June 29, P90X3, Week 8, Day 1- Isometrix.

June 29, P90X3, Week 8, Day 1- Isometrix.

I was VERY happy with today's workout. I also uncovered some major balance issues between my right and left hemispheres. Fortunately, I was able to hold all the moves for the full 45 seconds.

First the balance issues. For a lot of the 2-move rotations I was very strong and stable on the right side, but I was really struggling and shaking like a cold wet puppy on the left. That became painfully clear with move 15.One Arm Sphinx. My shake wasn't just a little twitch, it was a clear fast .5-2 inch swing in my body. I was trying to keep square with the floor, but the pain and the imminent cramping in my hip was almost too much to handle. Another odd imbalance was with move 22. and 24. Inner Balance Right and Left. Last week I couldn't even close my eyes for more than a couple seconds without falling down on both sides. Today, I was determined to keep my eyes closed the whole time no matter what. Here's the weird part. When balancing on my right leg, I tapped a total of 6 times, the majority of the taps came during the last 15 seconds or so as I kept fading to the left. But when balancing on my left leg, I tapped a total of 4 times, mainly at at the beginning. I felt myself fading right, but was able to focus and keep my balance AND eyes closed. I was really happy about that!

The second biggest surprise for me today was the Bound Dog Leg Lift right and left. Last week, like with the Inner Balance, I couldn't stay up, I was falling all over the place. Today, I was strong and stable for most of the move. Although at the last 10 seconds or so, I could feel myself getting tired and lost my balance from that. But the stability I was able to achieve for the first 35 seconds on both sides really pleased me.

I don't recall anything special that would improve my balance that much over the last three weeks of Block 2, so I'm a little confused, but happy that it happened. Also, there is another option. Today, I could be just really lucky and today, was just a good day. Whatever the reason for this improvement, I'LL TAKE IT!!!

I was also able to take deep breaths throughout the whole routine. The small let down would be the calorie burn, just over 200kcals for this routine. BUT, upon finishing the routine I heard my daughter playing outside so I went out and we played catch for about 30 minutes. Got an extra 100+kcals burned there!

Great way to start the week!

June 28, P90X3, Week 7, Day 7- Rest.

June 28, P90X3, Week 7, Day 7- Rest.

Normally I don't do anything of any significance on Day 7's, but today, I sort of did. I was spending some time with my daughter and decided to, while we were talking while lying on the floor I thought I would get my foam roller out and roll for a few minutes. When my daughter started watching the animated feature "Prince of Egypt" I watched with her while rolling, the entire 90 minute movie. We also sang some songs together for about halfan hour. I was on the roller for the whole time. That's 2 hours of foam rolling. I was feeling really good afterwards. A lot looser and relaxed.

Oh, I also had Vegan Chocolate Shakeology for dinner! YUMMY!!!

Great way to spend an afternoon.

June 27, P90X3, Week 7, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

June 27, P90X3, Week 7, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

 

It was raining buckets this morning. But surprisingly, I didn't not want to get up. I actually followed through on my plan to get up and start my workout by 9am. Usually I'd poo poo around and then end up starting closer to 10am, but today actually went off without a hitch.

 

MMX is HOT!!! Love this workout! All the moves and rounds went really well. The only two moves that gave me a little trouble was the one that has the crescent kick, and the last move with the Gladiator. Those two moves I had to rewind and start after making sure of my left and right. However, this is the best I ever did with the final move. I had to really focus with my right leg forward, but got it and was able to keep up with the team when my left foot was forward. Only once did I have to take a quick pause to make sure which leg I needed to raise first. I was also able to start with Cold Start so I was feeling great and loose.

 

The only bad thing was that I forgot a towel so I was having some major "Sprinkler" action.

 

I started early and finished well before tennis was to start so to keep loose, I shot some hoops. Years ago, the basketball was heavy for me to shoot from beyond the 3-point line, Now, I have to think to control the power. Really nice feeling to have to do that.

 

Due to a semi-major schedule change we had to play a shortened session today. So both of us came out swinging. That is great in the fact that we get into a groove a lot faster, but bad, in that there are more unforced errors at the beginning of play. I was, for the most part, striking the ball well, but was a bit over eager and made a lot of errors. But I really got into a groove by the second set. But the pace at which I was playing sort of took a toll on me and I got a little tired in the third. Final score, 6-4, 6-0, 6-3, 1-2. Usually we would have played another 45 minutes or so, but as I said, shortened session so barely was able to finish a third set and get into a fourth.

 

Total calorie burn for today, 1600+kcals. Great way to end Week 7 of P90X3. Looking forward to the Transition week next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

June 26, P90X3, Week 7, Day 5- Incinerator.

June 26, P90X3, Week 7, Day 5- Incinerator.

 

Had a relaxing morning interrupted by the Incinerator. Last workout of this block so I really wanted to bring it. So I brought it. OUCH!!!

 

As far as the individual moves went, I pretty much maintained the weights from the previous week except for the Pterodactyl Flys and the A Presses. I went up 2.5kgs for each move. I'll still need to go up to more for the A Presses, though. The surprise move was the Pike Press. I got up to 17 lastweek, but I got 23 today without thinking, I just went until I heard the second "beep" from the DVD. I was happy, but OUCH!!!

 

All around great workout. I could feel my heart pounding and I was getting a good burn and pump with some failure happening at the end of most of the moves. My shoulders and arms really felt it today. I thank Tony for not putting a crazy cardio Burnout at the end. I wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.

 

I really like this workout for many reasons, but I wish there were just a few more sets of pull ups or chin up variation.

 

Counting down to the finish of Block 2! Should I be nervous about Block 3?

June 25, P90X3, Week 7, Day 4- Eccentric Lower.

June 25, P90X3, Week 7, Day 4- Eccentric Lower.

 

Today, I was pressed for time in the morning so I did not start with Cold Start, I jumped right into the program. I'm thankful for the little warm up at the beginning of the program.

 

Had a great workout! I didn't try to up my weights because I wasn't getting the explosion I wanted when I tried to increase my range of motion last week. One note I got said that my glutes might be weak. Taking that to heart, I focused today on form and flexing the muscles being activated and used. I tried to push for more range of motion and the explosive concentric move following the eccentric move.

 

I was a little worried with this workout, because for some reason, my inner thighs were really sore for some reason. The previous days workout was X3 yoga plus some light extra stuff so I was a little confused as to why my legs were sore. But once I got going, the soreness left and a new pain took its place.

 

Great workout for my hump day!

June 24, P90X3, Week 7, Day 3- X3 Yoga + Class + YAYOG.

June 24, P90X3, Week 7, Day 3- X3 Yoga + Class + YAYOG.

Did a lot today in two and a half hours. First of all, I teach English at a small private university in Southern Japan. This week's topic was Diet and Exercise. The first class last Friday was about healthy eating. today's class was about exercise. So I took my students to the gym and we exercised and they learned the names of different muscles and moves in English and how to talk about Exercise. We warmed up, talked about the difference between dynamic and static stretching, did some upper body moves, some core moves, some lower body moves. Did some work with the universal machine, etc. It was a lot of fun and I was sweating like crazy. Then, I just continued my workout after the class ended because I didn't have a class.

I finally finished the "You are Your Own Gym" workout, "Novice: Circuit Training" I was sweating a lot more with that short and sweet workout.

Finally, I finished the session off with X3 Yoga. With the longer than usual ramp up to X3 Yoga, I was a lot looser than usual. I was able to do a lot better with everything. For the first time ever, I was able to hold all the balance moves without a tap. Tree went without a hitch, I was able to hold the pose with extreme stability, not even a bit of shake on both legs. My NEMESIS, Extended Leg with Toe Bind. My leg was still not even close to being straight, but I was able to hold the pose without tapping once. I tried to keep my form as stable as possible with some good success. I was actually shocked at how stable I was. The whole routine felt the best it has every felt. Burned a total of 700+ kcals with only the YAYOG and X3 Yoga. I didn't wear my HRM during class.

What a great way to start the day.

June 23, P90X3, Week 7, Day 2- Triometrics.

June 23, P90X3, Week 7, Day 2- Triometrics.

Last time this rotation for this routine. The past two weeks, I was dying by the Slater Squats which forced me to take a break. But today, I wanted to make it through without any extra breaks.

Good news, I made it all the way through without taking any extra breaks. Bad news, I was dying!  For some reason I had more trouble with the balance moves. Duper Skater, Warrior 3 Squats, Duper 2, and had to tap more than in the past. Also, I tried to go deeper on the squats and my leg(s)/butt started to cramp up so I had to come out a little early.

I was dying but I held on to the end. I also started the "Sprinkler" action. The sweat was pouring off me. My heart was pounding like crazy. It was awesome! Except for the extra time it took for me to wipe down the floor and furniture around me.

Awesome way to start the work week!

June 22, P90X3, Week 7, Day 1- Eccentric Upper.

June 22, P90X3, Week 7, Day 1- Eccentric Upper.

Had an awesome workout today. Really tried to push myself to as close to my limit as possible. I may have burned out a little early on the Chin Ups. hehe. I upped my weight on a few of the moves that I haven't upped yet. The reason for the decision to push it hard is because this is the last week for this rotation. Next week is another transition week then Block 3.

For the Military Press, I had to go down last week, but today, I went back up to 17kgs. I was able to keep better form than the first week 1. I also upped the Deep Swimmer's Press by 1.25kgs. Upped Lateral/Anterior Raise by 1.25kgs. The Pterodactyl Flys also went up, but I think 1.25kgs was too much. I was able to get the dumbbell up, but the nature weight of the dumbbell forced the weight down before I could start the Eccentric move. I assume that if I can't hold the weight at the top of the concentric move isometrically, the weight is too heavy. Is that right? The same thing happened with the Rocket Launcher Kickback. Upped that move by 1.25kgs, but couldn't hold the weight at the top isometrically after the fourth rep. I was able to up the Kneeling Preacher Curl to 12kgs.

All the other moves were regular. But the Chin ups, The previous two weeks, I had to split the 10 rep count. But today, I did 10 straight. Or I should say that I stayed on the bar and did 10 straight. I did hang and breathe a couple times at the end, but I did 10 without coming off the bar. Also, the Burnout, I couldn't complete it last week, but this week I hung with Tony for all the reps. I may have cheated a little on the last pull up. Not sure if I got all the way up over the bar. Vaulter pull ups also had a split in the second set. But I had to come off the bar once and so I did one extra. I did a 4-2 split.

At the end of the workout, my arms were tingling and shaking. What an awesome workout! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Let's bring it this week, eh!

June 20, P90X3, Week 6, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

June 20, P90X3, Week 6, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

I got up a little earlier today to give myself a little bit of a cushion between the workout and tennis. Last week, I had to go right into tennis from MMX and I was beat until adrenalin kicked in. This week, I gave myself about a 10 minute rest and relaxation time before tennis. Boy, did that make a big difference. I had a little lull at the end of the first set, but turned it on after that.

The workout was totally awesome. I really concentrated on each move and tried to keep each punch and kick crisp and intense. I tried to keep each sprawl as straight as I could and bounce back up without arching my back. All the moves went very well, except the very last one, the Scissor kick Gladiator Sprawl Jab Cross uppercut down elbows. Man, that is a tough move. But after the workout was finished, I used my rest time to watch and analyze the move again and I discovered my problem. I kept doing my sprawl where my gladiator ended and my new forward position confused me because I didn't have space to kick again so I would waste time repositioning myself. Now, I know that I need to sprawl further back so when I get up to punch then scissor kick, I'll be in the correct position. Can't wait for next week. I want to jam on that last move.

I didn't feel rushed after the workout, I took an easy pace to set up the net and do some breathing and stretching and some lateral movement to keep loose. I came out of the gate roaring. Winning 5 of the first 6 game, then I lost focus and dropped two games. But I wouldn't lose another game for the next 16 games. The first three sets went 6-3, 6-0, 6-0, and the fourth set was 3-0 before I let a game go. Final set score was 6-1 But the score in the final set is a little deceptive. I started getting really loose with my form and junking things into the net. The last 10 minutes, were a real struggle. I got really tired and was just moving on will.

It was interesting because I got to try out two styles of working out with tennis. Straight through, and then with a break. Doing it straight through, I seemed to be able to manage my energy out a little better because I was tired at the beginning so I didn't go all out at the beginning so I pretty much lasted the whole session. Even after the tennis I still had a little in the tank. With the break, I was able to totally blast from the beginning, but emptied the tank and couldn't do much at the end. I'm not sure which I like better, but it was an interesting and unexpected experiment. Good learning experience today.

So glad for my off day. Going bowling with my daughter and the church youth group Saturday night. I might do some curls with the ball! Have a good weekend everyone!

June 19, P90X3, Week 6, Day 5- Incinerator.

June 19, P90X3, Week 6, Day 5- Incinerator.

Made some big advances today in this workout. Upped my weights from 12kgs to 17kgs for the renegade row. Did one more pull up this week than last week. Did four more push ups. Dropped three military push ups. Did two more Pike Presses, and five more flippers and Skyfers. Dying during the Arm and Hammer, but went from a 7-3 to an 8-2 split. Upped my weights from 10kgs to 12kgs on the RL Kickbacks. Two moves, A press, and Pterodactyl flys, I determined the weights I used to be too light and I will be upping those, too, next week by between 1.25kgs and 2.5kgs.

Doing standard moves, I am able to do more weight, but with the eccentric moves, I would probably need to drop down by at least 30% maybe more for most of the moves.

I tried my best to keep up the pace, but a few times I had to pause the DVD. My heart was racing after a few of the moves and I figured I should recover a little before pushing it more.

On the "Rocket Launcher" moves, I do five reps, then switch legs. I figured that way, I can balance my legs as well.

This was a fast paced workout that totally burned me out. I had to go a little slower too, because of the configuration of my weights, I needed to change plates and what not. But by the end of it, my Upper body was barking, but it was a good bark!

Bringing it as hard as I can!

June 18, P90X3, Week 6, Day 4-Eccentric Lower.

June 18, P90X3, Week 6, Day 4-Eccentric Lower.

Got a lot of sleep the previous night. Felt really good today. Was able to get my workout in in the morning so I was happy about that.

I was able to get through all the moves relatively well with a good struggle on the last few reps. I was able to up my weight on about half the moves by 1.25 - 2.5kgs. But I found that when I went deeper into the lunge or squat and increased my range of motion, after the eccentric 3-count the explosive move was not as fast in the first couple inches. But once I cleared the 90 degree angle, I could explode. My question is this, on the eccentric workouts, should I reduce my weights so I can explode the concentric move, or should I keep my weights heavy and work up to that explosiveness?

The first three moves, I went from 17KgsX2 to 19.5kgsX2. The next three moves I stayed at 10Kgs. From then on, I went up and kept the weights a few times.

I accidentally did the Cross Reach wrong. I held the weight in the wrong hand. I noticed when the move switched to the left so I just kept the mistake and will fix it next week. The Hip Flexor Splits is still somewhat of an enigma to me. I'm afraid to use the push up stands because mine might break under my weight. Also, it sort of looks like Tony is sitting on the stands, but from different camera angles it looks like he is supporting his weight with his arms. For now, I've been doing that move on the floor.

The Side Kick move seems easy, but getting my leg up there is so tough. I can't get it much higher than parallel to the ground. I tried today, and my butt almost cramped up so I let it down a bit. It is weird, but when I have my right leg up, my left butt-cheek feels like it is getting more of a workout. Is it supposed to be that way?

My range of motion on the front kick is just terrible. I can't get my leg anywhere near parallel to the ground when extended plus the weight. My hip flexors need a lot of work along with my hammys.
Great workout today. I'm so thankful that this routine is only 13 moves. I don't know how much more I could take.

Have a great day!

June 17, P90X3, Week 6, Day 3- X3 Yoga.

June 17, P90X3, Week 6, Day 3- X3 Yoga.

Another great round of Yoga. Felt really good through the whole routine. I also needed this routine because I was really sore from the two previous workouts.

All the moves felt really good so I was quite happy. The one move that was just terrible was the Extended Leg with Toe Bind. I just kept losing my balance and couldn't get my leg extended at all. I need to really work on my hamstring flexibility.

I was a little pressed for time today, so again, very thankful for the 30 minute routine!

June 16, P90X3, Week 6, Day 2 - Triometrics.

June 16, P90X3, Week 6, Day 2 - Triometrics.

I was ready for this workout today. I got a good 8 hours of sleep the night before and woke up ready.

After a good Cold Start, I felt good going into the workout. I was able to hang for most of the first half. I had a little trouble with some of the balance moves, but took no extra breaks. But going all out on the Sumo Kick then the three Squat combos that follow, I had to take a breather just before the Slater Squat again. The Iso Squat is much more than it seems. Really tough, especially for Level 3.

I was very happy not to screw up on the Kablam like I did last week. I was really confusing the moves, but this time around I kept up and did the right sequence all the way through.

Thank goodness the burnout was only about 30 seconds, but still got really winded by the end. Great workout and great sweat and great burn. I still contend that Triometrics is more intense than Plyometrics X.

June 15, P90X3, Week 6, Day 1-Eccentric Upper.

June 15, P90X3, Week 6, Day 1-Eccentric Upper.

The question today was not if I would do my workout, rather, how long I would put it off. My human nature took over a little this morning. Last week was tough and my body didn't want to feel that pain again, but my body knew that I needed it so the internal battle was on from the morning. I usually would have started around 9am, but I poopooed around for a long time wasting time. Finally I asked my wife, "Should I do my workout now, or in the afternoon?" Her immediate answer, "NOW!". So, with that kick in the butt, I prepared and did my workout. I was very pressed for time now, because we were planning to go out for shopping and a Father's Day celebration at 12pm. I finished my workout and was ready to go at 12:20pm. Late, but luckily everything worked out.

The workout was as expected, HARD, TOUGH, GRUELING! I started with Cold Start as usual and I really need this every time. It is a great warm up.

There were ups and downs in this workout as compared with last week's workout. Like last week, I made it through all the push up variations with the struggle on the last few. I had to lower my weight per my notation from last week for the Military Press. Went down to 15.75kgs from 17kgs. Still had a struggle with the last few, but I was able to keep my form a lot more stable. No arching my back.
I also went down on two other moves, with the Rocket Launcher Kickback, I went down to 5kgs from 7.5kgs. It was still really tough on the last few. Then with the next move, Flip Flop Combo, I went down to 10kgs from 12kgs. Again, I still had to struggle on the last few, but kept good form, or should I say better form.

I had a bigger split with my Chin Ups, Last week I did an 8-2 split. This week, I did a 6-4 split.
The one up was on the last move, Kneeling Preacher Curl. I went up from 7.5kgs to 10kgs. I think It was a too big a jump. I couldn't get the weights all the way up on the last two reps. I put the weights down before the 10th, then on the 10th, almost got it all the way up, but just missed the mark.
I was able to get through the whole Burnout last week, but I couldn't get through the last doubles set this week. My arms were just burned out. Got a great burn today. I totally felt the heat in the following couple hours.

Hope all had a great Father's Day!

Was a little "Sinful" when we went out for Father's Day! Had some sweets and some pizza. But also got a lot of good stuff, too. When I got back home, I played some catch with my daughter for about 45 minutes. Worked up a good sweat and burned off some of the previous meals stuff.

June 13, P90X3, Week 5, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

June 13, P90X3, Week 5, Day 6- MMX + Tennis.

I understood that MMX was the martial arts routine. I was thinking something like Kempo X or Kempo X+. Great workouts which I love. This was SO NOT like them at all. MMX really ups the ante on P90X series of martial arts workouts. This by far is the most intense of all the MA workouts I've done.

The first round was basic punch and elbow combinations which I had seen before in other routines. Piece of cake. The first move in the second round, I should have seen as the harbinger of things to come. Every move after that was an insane combination with the killer sprawl. Those double punches, the Superman punch, the Gladiator I LOVE THOSE MOVES. So cool!

Every following round got harder and harder and more intense with each move. The one thing that sort of got me was the "Jab/Cross/Sprawl/Scramble" move. I actually got a little dizzy during the scramble so I had to slow down considerably. I was diagnosed with Meniere's Syndrome so I get dizzy relatively easy. First time doing this workout I didn't know what to expect. Next time, I'll have to modify for sure.

Another move I had a little trouble with was the "Push Kick/Snap Kick". Not that it is a difficult move, but without something to actually push, it was difficult for me to not have my push kick look a lot like the snap kick.

Several of the moves made me feel really uncoordinated. Namely, the "Superman Punch/4-punch Scramble/Sprawl" and the final move, "Gladiator/Sprawl/Jab/Cross/Sprawl/Hook/Uppercut". I hope to get these moves down next time. I was trying to concentrate on getting the form down, but I was off balance and the double sprawl was killer! Oh, the move with the crescent Kick, also really made me look stupid. LOL!

I was looking at some coaches reviews of MMX and this workout was generally rated as a low intensity workout. I was like, "WHAT? NO WAY?" I don't know how they did this workout, but this is definitely one of the top 3 for intensity in P90X3 in my opinion. I love this type of workout with a real world application, and as I imagined a fighting situation, the workout kept getting more and more intense. AWESOME BURN!

BIG MISTAKE before a tennis match. I was pressed for time, and I ended up finishing the workout a lot later than I had anticipated. I had to rewind the video several times to learn the combinations. I was hoping to have about a 20 minute break before my tennis match, but I ended up having no break. I had to get right into the match.

My legs and body were so tired and worn. And it showed in my play in the first set. I dropped the first two games. If you know anything about tennis, on low balls, you have to get down with your knees, not bend at your waist. But I was bending at my waist and was netting a lot of balls. We played a lot of deuces, and I eventually got to 4-4. By then I was feeling a lot better and adrenalin had started to take over. But my energy came in bursts, which resulted in my game being somewhat erratic.

However, I noticed that whenever I got into a lull. I was able to get out of it much faster than I previously had. I ended up getting back in the groove and took the match. Final score: 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. Total calorie burn, and time of exercise. 2 hours 28 minutes, 1704 kcals burned. I am SO ready for my off day tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone. And it is a bit early, but HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you dad's out there! PEACE!!

June 12, P90X3, Week 5, Day 5- Incinerator.

June 12, P90X3, Week 5, Day 5- Incinerator.

For some reason I thought that this workout was without any equipment. Then I looked at the guide and thought, "Here comes the pain!" And I was right.

Most of the moves are not new, but for some reason, this grouping of moves and Tony's "commentary" brings the old alive. Again, with the knowledge that the routine is only 30 minutes, that, in a way frees the body from being reserved and it is easier to just go for it. The pace was a lot faster than what I am used to when working with weights. So, yes, I had to do some pausing and rewinding. 
 

Pull ups, push ups, curls, variations were nice. The only really new move was Monkey Pump. I was really trying to keep my arms parallel to the floor. I was just using 5kgs in each hand, and I was struggling to keep parallel near the end. Also, I was unable to bring my elbows together before the press. Not sure if my form was off, or if I lost strength due to the weights. I was able to bring my elbows together with the almost same move in the warm up. I need to get stronger.

I was a little wary of using really heavy weights, so I thought I should go a little lighter than my limit. However, this was my limit. I was able to hit the 10th rep on most moves, but on the Arm and Hammer move, I totally failed at 7 reps. So I shook it out and did the last three.

I was very thankful that the burnout wasn't as fast as the, say... "Think Drills". But with a minute left, the sweat was pouring.

This was a good Old School workout with a twist. The total 18 moves + Burnout gave me an even more intense feeling and hotter burn than some of the other P90X/2 workouts in a shorter amount of time. Very happy with that. My arms were like rubber at the end.

June 11, P90X3, Week 5, Day 4- Eccentric Lower.

June 11, P90X3, Week 5, Day 4- Eccentric Lower.

I normally would have done this workout in the morning, but I had my school health check today, so I couldn't eat anything so I went in early to work. I ended up doing my workout in the late afternoon. Thank goodness for the short workouts because I was really pressed for time. I ended up being about 30 minutes late for a class. hehe. My workout had priority.

This was a KILLER workout. All the moves were moves I had done before, but NEVER in an Eccentric way. The pattern of my progress, or should I say regress was that the first 2-3 reps were relatively easy and could explode concentrically. But as the move continued, my concentric move got slower and slower. I was afraid to tweak a hip flexor like I had done in the past by pushing too far, so I just tried to keep in check.

In other workouts I would usually go really heavy (for me) on squats. Something like 25kgsX2 (that is the limit of the dumbbells I have at the moment). However with the eccentric component, I could only handle 17kgsX2. For the other moves as well, I went down about 20% of what I would have used with the normal move.

I could feel my muscles burning on the slow half, then springing back with the fast return. The kick moves were in interesting addition to this type of workout. My leg wouldn't go any higher than parallel on the side kick, and got up just under parallel on the front kick. I have absolutely terrible range of motion on the Bridge Kick move.

The final move, Calf Dog, was surprisingly easy. Either I have very strong calves, or I'm doing it wrong. And I don't think my calves are that strong. I'll need to check my form more carefully the next time I do this routine. At the end of this workout, I was shaking. Again, like Triometrics, going down the stairs was tenuous at best. It was like my legs were used pipe cleaners.

I was glad there were only 13 moves. The 30 minutes went by really quickly. I had to take a little extra time adjusting my dumbbells. If I get one more set, I'll be golden. I may have to invest in one more set, but space is an issue. I wonder how sore I'll be tomorrow.

June 10, P90X3, Week 5, Day 3- X3 Yoga

June 10, P90X3, Week 5, Day 3- X3 Yoga

Man, did I ever need this today. I am still sore from Eccentric and now Triometrics.  I was tight in mostly my upper body, but yoga ironed me out a lot. I still feel soreness, but not with every step I take. LOL!

I am wondering, how deep a breath are we supposed to take when holding positions? When I am in a position like Downward Dog, it is easy to take long deep breaths. But in any of those twisting moves, I can barely get in an inhale to save my life. Either I have to come out of the pose a little, or take small breaths.

Either way, today was great.

June 9, P90X3, Week 5, Day 2- Triometrics.

June 9, P90X3, Week 5, Day 2- Triometrics.

If I were to compare an hour of Plyometrics and this workout, I'd definitely have to say this is more intense. Something must be said for doing crushing moves for a minute straight as opposed to just 30 seconds. That being said, the routine started off well. I was thinking that I could handle it all the way through, but boy, was I mistaken.

It seemed like I could handle 20 seconds at a time and for the first 2/3 of the workout, I basically did. I really liked the balance moves again, and some oldies but goodies, like the skater and frog jumps. Mixed in with some new twists on some oldies. And of course, some completely new moves.

I was able to hang with the first 6 moves, but then I started losing it with move, 7. Sumo Kick. With the third speed, I had to slow it down a touch, but I almost kept up. I was like a clod with the first two speeds of Run Stance Squats. Just not used to doing it with the step and skip. P90X runs it with the jump and I felt more at home with speed three.

From move 10. Slater Squat, I could not hang for the whole minute. I had to pause after speed 2, then do speed three. That surfer move is intense and popping up from the floor was much harder than I had anticipated. The last four moves, I could not continue for the whole minute. I had to take a breather before the third speed on all of them.

I was sweating like crazy after this workout, and going down the stairs was seriously shaky. My legs were on FIRE! I was wondering why Tony has X3 Yoga before Eccentric Lower, now I know. Now, I'm really scared of Eccentric Lower on Wednesday, but because my schedule is kind of weird this week, I may have to do it with some lower weights than I wanted.

But for today, I'm very satisfied with my work. I didn't hang all the way, but I was able to see room for improvement which is huge for my motivation.

Have a great week everyone!

June 8, P90X3, Week 5, Day 1- Eccentric Upper.

June 8, P90X3, Week 5, Day 1- Eccentric Upper.

Let me start by saying I really didn't know what to expect from this workout. And in this case, that was definitely a good thing because had I known the strain and pain I was headed for, I probably would have been really frightened and intimidated by this workout. I mean, I really didn't know what "Eccentric" meant in terms of working out. This was totally new for me in every sense of the word.
I skimmed through the moves on the worksheet,"Hmmmm, push ups, pull ups, presses, etc. nothing I haven't seen before, and, huh, only 10 reps per move, easy. No wonder it's only 30 minutes." Famous last words, "Only 10 minutes."

Now, I could go over every move and let you relive the move with me, but that would take longer than you have so I'll just talk about the highlights of this routine for me.

Let me get rid of a third of the workout here and now. All the Push up style moves, I did with relatively no problems. I got through all ten reps basically. However, as I got more and more worn, I found myself, after doing the eccentric half, blasting up became slower and slower. Not so slow that it was the same speed and going down, but number 10 was considerably slower than number 1. Also, I found that in the later sets, I needed to slightly jerk my head up to get myself moving upward. I could not hang with the Plyo Push-ups. In P90X, I could real off 16 in a row of the regular style, but with the eccentric move added, I barely made it to ten, plus I had to take a quick one rep breather which put me one rep behind in the end.

Second third. The presses. I had no frame of reference to choose my weights with this workout, so I just chose weights that I would normally use for the stated move. For example, the Military Press, I would usually start at 17kgs in each hand. So I started with that today. WAY TOO HEAVY!!! The next set of presses, Deep Swimmer's Press, I dropped to12kgs. That worked a lot better. Felt in more control and had better form. Same thing with the curls, I started way to heavy, but by the end of the routine, I was using 7.5kgs. For the fly moves, I ended up using 5kgs. I started off well with the heavier weights, but by rep #4, I couldn't hold the weight up in good form. Especially on the kickbacks.7.5kgs was still way to heavy. Just going up and down, I usually used 10-12kgs. But with eccentric, I think I'll drop to 5kgs next time.

Last third. I just could not hang at all with the pull ups. The first set of standard pull up, I got through okay. But it went downhill from the next set on. I still wanted to get the 10 reps, but broke up the numbers. I went 8-2, then 4-4-4 with the V-Pull ups. Vaulter Pull-ups were 5-3-2. This style too way more time, and I couldn't ride that wave of speed. Had to concentrate on each move and yes, I cheated a lot and kipped up in the later stages.

I did Cold Start. And I hand to rewind the DVD several times to learn some of the new moves. Also, I took a lot of extra time, switching with weights. So the 30 minutes, actually became closer to 50 minutes with all that extra stuff between moves. Burned almost 800kcals. At the end of this workout, my upper body was just quivering. A sensation I had not felt before in quite that way. I felt the pump and burn with all the resistance workouts from P90X, Chalean Extreme, etc. but this was a different feeling. I can't wait to see what happens with this workout next week.

My final feelings about this workout, I have to quote albeit somewhat out of context, Tony. With regards to this Eccentric Upper Workout, "I hate it, but I love it."

Have a great week everyone!

June 6, P90X3, Week 4, Day 6- X3 Yoga + Tennis.

June 6, P90X3, Week 4, Day 6- X3 Yoga + Tennis.

This was an interesting day. For the past three weeks or so, I have done The Warrior before playing tennis, with mixed results. Once feeling winded at the beginning, but gaining focus later on. And once feeling totally energized, and killing the ball. Today, with Yoga before tennis I was more than a little interested to see what results that routine would have on my game.

X3 Yoga, I'm getting used to the speed and pace. I rather like it now. Worked up a good dripping sweat. To begin with, I didn't feel like I was in a Funk Zone like yesterday, but didn't get much sleep so that had a little influence I suspect, but I felt good, albeit a little sleepy. I didn't have time to do Cold Start so I started straight into the routine. I guess I don't really need Cold Start before Yoga anyway, I've just always liked to do it as a warm up. Anyhow....

Today's routine is the best I've done so far, in my narrow-vision-ish opinion. I really tried to extend all the extremities, was careful of my breathing, squaring when I needed to square, and opened when I needed to open. Everything went well, until I got to my nemesis, The Leg Extension Toe Bind. I kept losing my balance, I couldn't hold either of my legs up for more than a moment before I lost my balance. I was a bit perturbed. But I got through it somehow, stepping down and tapping all the way. Felt great at the end, centered and focused. Calm.

That is probably not the best state of mind to be in before a competitive event, but There was nothing I could do about it now.

As the warm up started, I felt really good. A lot looser than I have felt before. However I did have a little trouble getting my hustle on. I wasn't running for shots and wasn't hustling for the first 10 minutes or so during the warm up. I had to consciously tell myself to "MOVE, GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR!" However, at the same time, I felt extremely focused and was seeing the ball extremely well. Making solid contact every stroke. Overall, I had fewer mishits than usual which made me happy.

Once the game started, I was zeroed in. I roared out of the gate, and took the first set 6-1. But for some reason, I lost focus and I dropped the next four games and was down 0-4 in the second set. But I regained my focus and intensity, and roared back winning 16 games straight. taking the second set, 6-4 the third set 6-0, and going up 4-0 in the fourth before a concentration hiccup and I lost a game. I eventually took the fourth set 6-2. I was up 5-0 in the 5th when time ran out. I think I like doing yoga before a tennis match!

Total calorie burn for the session, 1250kcals went bye-bye! I'm more than ready for the weekend!

June 5, P90X3, Week 4, Day 5- CVX.

June 5, P90X3, Week 4, Day 5- CVX.

I was checking the Classic schedule and CVX is on only one more time next month in the transition week, so I decided to push it more. So I decided to up my weight from 5kgs to 6kgs. I was regretting that decision right off. LOL!

Actually, the first two sets were okay. But once I started that third set, I was saying to myself, "I'm going back down to 5kgs for the next set." But when it came down to it, I thought, "Naw, I'll just finish this circuit and switch weights for the next circuit." But after the break, the first move in the third circuit was done with no weights so and the second and third moves were relatively doable, so I did it as is.

When I got to the fourth circuit, I was almost totally blown so I switched to 5kg Medicine Ball for the first move, 10. Side Reach Jumps. Then went back to my 6kg dumbbell for the last two moves. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to stand back up after the side reach on the first move. The jump was killer with the 5kgs anyway, so I am at peace with that decision.

The other weird thing is that for some reason, all day today, I was feeling slightly out of alignment with the world. I had sort of a pulsating headache the whole day, and I was in sort of funk zone. I suspect that it was because of the atmospheric pressure changes because of the weird weather. I usually would have done my workout in the morning, but I was so out of it in the morning that I stayed in bed as long as I could hoping it would go away, but it didn't. It did get less and less as the day wore on, but doing this workout in the late afternoon helped a lot to get me out of that weird zone. Just an odd day today.

June 4, P90X3, Week 4, Day 4- Pilates X

June 4, P90X3, Week 4, Day 4- Pilates X.

 

I didn't know anything about Pilates before doing this workout. I still don't totally understand the science behind it. I reminded me a lot of RevAbs and breathing to activate the core. But the breathing style was much different than RevAbs. It reminded me more of Lamaze breathing. That in itself made me feel a little odd from the beginning. So I'm glad that Tony was constantly saying, "Men, you think Pilates is for women, think again,You're going to be crying at the end of this."

 

Third workout in a row in which my weaknesses were shown to me on a silver platter. It was a very tough workout for me. I couldn't get my legs as high, as far, or hold as long, or do as many reps. And I couldn't move as fast as Tony and his team were. So I was doing less reps than they were over the course of each move.

 

The breathing thing was also very difficult. Sometimes I couldn't tell if I was supposed to inhale or exhale. Sometime I caught myself holding my breath. Sometimes even though I knew I was supposed to be inhaling, I would exhale. Sometimes I could barely breath because I couldn't get air into my lungs because of the position of my body. It was that hard. That is something I will definitely need to workout. I had no idea I had such a lack of breath control in certain situations.

 

The most difficult move was the double double tap. While in plank, you raise one leg twice in the back, then move the same leg to the side and tap twice then back to plank leg raised then down. Everyone was moving so fast. Tony and team did 10 reps on each side, I could only manage about 7 reps.

 

To be honest, this was not one of my favorites, but it needs to be done because it will fill in a lot of gaps in my regime that need to be addressed. I'll need this wake up call every now and then.

June 3, P90X3, Week 4, Day 3- Accelerator

June 3, P90X3, Week 4, Day 3- Accelerator.

First time to do this workout. From the name I assumed it would be cardio, and I was right. All the moves are basic moves, but again, with a twist. Again, a lot of planking, but moving fast and changing directions a lot.

For the first 5-8 moves, I was hanging pretty well, doing the medium speed, then the fast speed. But about 10 minutes into the workout, I started to loose steam. Some of the moves like the 9. Spin Stops, I had seen before in P90X: PlyoX, but this time it was of 60 seconds straight, not 30 seconds. That is a huge difference. I couldn't hang the whole time, and had to sit one rep out to catch my breath.
Move 10. Plank Walkers was also difficult for me, not only because it was hard and I had to come down on my knees, but because I have a very small space so I could only move about half a meter in any direction from the middle starting point. Move 12. Plank Circles was the same story. But I couldn't had the whole minute.

I officially LOVE the move 20. Donkey Kicks! This is such a great move, and a lot of fun. It was like a move I had seen a lot of hip hop dancers do, but I DO NOT dance. But alas, I could not hang, and had to take 1 rep breathers here and there, but I finished strong with the last three. I think I bothered my son who was studying in the next room with my grunting and groaning.  Brought it hard today!

June 2, P90X3, Week 4, Day 2- Dynamix.

June 2, P90X3, Week 4, Day 2- Dynamix.

This was the first time for me to do this workout, and I could also say it was my first time to do this type of workout. The moves were simple, but really intense. Another different new step in my P90X3 journey.

A lot of planking, a lot of lower body stretches. Kind of a mix of stretching, Yoga, and calisthenics. Most of the moves I have seen before in other programs, but with a little twist. There was nothing I couldn't do, but about a fourth of the moves (29 total moves) I couldn't do well, or hold to the end of the time on both sides.  Again, the glaring truth about how weak my left side is compared to my right. Another wake up call notifying me of my terrible imbalance.  

My right side is almost 50% more flexible than my left. How could it get that way? But when I look at my activities, I notice that I baby my left, or I favor my right because I'm right handed. Tennis is right handed, Throwing a ball, I lead with my right on most things. I will need to correct my imbalance through these programs. I guess I'll also have to get more exercises in on my left side as well.

What's this, a new goal formulating in my head? Hmmmm.

June 1, P90X3, Week 4, Day 1- Isometrics

June 1, P90X3, Week 4, Day 1- Isometrics.

I had no idea what to expect on this one beyond what the name said. I'm thinking, "Just being still." And basically, that is what is was "SUPPOSED" to be. Standing in poses and holding them for 45 seconds. At the beginning, it was all stuff I had done before in X2 and X3 Yoga and other places. But the last 3 cycles. I could not hold the poses. I could not keep the balance. I just got worse as it went on.

From move 21. Bound Dog, Right Hand Left Ankle, I was falling over like a Jenga tower with a cross base. I was terrible. Then the next move, Inner Balance, the one where you just lift one foot and balance, easy enough, but we're supposed to close our eyes. Once my eyes were closed, I just totally lost all perception and I had to keep tapping down. I couldn't stay balanced for more than a couple seconds. Literally! Once my eyes were closed and I lifted my foot, two, maybe less before I felt myself tipping and I'd tap down. Shocking, but not so shocking.

Then the Bound Dog Leg Lift. Again, just TERRIBLE. I could not stay up. I just kept flopping over to one side or the other. Finally, Moon Dog. I'll not repeat that word, but it was not good. Couldn't stay up at all for more than a second or two at the most.

I'm not 100% sure what this is doing, but if my balance is THAT bad, I know something is wrong with me and I need to correct it. Tony said that this will show where my weaknesses are, and man, did it ever. My weaknesses came out and kicked me in the face! It it was a rude awakening.

But, I think I have learned enough to know that giving up is not an option and I will do my best to improve and strengthen those weaknesses.

I had to work today because my school was holding open campus and several people (parents of present student and prospective students and parents) came and observed the classes I was teaching. Some nice added incentive to want to come home and do a workout. What great refreshment!
I am planning to go and play tennis with my son in about 30 minutes.

I'm hoping this workout helps me move and see the ball better so I can show him who's boss. LOL!

Have a great week, and welcome to JUNE!