. Probably my favorite workout so far just because I felt like I was working hard, and having fun at the same time. Sorry, I'm just a sucker for the punching and kicking type exercises. Makes me feel TOUGH.

This exercise wasn't extremely difficult, but it was a good workout. The hardest part *again dangit* was with my stupid shoulder not liking the way I was throwing punches. ARrrrrgh!

And that brings us up to week 2 of the P90X Lean program. Yesterday even though I was sick, we did Core Synergistics again. We did MUCH better and got a better workout than last week too - so I am pleased with results so far.

My beautiful wife says my slight 'pooch' (lower belly fat) has diminished some already, which is a good thing! I should probably post those before pictures so you know what I'm talking about huh?

Eh... we'll see!

So for now the P90X posts will stop for a while as we are just repeating last week for the next two weeks. If something comes up on it I'll post it - or if somebody has questions about it, but that's highly unlikely!

Inside the Shell

I finally scanned my most recent drawing, "Inside the Shell."
Here it is:

I still haven't started my ocean drawing... I'm having a hard time with inspiration.

BJJ was great last night - it was just Connor and me, and we ended up talking more than rolling because of my shoulder, but I was able to get some good practice with reversals, armbars and even got a Gogoplata in. I think if I were to allow myself a signature move... that'd be it! :)

Had my first 'cheat' day of P90X. Basically we only did half the 1.5 hour Yoga X dvd. Good yoga workout for sure (although some of Tony's misspoken pose names was annoying sometimes), but with kids and time and me needing to get to BJJ, it just wasn't flowing. Wasn't working at all.

Today Shoulders and Back and another rab of Ab Ripper X! I'm looking forward to it because I really do like Pull-ups.

P90X - Shoulders & Arms; Ab Ripper X

Yesterday was day 3 of this session of P90X... and I think I am going to stop posting about these every day. Although I guess if I continue for the rest of this week I'll have covered most of the workouts and can then change to something else.

The P90X Shoulders & Arms workout is awesome. My only problem with it is a personal one - since I injured my shoulder playing dodgeball I have a really hard time doing some of the exercises. If I do them with no weights or very very low weights I have no problems and it is too easy - but if I increase the weight at all my arm starts feeling very painful. Even with a few exercises feeling too easy I focused on form on those and really working it, so I still got a good workout. Just not quite the muscle PUMP I'm used to when doing a heavier shoulder/arm workout. Stupid shoulder. I think it is improving though so that makes me hopeful that by the end I'll be up to where I should be weight/resistance wise.

My 2nd experience with the Ab Ripper X was much better than the first one. I concentrated on tightening my legs while doing the workouts and it alleviated all the hip problems I was having last time. It was still as difficult to do some of the moves, but I'm not feeling it quite as much today. We'll see as the day goes on I guess!

Today we are doing Yoga X, and then after that I'll be going to BJJ - hopefully it's more than just me and Connor, cuz Connor takes me apart WAY too easy! (BTW I'm looking forward to seeing Fedor fight on Saturday!)

I never really started the Dude-a-Day type thing I was talking about... I think I drew a couple really bad things for a couple of days... I need to scan one abstract drawing I did (at least, I call it abstract, not sure if it's the correct definition!) and get started on an ocean themed drawing for my nephew. I guess while he was looking at my drawings with me everybody was amazed at how interested and into them he got, so we thought it'd be cool to draw something for him and turn it into a poster. I'm thinking a shark will be the center.

And since this post is already a little random - Here's a video.
Microsoft has come out with a new program called "Songsmith" that takes what you sing and puts background music to it. Here's Oasis' Wonderwall. It's horrible. Yet I couldn't stop watching...

P90X - Cardio X

I know I've been writing about P90X every day lately and haven't posted anything too random or art related in a while.

I'll work on that.

But for today I'm going to talk about yesterday's fun and exciting Cardio X.

Being as it is the next day - I will say my butt and hamstrings are ridiculously sore from the past 2 days.

I'm VERY glad that tonight I will be doing a shoulder and arm workout, along with another round of Ab Ripper X.

Day 2 of the P90X Lean program is Cardio X. In the Classic version of P90X you don't even do this exercise until quite late in the program, and even then it is supplemental. Basically Tony Horton takes some of the more Cardiovascular exercises from other parts of P90X and puts them into a 45 minute routine that is a very good workout.

Starting with the regular P90X warmup of jogging, jumping jacks, quad and hamstring stretches, etc., you begin with Yoga, and continue on through Kenpo, Plyometrics, and our favorite Core Synergistics we did on day 1. I really don't like that Superman Banana!

Overall I was sweating heavily and really feeling it. I'm feeling it more now, and will probably be feeling it even MORE tomorrow especially with Ab Ripper.

After two workouts and getting ready to go home and do my third (which my beautiful wife has already finished and really liked) along with Ab Ripper X (officially this time!) I highly recommend P90X.

I'll probably just post my pictures (behind a cut so you don't have to look if you don't want to!) but I'm not too happy with them. They look like I'm standing really strangely.

I am also planning on scanning some drawings I've done and I'll put 'em here soooooon.

P90X - Core Synergistics

Last night we did Core Synergistics.

That 1 Hour routine seemed to last FOREVER!!

Also, this is a very difficult thing to do with a 9 month old who likes to crawl on and around your feet like a cat...

This sequence has 22 exercises, which you can read about here because there is no way I'm going to type out all of them! Sorry I'm lazy today. (actually busy today and don't have time, unfortunately)

My favorites (i.e. the biggest pains) were Bow-to-Boat and Superman Banana.

The ones I had the hardest time with due to my shoulder problem was any pushup. This surprised me because normally pushups are simple for me and I can do at least 50 at any time. Right now I can't do one without my shoulder giving out in excruciating pain - so basically it's not worth doing. MODIFIED pushups however I can do (GIRL pushups ha!) so I concentrate on form to try to get the most out of it. If I continue to do rotator cuff exercises I'm hoping that I can do more soon!

Today we will be doing CardioX. The plan is that this will loosen up the lactic acid from yesterday's workout so we won't be so sore, right? I hope so!