July 31, P90X3, Week 12, Day 5 (Block 3)- Pilates X.

July 31, P90X3, Week 12, Day 5 (Block 3)- Pilates X.

If you recall, the first time I did this routine, I said I didn't like it that much. I can officially say now, that I like this workout. 

Today was the first time that I actually felt comfortable with the breathing. I force the air in and out, but I don't make the hissing sound. I was able to move a lot better than previous times. The moves that killed me in the past were actually more doable today. Namely, "Bad Attitude". Before, I wasn't able to get my thighs off the ground, but today, I was able to do that, plus, add a little hold, a VERY little hold, but a hold none the less. I was actually a bit surprised at that.

The Pretzel is still challenging, but I was able to keep up with Tony today and end at the same time as he did. Again, a first. I was very happy that I could keep up with Tony for most of the routine. A few times, I had to watch the move before doing it then rewind, but aside from that. I kept up fine.  Give me more confidence for the next time. There is still the space issue so I wasn't able to do some of the more spread out moves very well, but that comes with the territory of a small workout area.

Feeling refreshed and relaxed. All in all, burned 350+kcals in this workout! Not a bad day's work.

July 30, P90X3, Week 12, Day 4 (Block 3)- Triometrics.

July 30, P90X3, Week 12, Day 4 (Block 3)- Triometrics.

There should be a cardio system called "Hot Cardio" because that is what I did today. I really didn't want to turn on the AC so I used a fan. Made little headway against the humidity. When I stood right in front of the fan, I got a little relief, but away from the wind, SPRINKLER CITY!

For some reason, I was expecting Pilates X today. I didn't check the schedule yesterday, and just assumed. So when I did check the schedule this morning, I was a little shocked. Sort of like seeing a piece of delicious looking something, expecting it to be sweet, but it is salty. It doesn't taste bad, but since it is not what you expected, it is not as enjoyable as you had hoped. Well, today started out that way. But, Tony changes that real quick with his humor and energy!

Triometrics is such an awesome workout. Today, I was able to hang with the whole routine right up till Kablaam. Then my legs just wouldn't move. I couldn't keep up with Tony's pace especially in the last 20 seconds. I only took an extra few breaths before the burnout, which I sort of regret because I forgot that the Burnout on Trio was only 30 seconds so I should have pushed to the end, but my legs were just dying!

Balance was much better today than last week when I did this routine. But for stage 3 of Duper 2, I couldn't get my leg up high enough not to tap when going down. Stage 3 of Warrior 3 Squats was also killer, I could only squeeze out 6 on each side.

In the end, burned over 600kcals including Cold Start.

July 29, P90X3, Week 12, Day 3 (Block 3)- Eccentric Upper.

July 29, P90X3, Week 12, Day 3 (Block 3)- Eccentric Upper.

Okay, didn't get as much sleep as I was hoping for last night, but got enough. I wasn't too groggy when I got up early this morning. I think I can feel my metabolism speeding up because I was so hungry this morning. I had a regular dinner last night instead of Shakeology, though. Maybe that had something to do with it.

After a light breakfast, I did Eccentric Upper. This workout always takes about 45 minutes, on top of the 15 for Cold Start. One reason is that I have to keep adjusting my weights. Another reason is my eccentric movement is a little slower than Tony's pace. I'm getting up faster, but the eccentric is what I am trying to focus on. Really trying to engage every muscle I can and breathe at the same time. That is a big issue for me. When I was just starting out, I would hold my breath a lot, especially when lifting heavy. Sometimes I catch myself holding my breath, and have to consciously force myself to breathe.

Another reason is that on the Pull ups, and chin ups, I can't keep up. So I have to break the 10 down. The first set of regular Pull ups, I can knock out the 10 with no big problem. Then next Chin ups, I have to break into at least a 6-4 split. Today, I was able to do the V-Pull ups in a 6-4 split, but there have been times when I could only do a 4-4-4 split. The final Vaulter Pull ups, I also managed a 6-4 split. For some reason, I start to swing when doing pull ups. I am trying to be steady, but I still swing. Any advice on how to stop swinging?

For the Push ups and Presses, I rocked them out with some major strain on the last 2 reps. Especially on the Kick Backs, I could barely keep my elbows up on rep 9, so I took one breath before 10 and held my elbows up for a fraction of a second which is more than last time!

For the rows, kick backs, and kneeling curls, the moves where I'm in either Rocket launcher stance or some sort of lunge stance with one leg forward, I do 5 reps then switch legs and then finish out the 10 reps. Just want to stay even because I'm getting a good iso workout on my butt in that stance.
Today, I basically went to failure on each move and totally wore myself out. Felt exhausted after each move, but after everything was done, I felt energized. Go figure! But in the end, I burned over 900kcals during today's workout. Yee Haw! BYE BYE FAT!!!

July 28, P90X3, Week 12, Day 2 (Block 3)- MMX.

July 28, P90X3, Week 12, Day 2 (Block 3)- MMX.

Not 100% recovered from the previous days lack of sleep, but a lot better. Oh, and with regard to my summer cold, I'm at about 95% there. Still have a semi-chronic dry throat which causes a cough, and that is about it. I'm going to get to be early to bed tonight and see if I can't kick everything within the next couple days.

MMX was awesome. I started with Cold Start, the move into the routine.  I blew round one and round two out of the water. In return, I was totally winded and the 30 second break after round two was not long enough to catch my breath, so I took a little longer. Round two is the toughest with two moves that have sprawls. I really felt connected with the moves today and the flow was a lot smoother than it has been in the past. In round three, I am so thankful for move three, Push Kick/Snap Kick. I love that move because of its movie feel and because it give a little break before move four.  I really pushed it today to keep up with Tony and his team.

I had to take a longer break after round three also. I was just so winded. But I love the Superman Punch in the first move of round four. The Jab/Cross/Sprawl/Scramble had to be modified because of space, I can't go around, so I went left and right with a little bounce in my movement to make up for the smaller lateral movements. Move three was a great break and then my favorite move, Gladiator/Sprawl/Jab/Cross/Hook/Uppercut. Such an awesome move and so much fun! AND such a killer move. I had to take a little breather before the burn out, and I was dying after that, too!

This is probably one of my favorite cardio workouts. I am planning a trip to the US in September and this is one of the leading workouts to take with me to do while there. 

When all was said and done, I burned over 700kcals in today's workout. Not my pace today, but Tony's and it was a killer pace. And so much fun!

July 27, P90X3, Week 12, Day 1 (Block 3)- Deceleration.

July 27, P90X3, Week 12, Day 1 (Block 3)- Deceleration.

Yesterday, Saturday, I had to give the sermon at my church in Japanese. I was a little pressured all week because of the preparations. Anyway, everything went well and the talk was well received. Stress release was great. I took a long nap Saturday afternoon. But, I made a mistake last evening and started watching one of my favorite movies too late because I wasn't sleepy. I ended up going to be close to 3am. Woke up this morning around 8:30am for some reason. I was expecting to sleep in till close to noon. I had bit of a headache when I woke up.

Anyway, I told that story because I think it had a direct impact on my workout today. I haven't felt this type of reaction to working out in a very long time. Not in the past decade at least. Overall, I was able to do all the moves, and hit my number every time. But after the first few reps, I suddenly felt like I was straining on each subsequent rep. It was weird! I felt I had the strength, but I just felt strained. I also felt really winded after each move. Recovery time was a bit longer than usual. My room was hot and humid despite having the fan and AC on.

For pull ups and chin ups, I can usually do 6-8 without stopping on the bar for a breather, but right after the third rep, I felt I had to stop, not because I was tired, but because I was winded. Barely made it on the Elevator Pull ups.

Crane Cracker Push-ups were much more tasking than usual. I wasn't getting my usual height on the Crawly Plyo Push up, either. My core was EXTREMELY worked on the Joel Jump Freeze, of all moves! The last two moves just burned me out. Those two in a row is a killer And now, after the workout, my calves are really feeling the burn, almost to the point of cramping. Never really had that happen before.

I NEED MY SLEEP! I have been doing very well with regards to getting to bed earlier than last year, but last night was a hiccup in that plan. I hope to not let it happen again.

Anyway, I'm rather disappointed in my performance today but I guess these types of days happen. I have to "Let It Go! Let It Go! Don't want to hold back anymore!"

This is week 12! I'm almost on the home stretch of the Classic schedule. I've got to really bring it this week to make up for today's debacle!

July 25, P90X3, Week 11, Day 6 (Block 3)- Triometrics + Tennis.

July 25, P90X3, Week 11, Day 6 (Block 3)- Triometrics + Tennis.

Like last week, I played tennis first. it was incredibly hot and humid on the court today. But at least I didn't forget my headband and wristband. It would have really been bad if I had forgotten them. I was really sweating like crazy. But the game was great. It was a little tough getting started, but once I got started, I got rolling. I took the match 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

Then I went right into Triometrics. I was really tired. I did my best but my pace was a bit slower than usual. I made it all the way through, but I was really off on my balance. I was tipping and tapping all over the place. But I know that when I get tired, my balance goes, so I must have been really tired. I can usually do the Warrior 3 lunges, but today, on both feet, I could barely stay up. The Duper and Duper 2's, Just couldn't keep it up. But I got everything done and the sweat was just spraying off me.

When all was said and done, I burned over 1500kcals!

 I went out in a blaze of glory today. Great way to end the week!

July 24, P90X3, Week 11, Day 5 (Block 3)- Total Synergistics.

July 24, P90X3, Week 11, Day 5 (Block 3)- Total Synergistics.

Minor schedule change today. The schedule calls for Triometrics today, then Total Synergistics tomorrow. But since I won't be able to do TS tomorrow, I'm doing it today, and then I will do TRIo tomorrow.

Today started off well enough. Got a good eight hours of sleep, had the morning off, so in the morning, I went out to brave the heat and the jungle that is my yard. The constant rain for almost that last month really made the weeds and grass grow extremely tall in a short period of time. I normally would have cut it down before it got this tall, but couldn't. Close to 4 hours in the hot sun. Once I start something, I go at it till it's done. I paid for it today. (Skip to the evening) My back got burned and my whole body feels like it's a few degrees hotter than normal. Plus, I got heat rash on top of that. ZOWEE!! A double whammy!

Anyway, I took a little break and had a very refreshing Shakeology for lunch. Then I did my workout. My grip strength was severely diminished because I was holding a weed-whacker for much of the time. I started to also get blisters on my hands. But luckily there are only two sets of pull ups and not much weight work so I was able to push through.

Rep count doesn't really have the opportunity to increase in this workout but with the few moves that can, there was a difference from the last time I did the workout. 4. Flip Flop Crunch went down from 16 to 12 because I was trying to hold the crunch longer. 6. Releve-Plie, Weighted got a +2 to 32. I tried to keep my pace as steady as possible. My legs were dying afterwards. I had 20kgs. 11. Glamour Hammer, with 12kgs in both hands, I would usually get 12 reps on my right leg, then only 10 on my left leg. This is the first time for me to get 12 reps on both my right and left legs. 13. Flying Warrior, I upped my weights to 6.25kgs from 5 kgs. I was still able to do it, but the last two reps were slower than Tony and the team. I struggled a little to keep my balance on my left side. Finally, move 14. Squat Rockers, my highest rep count yet for this move. I got 12. I was dying after 12 and had to come out of the stance with about 12 seconds remaining. I was going to try to do more, but too much ouchiness for me today. All the other moves remained the same.

I felt it was a good workout considering the extra stuff I did earlier in the day. I really wonder how many calories I burned during my yard work. During my P90X3 workout, I burned over 800kcals. Definitely a carry over from the yard work. Average is about 100kcals less.

July 23, P90X3, Week 11, Day 4 (Block 3)- X3 Yoga.

July 23, P90X3, Week 11, Day 4 (Block 3)- X3 Yoga.

What can I say? This routine was extremely necessary, so I took Tony's Tip of the Day to heart, "Don't Skip This." No way, not skipping my yoga day, especially after The Challenge.

I woke up very tight in my upper body: chest, lats, arms, and shoulders. Tried to stretch out while getting out of bed, but Woo Weee, TIGHT CITY!!! I wasn't necessarily sore, though. That is what was a little confusing. I thought I'd be really sore, but I wasn't too sore at all. I had a light breakfast and did my business...

I have a free evening tonight which is unusual, so I was thinking that I could just relax in the morning and then to the yoga at night, but I stopped that thought right away and just got ready for my workout. My last two workouts were done at night due to necessity, but to do that three days in a row would push me more to procrastination than anything. So I pushed myself and did it in the morning.
Basically a good session all around. One odd thing is that I could barely hold my crescent pose stable. I kept falling to one side or the other. But when I got to the Balance part of the routine, Tree, Toe Bind, etc. were all very stable with just a little shake here and there. My daughter, who is on vacation did a little of the routine with me. She majorly showed me up on plow. I wish I were as bendy as my daughter!

Felt so much better after the workout. Refreshed and ready for the day.

July 22, P90X3, Week 11, Day 3 (Block 3)- The Challenge.

July 22, P90X3, Week 11, Day 3 (Block 3)- The Challenge.

This is the first time to do this routine away from home. My school has a pull up handle bar. It is shaped like those old banana seat hot rod bikes. I was able to do all the pull ups and chin ups fine except for the close grip pull ups. For that one, I had to do a set on each side of the bar.

I upped my numbers this time from 25 to 30 for the push ups, but I stayed at 10 on the pull ups.

First round was good. I got 10 and 30 for both runs.

Second round was tougher. Tony calls Chin ups the easiest of the "ups" but for me, they are tougher than the other grips. So I had to split both sets 6-4. I got through the military push ups with a pause at 20, but I didn't come down out of plank.

Third round, the close grip pull ups were very tough because my arms were getting fried. So I did the split at 5-3-2 twice. The wide arm push ups were okay, I had to come down after 20, but after a couple arm swings, I got back and finished off the last ten before the time ended.

The final round, I did 5-3-2 the first set of Vaulter Pull ups, then 4-3-2-1. I was just so fried on the last set. The Staggered Push Ups were consistent because I love the staggered push ups. They seem to be easier than the regular push ups.

The Burnout, I did the series of 1 wide pull up and 3 wide push ups a total of 12 times. I was very happy to get one more rep in that the last two times.

This was a great workout and got an awesome pump and burn. I had to rush the cool down because I had a meeting in the next period so rush rush rush.

Glad to see another routine that I can do outside. AWESOME!!!

July 21, P90X3, Week 11, Day 2 (Block 3)- Agility X.

July 21, P90X3, Week 11, Day 2 (Block 3)- Agility X.

Okay, this is the routine that has given me the most right knee discomfort so I used my newly acquired knee brace (strap-type) and wow, did it make a difference. I felt almost no discomfort at all. But with the brace, I was able to very specifically identify what I was doing and at what angle I was doing it at so I was able to correct immediately. So, in the course of a one-minute move, only the first action that caused discomfort caused discomfort, I adjusted and from the second action, no more discomfort. It was amazing, because I could actually feel the knee moving and shifting with the brace holding the patella up.

The workout was awesome! Had a really great time with it today. The only problem was that when I got home from work, for some reason I was really tired so I took what was supposed to be a 15 minute power nap and turned it into a two hour sleep. Woke up very refreshed, but later than I had wanted to start my workout. Again, started around 8pm and finished about 10 to 9pm. I did Cold Start at the beginning. I am finding that Cold Start is an extremely affective warm up for anytime of the day.

The workout started and everything was fine. Move 5. Near and Farrs, for some reason really worked my core today, more than ever. I really felt contractions especially in my obliques. I was able to maintain a high level of intensity all the way through keeping up with Tony and the crew. But then came move 15. Squat Jump Lunge. That move is the nemesis move of this routine. I was trying to push it, but my legs were just burning so bad, it hurt so good. But, the good news is that despite the killer move, I didn't take any extra break time. Just pushed through. But, My dream of doing the whole routine without extra break time came to an end after the second to last move, 17. Long Jump Sprint. I don't know why this moved nailed me so hard. It doesn't seem like much, just doing a standing long jump for a minute, but I could barely catch my breath afterwards, and Tony moves into the final move so quickly because of the time. I had to give myself an extra 30 seconds to breathe. The final move was killer, because since I don't have a lot of space to move back and forth in, I compensate with height. My arms and shoulders were just dying halfway through, so I slowed the pace so I could maintain my form. Happy to say I didn't come out of plank. I did go into down-dog a couple times, but kept pushing it till the end.

This is the last time I'll be doing this routine in the formal program. I will see it one last time if I do the Elite month. I may go that route just to get the full benefit of the program. But either way, this routine, as will many of the routines in P90X3 will be used again and again in my hybrid, once I finish the other programs that I have waiting in the wings once P90X3 is complete.

Have a great week everyone!

July 20, P90X3, Week 11, Day 1 (Block 3)- Decelerator.

July 20, P90X3, Week 11, Day 1 (Block 3)- Decelerator.

Today was a day of ups and downs. Saturday night, I stayed up really late preparing a sermon I have to deliver next week. So I got up really late, close to 10am Sunday morning, today. I'm still feeling really heavy in my chest from my summer cold and a little hazy from the previous late night. I had a small breakfast and went back to working on my sermon. I was thinking to do my workout at 2am. When I looked up, it was almost 3am. My wife said, "You should workout now before we have to leave." I started to rush to get ready then thought, I should just relax now, have my Shakeology for lunch, then workout when we get back (we were planning to go out shopping for my son's birthday). I was thinking we'd get back around 6pm, eat our pizza, I'd rest a while, then workout from 7:30 or 8pm. To make a long story short, I ended up starting my workout close to 9pm. And on top of that, my daughter became really interested in the moves I was doing so she wanted to workout with me on a few of the moves. That slowed me down, but I didn't mind because my daughter was SO funny. She is like a rubber band and she was dying of laughter at me when we were doing Superman/Bow. Anyway, I said I started my workout at close to 9pm. Unfortunately, it was too close to the finishing of our heavy pizza dinner, so after the workout, I started to feel a little sick. So I took about 30 minutes to do some meditative breathing to calm myself down. After the sick feeling passed, I did my regular cool down routine. Definitely not the ideal plan for a workout, but I guess that is what happened, so no crying of spilled milk. Next up, Tomorrow!

Now, about the workout.

I had a good workout. Crane Cracker Push-ups were a little shakier than usual, but I got a good 8 in the time. Again, I was able to keep up with Tony during the Elevator Pull-ups. For some reason, I was falling off balance on the right Starfish Push-up, I was pretty steady on the left. I was able to go up by 2 reps on my Vaulter Pull-ups, which made me happy. For some reason, move 15. Spinning Plyo Squat Lunges always kill me. By the 30 second mark, my legs are just dying and my arms are flapping like a pterodactyl just to try and help my body get elevated for the jump between lunge and squat and spin. That is one killer move, and to put it at the end of the routine, Killer genius! Needless to say, I had to take an extra minute to catch my breath before the ultimate P90X3 move, Big Brother Burpees. I think those last two moves were most of the reason I felt sick after the workout. That combination is the ultimate to the extreme of move combos I have ever experienced. MERCILESS!!!

It was an awesome workout and I can't believe I have only one more week left of the regular routines. Exercise-wise, this was an excellent start to my week. But I'll definitely do better next week. Have a great week everyone!

July 19, P90X3, Week 10, Day 7 (Block 3)- Rest day.

July 19, P90X3, Week 10, Day 7 (Block 3)- Rest day.

Today, was a rest day, but it looks like it is becoming my foam rolling day. I have foam rolled every Saturday for the past month. Today I rolled for 80 minutes. Mainly my calves and shin area up near my knee. ZOWEEEE!! So many hot spots! Rolled a lot of them out. Rolled my butt out some as well. Recently, I've been sitting a lot to prepare lessons, grade, etc. so my butt has become a little sore from all the sitting, not to mention the 2 hour commute to and from work. Thank you FOAM ROLLER!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

July 18, P90X3, Week 10, Day 6 (Block 3)- Triometrics + Tennis.

July 18, P90X3, Week 10, Day 6 (Block 3)- Triometrics + Tennis.

Today was an odd day. I had to teach a make up class during my regular workout/tennis time so I couldn't do my P90X3 workout first. Today, I played tennis first. But let's start from the beginning.
My class was first period so I woke up early and had breakfast.  I went to school and taught my class. Right after my class as I was getting ready to head over to the tennis court, I started to shake. I think my blood sugar level had really dropped and I was feeling really weak. So before playing tennis, I went to the university store and got some calorie bars and gobbled them up. That gave me back my energy.

We had a week of last week because of the typhoon so getting into a groove took a bit longer than usual. But we got it. We had some really awesome rallies.  We both hit some awesome shots, but in the end, I took the match, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1. It was so hot and humid, I was sweating like the dickens!

After the tennis, I went right into my PX3: Triometrics workout. I didn't feel too tired and starting off was great. But as I suspected, my legs were burning on those single leg squats, like the Duper Skater, Warrior 3 Squats, Iso Squat, Duper 2, etc.  Also, my balance was WAY off. I just couldn't hold any pose really well. I guess I was thrown off by the intense activity of tennis.  But I was really happy that I killed the Slater Squat.  By the time I got to Kablaam, My legs were about ready to fall off. My quads were on FIRE!

What a great way to end the week. In the end, I burned over 1400kcals.

July 17, P90X3, Week 10, Day 5 (Block 3)- Eccentric Lower.

July 17, P90X3, Week 10, Day 5 (Block 3)- Eccentric Lower.

I got a good sleep and was able to start early. Unfortunately, though, I'm still not at 100%. Lingering around 80% with phlegm being produced in my lungs and nasal passages. Physically at about 85-90%. I feel strong, but tire easily and quickly.

Today's workout would punctuate that fact. I didn't raise any weight numbers today so I wasn't really expecting for an incredibly intense workout. HOWEVER, on almost every move, I had to push to get through. The last three reps were burning the target muscles to ashes. OUCH, but in a good way. I was breathing really heavily after every weighted move. The leg raise moves and kicks almost cramped my butt.

In the end, I got a really good pump and burn. Fried over 600kcals. Plus, I still feel the ache after the workout. Not a pain, rather that good ol' pump-ache after a good workout!

If I were on any other program, I would have to do a double today because my schedule tomorrow is really congested, but thanks to the length, I don't have to!

July 16, P90X3, Week 10, Day 4 (Block 3)- Pilates X.

July 16, P90X3, Week 10, Day 4 (Block 3)- Pilates X.

My schedule this week is getting weirder and weirder. I had to add a make-up class to my Friday morning schedule so now I have no time for a workout before tennis, and that is for the next two weeks. Total bummer. I'm going to have to adjust my workout schedule yet again. Even more turned around than before.

Today, Triometrics was scheduled, but since I did MMX yesterday I didn't want to do two cardio workouts in a row. I already did two resistance workouts in a row Sunday and Monday, and I didn't want to repeat that feat with cardio. So I was going to do Eccentric Lower, but by the time I had decided to do that, time was too short, so I changed the plan and did Pilates X and on top of that, no Cold Start, just went straight into it.

Third time's a charm! I think I actually like the routine now. On move 7. Bridge Lifts, I started to cramp in my on-the-ground leg so I backed off and moved my foot further from my body. My range of motion on the bridge move is so small, I just can't get my hips to create a straight surface from my knees to my head. I always dip at the hips and I can barely raise them 2-3 inches. When my leg is up, it is even smaller, more akin to a twitch than a raise.

Had some space trouble with the V Rocker. Had to bend my left knee every time I came up because I was right next to the wall. Still was terrible with move 12. The swimmer/The Flutter/The Bad Attitude. I am okay with the first two, but the last part, TERRIBLE. Just can't get my thighs off the ground for more than a slight hop.

With all those side plank/leg raise moves, my butt was burning, almost cramping at one point. I did the Pretzel alright, but I feel as if I'm leaning a little too far forward when my leg is back behind me and I'm doing the leg raises. But if I don't lean forward, my leg would be on the ground. Just terrible range of motion and flexibility. The ultimate double whammy with Pilates it seems.

But overall, I had a good workout. Felt really loose afterward. Burned a total of 280kcals.

July 15, P90X3, Week 10, Day 3 (Block 3)- MMX.

July 15, P90X3, Week 10, Day 3 (Block 3)- MMX.

Last week we got hit by a large typhoon. It took almost three days for the affects of it to dissipate. Saw the sun for only a couple hours at the most before more clouds rolled in and we lost the sun for another few days. Today we got some intermittent sun and rain bursts. You know what kind of conditions that brings... very VERY HOT AND HUMID.

I don't like working out in hot conditions, much less humid, but today, that is what I had to put up with. I did MMX on my break (I love that about P90X3, I can actually do it on my break). The gym was so hot and humid, it was like swimming in the air. I did Cold Start, and the sweat was dripping off me after only 3 minutes. I made the mistake of bringing a long sleeve shirt, only one towel, and my small water bottle. What a mess! I did have a big fan blowing on me, but when I really got moving, I would sometimes be in the path of the wind and sometimes not. The contrast of the two positions was like night and day.

The first two rounds were fine, but sweatier than usual. Round 3 is where two of the four moves requires sprawls. That was a killer today, and I got my mat all kinds of wet. I ran out of water after round three. I started over heating in the middle of round four. But I didn't want to break up the flow of the workout so I push through. I Finally got the last move down. I always got mixed up as to which leg is the kicking leg and which is the counter weight. But I finally got it on the last run and I was having a blast. My shoes were squeaking like crazy because of the sweat on my mat and all the feet shuffles.

Standing and stretching in front of the fan, then taking a cool shower after an intense workout is like paradise! There were a couple times that I just got really hot, so I tried to keep position in front of the fan, which required an extra step to re-position after a superman punch or something like that. But if there was no fan, I probably would have passed out.

Be smart when working out everyone! Have an awesome and safe workout today!

July 14, P90X3, Week 10, Day 2 (Block 3)- Eccentric Upper.

July 14, P90X3, Week 10, Day 2 (Block 3)- Eccentric Upper.

Two strength/resistance workouts in a row! Definitely not something I would want to do regularly, but due to my schedule it had to be done. Today, MMX was scheduled, but since tomorrow is a long work day and I don't have weights at my school gym, I had to do the resistance workout at home. I will do MMX tomorrow during my break. I may have to do a little more switching up later on in the week as well. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I had forgotten how tough this workout was. The push up set was okay, but the pull ups and weights for the shoulder work was really tough. I took a lot longer with this workout to switch up plates on my dumbbells, too.

I was able to get through everything alright. But I may have strained my right shoulder on the Deep Swimmer's Press in the second rotation. It feels a little gimpy at the moment. So I am stretching it out as much as I can.

I was able to keep the weight at the same level as the were the last time I did this workout which was about three weeks ago. I was really happy that I could keep up with Tony on the burn out. Those eccentric pull ups are killer!

My heart was really pumping today along with my upper body. I burned over 1000kcals in this routine. The tricep work may require a little lighter weight. Especially on the kickbacks, I couldn't keep the weights up on the last three and my elbows came totally down on the last rep.

One more time before the program ends. Not sure if it is in the Elite Block, but I'll kick it then if it is.

July 13, P90X3, Week 10, Day 1 (Block 3)- Deceleration.

July 13, P90X3, Week 10, Day 1 (Block 3)- Deceleration.

I'm still not at 100% yet. Still have a lot of phlegm in my lungs and coughing with it gets in the air passages. Not as bad as previous days, but as I said, not 100% yet.  Luckily, got a lot of sleep last night so I was feeling much better.

Every move in the routing went much better than last weeks run through. I felt stronger and better equipped to handle the workout. The Crane Cracker Push-ups were still challenging, but fun. They had me moaning and groaning though.

I lasted the whole minute on the bar following Tony's lead for the Elevator Pull-ups. I was very happy about that.

I made a mistake on the 2-Pop Hop.  I didn't notice the alternating feet so I did the whole minute on my right foot. At the end of the exercise, I expected Tony to say, "Now, let's do the left." But he didn't. I reviewed the move and saw him alternate. So I did the whole minute again on my left foot. I hate being unbalanced.

For some reason, the Holmsen Screamer Hold was really confusing today. My workout space is very small so I can't jump in the direction that the team jumps. But for some reason, I was jumping into weird positions and was unable to jump a second or third time because I was either too close to a wall or was on the wrong foot to make the correct jump.

I finally did the Chin Pulls correctly as well. Previously, I noticed that I was bringing my knees up simultaneously with my chin up. But this time, I was very deliberate and focused on going up, then bringing up my knees, THEN going all down. A lot harder and more intense that way. But I was able to get 10 done in the time allotted.

Again, the last two moves, Spinning Plyo Squat Lunges and Big Brother Burpees absolutely killed me. My legs were just dying after the SPSLs and I had to take an extra minute to catch my breath. I also wanted to recover enough to allow me to, when I did the BBB, actually do a Jump Knee Tuck at the end of the move. I was able to get in 8 in a minute.

After all was said and done, I burned over 700kcals on this workout today. Awesome way to start the week.

July 12, P90X3, Week 9, Day 7 (Block 3)- Rest Day.

July 12, P90X3, Week 9, Day 7 (Block 3)- Rest Day.

Took a much needed rest day. But also took the opportunity to foam roll for about an hour today. For some reason, my inner thigh on both legs was really sore and felt like they were on the verge of cramping pretty much the whole week after doing my first Deceleration workout on Sunday. On some days it felt okay, but on others, it was painful to walk. So Foam rolled a lot today. felt really nice. Fell asleep in the afternoon on my roller. Has that ever happened to you? LOL! Great way to end the week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

July 11, P90X3, Week 9, Day 6 (Block 3)- Total Synergistics.

July 11, P90X3, Week 9, Day 6 (Block 3)- Total Synergistics.

Today was a little unusual in that I was not able to workout as usual.  My daughter had a music competition in which she played piano and sang. So I went to hear her perform. So no tennis today.

Still not feeling really good, but once I got home, I started getting ready for my workout. I checked my worksheet and what I did the last time I did Total Synergistics and decided to not up my weights.

I went through the routine without incident, but several times during the workout, I had to stop and cough up some crud that was being shaken loose. GROSS!

I had to struggle to keep up with the last time I did this routine which was back at the end of May. The struggle was with my breathing, but as for the strength part, in hind sight, I probably could have pushed harder and gone a couple extra reps and upped my weight by a couple kgs. But I didn't want to risk injury due to not being 100% physically. 

I have one more time with this routine in two weeks. I'm going to get well, and really bring it then!

Have a great weekend everyone!

July 10, P90X3, Week 9, Day 5 (Block 3)- Triometrics.

July 10, P90X3, Week 9, Day 5 (Block 3)- Triometrics.

I came about this close {Holding right index finger and thumb about 4 inches apart} to taking today off because I am feeling a bit under the weather. Realistically, I knew I wasn't going to take a day off, but I did feel like doing so. It was just a matter of finding the hook to get me off my butt. I teach a night class on Thursdays and yesterday, the leader of the class suggested moving the class to another night because of the typhoon that was on top of the prefecture at the time. I wrote back saying that tomorrow the typhoon will have passed us by and it wouldn't be an issue but if they wanted to move the class I was okay with it. The leader finally wrote me back to say that we would have the class. That was the hook I needed. I wanted to get my workout in before going to work, so I got ready and did my workout.

Once I started, I felt a lot better. The only thing that reminded me that I was not feeling well was the fact the my lungs were producing phlegm and I had to cough some up every so often. But the last 15 minutes or so were cough free.

I was planning to modify and take it easy, but once I got started, I couldn't modify, I had to bring it. The program is motivation in itself. I sweat out a lot of crud and I feel a lot better. I just boosted my body with a whole lot of good stuff.

The one modification that I did do was on the Slater Squats. On the final level, instead of doing the high knee jump, I just did the high reach jump. Other than that, I brought it on every move.

I started off with Cold Start and worked out for a total of 50 minutes. I burned an even 500kcals. Which is good, because it tells me that I'm not that sick at all if even a little. If I was sick, my heart rate would have been a lot higher and would have burned more calories. But 500kcal for this workout is average. So I'm very happy and am more than ready to go teach my night class.

July 9, P90X3, Week 9, Day 4 (Block 3)- X3 Yoga + YAYOG: Intermediate, Timed Sets.

July 9, P90X3, Week 9, Day 4 (Block 3)- X3 Yoga + YAYOG: Intermediate, Timed Sets.

Still not feeling 100%. Throat is scratchy and feel a little warm internally. But still felt good enough to do my scheduled routine plus a little extra.

I decided to do the YAYOG workout first, then end with the yoga. I had previously done the Novice level just to try it out so I moved to the intermediate routines today. Only four moves of six sets. 20 seconds of each move followed by 20 seconds of rest. Sounds easy enough, but by the 5th and 6th set, I was feeling it. Finished the workout in about 25 minutes. The four moves are, Jump squats, Pike Presses, Swimmers, Cross Mountain Climbers. Since I did this little routine, I decided not to start the P90X3 routine with Cold Start, rather I went right into the workout.

I was feeling really loose today so it went well. My chest was feeling particularly sore today so I really tried to open my chest on moves like Triangle, and the Wrap, etc. For some reason, the routine seemed to fly by and it was done before it even started. Felt really good afterwards.

I thought it was quite ironic that I was working towards finding inner peace while a typhoon was raging and ravaging just outside the walls of my house.

I topped off the evening with Chocolate Vegan Shakeology. YUMMY!

July 8, P90X3, Week 9, Day 3 (Block 3)- The Challenge.

July 8, P90X3, Week 9, Day 3 (Block 3)- The Challenge.

I asked for advice yesterday concerning today's workout time. I decided to go ahead and do my workout after getting home tonight past 8pm. I eventually started my workout at 8:30pm and finished a little after 9:20pm. I did Cold Start and then I had to take a little extra time before the pull ups in the second half of the routine.

When I got home I didn't really feel like working out. Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel like NOT workout, I just didn't feel very motivated. That is when habit kicked in and I just went into auto-prep mode and changed clothes, put on my HRM, got my water, and went up stairs. Before I knew it I was popping in the DVD and I heard Tony yawn.

The Challenge was a tough and great as ever. I went down two reps from a month ago just in case from 12 to 10 pull ups, but I stayed at 25 for the push ups. 10 was just the right number, in the later sets, I was really struggling on the last rep, and even cheated a bit with a kip. But the push ups were solid. I probably could have gone up to something like 28. Next time, I will. But I was feeling rather tired today from work, so I think I make the right decision on that number.

I got some ouchy callouses on my hands from all the pull ups and chin ups. Love those battle scars! As usual with The Challenge, I got an AMAZING pump and burn. Really looking forward to tomorrow's X3 Yoga!

July 7, P90X3, Week 9, Day 2 (Block 3)- Agility X.

July 7, P90X3, Week 9, Day 2 (Block 3)- Agility X.

Back to the beginning and hybridafying for Block 3. I hadn't done this routine since Block 1 and had sort of forgotten what intensity level it was, but figured it was easy because it was the first routine of the program. It is interesting how these routines grow with the individual. The stronger one becomes, or the more fit one becomes, the desire to push is stronger and moves that were tough as a beginner, are even more tough at a fit veteran. Going into today workout, I was thinking it would be a little break, but far from it. It ended up really pushing me and kicking my butt all over my workout space.

I was able to do all the moves, but I almost hit that "Noodleifying" stage again. My legs just about gave out. But thank goodness, they stayed with me.  One bad thing I did experience in this workout was some pain and discomfort in my right knee. Forward, backward, and lateral movement is fine with no problems, but when I pushed off backward and sideways at a slight 20-25 degree angle I felt a little grinding give, so I let up on the intensity a bit.  I felt it most in the moves like 6. Ring Around the Posey, 8. 8 Sprint 3, and 10. High Step Shuffle. Those sort of moves that required sort of a twisting movement on the knee.  I think I may have done something to my knee while playing tennis last week. The floor was a lot stickier and I may have jammed my knee more than I thought.

I didn't require any extended extra breaks except for the very end. Move 17. Long Jump Sprint, just took all my energy and I need an extra 30 seconds of breathing and walking to recover before the final move which then left me a heap on the floor in a puddle of my own sweat.  Since I don't have the space to move straight back and forth on a line especially when I'm in plank, I move in all different directions outlining every crevasse of my room. Then I scramble to the center for the plyo push ups. I made it all the way through the move without coming out of plank. A first for me on that one. I did have to pause, but still in plank.

I was the human sprinkler again today. I was so wet I dripped all over the house while moving to the shower. Yes, I wiped it all up... what I could find. A moment of silence for the 700+ calories that burned up in today's battle. And don't ever come back!

July 6, P90X3, Week 9, Day 1 (Block 3)- Decelerator.

July 6, P90X3, Week 9, Day 1 (Block 3)- Decelerator.

 

This routine is the last of the base program routines. It is done in Block 3 of the Classic schedule. Therefore, it is the first time for me to do this work out. Like Dynamix, it is very deceptive. The word decelerate means to slow down, so I was thinking it would be something not too intense, not to rough. Boy, was I WRONG! Of all the workouts, this routine had me doubling over trying to catch my breath the most of any of the other workouts. It also seemed that it took longer for me to recover as well. And it started right from the get go.

 

Move 2 is called Crane Cracker Push-ups. Oh man, was I dying. Not the speed, because I wasn't going that fast, you really can't, but the move is so intense, especially on push up stands. I was able to barely hold the crane position for a few seconds at a time, and at the end of the move, I was totally dying.

 

What was really great about this routine was the sprinkling of a few not-TOO-intense-moves. Right after move 2, move 3 was the Good God Squat. Gave me a chance to actively recover. But then the next few moves were killer, Elevator Pull-ups, 2-Pop Hop, then again totally dying with move 6. Crawly Plyo Push-up. My heart was thumping like crazy. There were only three sets of pull/chin ups, but they burned.

 

Second to last move, my legs just gave out. On the jump, it was all I could do to get my feet barely a foot high. I have never had my legs just "Noodleify" like that on me. I didn't collapse, but my legs just felt useless, numb and immovable. No pain, just totally spaghettied out. Before the last move, I had to take an extra minute to recover. Usually, I can take a couple slow deep breaths, but I had to take a whole minute after that.

 

The final move was also a killer. Big Brother Burpees. Again, on the jumps, I could barely get 12 inches above the ground.

 

I did this workout on Sunday, a little later than usual because I had some contract work that day and it was mentally tasking work. Maybe that had something to do with it. I also may have caught a little bug because my throat was a little scratchy.

 

But all in all I loved the workout and is definitely a favorite!

July 5, P90X3, Week 8, Day 7- Rest.

July 5, P90X3, Week 8, Day 7- Rest.

Wasn't planning to do anything but again, opportunity presented itself to foam roll so I took it. Close to 2 hours on the roller. Focused on my shoulders and back today. Feel so loose now. I'm ready for Block 3!

July 4, P90X3, Week 8, Day 6- X3 Yoga + Tennis.

July 4, P90X3, Week 8, Day 6- X3 Yoga + Tennis.

 

I was still sore from yesterday's CVX so I was really looking forward to today's X3 Yoga, and for the yoga to prep me for tennis afterward. Check on both counts!

 

I also worked really hard to get some extra sleep the previous night by getting to bed earlier than usual so I was ready and willing to push it. Felt really good when I woke up. I was able to start with Cold Start, just because. Everything was great. I was able to hold all the moves as dictated by Tony and demonstrated by the team. My Wrap went really smoothly. The balance moves weren't as rock solid as last week, but I was still able to hold them, even the Extend Leg with Toe Bind move. My biggest problem today was the arch on both my feet started to cramp when doing the balance series. I had to come out of Tree Pose a couple times to shake out my foot, both sides.

 

I came just short of being able to match the time for Crow. I can hold it for close to 25 seconds, and I just missed it today by a few seconds. I want to hold it for the full time next time.

 

One thing I noticed on CAT DOG, Tony says "Exhale into Dog" as an instruction during the move. Aren't we supposed to inhale when we go into Dog? Just wondering. Maybe Tony just mis-spoke, but it looked like him and the others were exhaling into dog then inhaling into cat. Does it matter if you are breathing with the movement? I still consider myself an ultra newbie when it comes to yoga.

 

Tennis was awesome. There is a huge difference in my touch and feel with the racket between the days when I did MMX before tennis and the days I did X3 Yoga before tennis. The obvious benefit is I still have a lot of endurance on Yoga days. MMX days, I'm hot right out of the box IF I can rest before tennis. If not, I have to wait for adrenalin to kick in. Before on a yoga day, It took a while for me to get going, but today, I shot out of the gate. Took the first set 6-0. My opponent warmed up by then and the next two sets were both 6-3. I got my mojo back and too the fourth set 6-1. Cut down on my frame shots, but I need to totally clear them from my game. All in all, great match, and great workout today.

 

So glad for the weekend!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!!

July 3, P90X3, Week 8, Day 5- CVX.

July 3, P90X3, Week 8, Day 5- CVX.

 

It has been a month since I did this routine last in block one and I was thinking, "Ah, how nice, I get to do something old and easy." Famous last words.

 

I used my 5kg medicine ball which is about 12lbs. I was totally dying near the end of the first move, Press Jacks. The front of my shoulders were burning by the middle of the third move, March and Reach. Then I had to do it again.

 

In the second rotation, I had to take an extra 10-15 seconds between to catch my breath. By the third rotation, Tony slips in one non-weighted moves which is super for recovery and I was able to get my second wind. From that point on, which is basically the second half of the workout, I didn't take any extra breaks. But I doubled over when needed. The little recovery non-cardio moves, such as Crescent Chair, are perfectly placed and allowed me to continue to the end.

 

Although I did start with Cold Start, and added a total of about 7 extra minutes catching my breath. When the cool down was all finished and I was drinking my coconut water to replenish my lost electrolytes, I had burned over 700kcals!

 

Such a great workout!

July 2, P90X3, Week 8, Day 4- Pilates X.

July 2, P90X3, Week 8, Day 4- Pilates X.

Okay, as I said before, the first time I did this workout I didn't really like it. But now, I am changing that opinion slightly. I don't not not like it anymore. In fact, now that I have it done a couple of times I am a little more used to the breathing style than I was before. I didn't really like the "loud" breathing style, so I didn't try to make breathing noises this time around, and that in itself may have changed my opinion of the routine for me.

The moves are really nice to hit my abdominal area. There weren't any moves that I really couldn't do, but the very last move, "The Pretzel", because of my body shape, I have to lean a little further forward to get my leg back, and even then, it is not as far back as the team has theirs.

I was happy that I was able to get all the way through, and for the most part, kept up with Tony. There were a few moves that I had to rewind the DVD to learn but not a long rest.  There was one move that I sort of died on. That is the Sphinx Flag. My left leg was especially tough when I got down to the last few reps.

Oh, I just remembered, there was one move, or at least part of one move that I just absolutely could not do, again, because of my body\spine shape. Move 12. The Swimmer/The Flutter/ The Bad Attitude. I just could not do the Bad attitude. My thighs will not come off the floor.

One move I couldn't do fully because of space issues. Move 13. SAW. There is no angle in my workout space where I can spread my legs out wide while lying on my back while putting my arms above my head and reaching far above my head. I have to bend my arms or close my legs. So I had to modify that one. Maybe I'll try this routine, if I get the chance, somewhere where I have more space.

Final judgement: I respect this workout and will do it whenever it is on the schedule.  But I'd still rather do yoga.

July 1, P90X3, Week 8, Day 3- Accelerator.

July 1, P90X3, Week 8, Day 3- Accelerator.

This is a great cardio workout. I think this is one of the most intense workout in the program. I was hoping I could go through the whole routine without a break. Couldn't do it. I was really dying once I hit move 10. Plank walkers. Then a couple of moves later Plank Circles. I just couldn't keep it up. I had to come down for a breath or two.

But my favorite move in the workout has to be the final move, Donkey Kicks. I always try to go as high as possible, but for some reason, today, I started off in the wrong angle in my room and I couldn't extend my legs as far as I wanted to, so I kept my legs wide though out.

The minute per move is so tough, and it feels so long when I'm dying on a seemingly easy move. Nothing is easy when you're bring it, and it shouldn't be!

Here's to the Accelerator! This one is going into the hybrid!

June 30, P90X3, Week 8, Day 2- Dynamix.

June 30, P90X3, Week 8, Day 2- Dynamix.

This is probably one of the most deceptive workouts in P90X3. It starts of so tamely with leg lifts and adductor lifts, and there wasn't any really difficult move, and then with the 30 seconds per move as opposed to the 45 seconds in the Isometrix workout, it isn't that tough. But by the end of it, you are in some big time pain.

Got a really great stretch. Again, I found out that there is a huge flexibility difference between my Pigeon pose left and right. My right leg would go all the way into a good position, but my left was extremely tight. I'm still not sure why there is such a big discrepancy between my right and left hips. I am also not seeing as fast an improvement in my flexibility that I would like. At the beginning of each workout, my stretch limit is always the same. I am able to get lower a little faster, but I always lose it in the course of a day.

But thanks to this workout, I felt really energized all day.

CONFESSION: My mother-in-law came over this evening and she brought a Mango Tart. I would have eaten it tomorrow, but it was clear she hoped we would eat it right then. So, to show our gratitude, I went ahead and had my piece.