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Today marks the end of Phase 1 of the P90X workout! My wife and I started the program a month ago have been diligent in keeping up with the workouts. I’m kind of surprised at this because neither of us were really consistent gym goers, nor did we really keep up with any other workout routine. It seems we’ve always worked out just enough to not get fat, but never enough to really be fit. Well, that’s changed with P90X.

It’s odd because it’s a MUCH harder workout than anything we’ve done before. So what’s the difference? Well, I think being able to do it in our own home is the biggest thing. Just pop in the DVD, move the coffee table and go for it. I think doing it together is really key as well. There’s definitely a feeling of letting each other down if one of us flakes. Lastly, it’s just a really good production. I love the way the workouts are structured. There’s a lot of variety so it doesn’t really get old. During the workouts they also have this info bar on screen so you can see the name of the exercise, how long you have left in this exercise and how long you have left for the full workout. This is brilliant and makes it much easier to push through.

So the big question is; Does it work? Well, that depends on how you measure success. First off, I’ve learned from past experience that you have to do something for at least 6 weeks to be able to look back and see a noticeable difference. This seems to be a rule for just about anything in life, but especially when working out. So I did not expect massive changes to come quickly. I also did not expect my weight to change much. The workout we’re doing is geared for muscle gain as well as fat loss, so the number on the scale is pretty much useless. That said, I am starting to see a difference. I am definitely losing some of my midsection fat and Michelle has noticed that her pants are no longer tight right out of the dryer. Ha! Not very scientific, but definitely progress! Having your clothes actually fit well feels so good. I feel stronger and I am not as discouraged when I see myself in the mirror. Slowly but surely we’re leaning out and building muscle, which improves the shape of your body. So we’re going to continue, and I think 30 days from now, the results compared to 30 days ago will be very noticeable.

More importantly though is that we are going to be more healthy in the long run. I think more than looking like a gymnast, just being fit and healthy is really what this is all about. It’s already affecting our daily lives in that we’re not as lazy. Activities are more fun because we have more energy and tire less quickly.

So in conclusion, I highly recommend P90X. Getting fit is tough, but honestly, anything worth having in life is worth working hard for. P90X is a great tool to help achieve fitness. Check back in another 28 days to see how Phase 2 turns out!

Alright, so I’ve completed two weeks of the famous P90X workout DVD set. I feel like I’m going to puke. This is one really hard workout let me tell you. I’m sweating all over my macbook as I type this, but I can already feel myself getting stronger. P90X is not really anything new or groundbreaking. It’s back to basics exercising: get the heart rate up and flex those muscles. But the way it’s done makes it interesting, and certain workouts are even fun.

P90X consists of 13 DVD’s. Each DVD is one workout and they run from 60 to 90 minutes each. The whole set is broken up into phases, and each phase is broken up into weeks where the exercises change every so often. These workouts include strength training, but also some great cardio workouts and even some yoga. This does several things; It keeps the body guessing utilizing a concept called muscle confusion. The theory goes that if you do anything over and over again, the body will adapt, so by mixing it up, you keep the body working harder. I think this also gives you a more well rounded physique and keeps you from getting strong arms and skinny legs. Lastly, it makes the program more interesting.

The workouts themselves are dynamite. I had been going to the gym three times a week for the past few years and really had not seen any improvement. I wasn’t really getting fatter, but not really getting any more fit. I think when you are a slave to workout machines, you kind of get used to doing certain things and so you go on cruise control after a while. The P90X workout really made me realize how little effort I’d been putting in. These workouts are strenuous! But the good thing is that you can tailor them to meet your fitness level, and they give you something to shoot for. The day that I can follow the DVD to the letter without an extra break or a altered movement is the day I’ll know I’ve accomplished my goals.

One of the great things about this workout too is that you don’t need a lot of gear. I bought a chin up bar and some weight bands from a local sporting goods store and that’s all I’ve needed. Most of the exercises use your own weight against you and honestly I think that gives you a better perspective on your fitness level. It’s easy to put a certain weight on a machine and feel good about pushing it around, but try and do a pull up or 20 push ups, and suddenly you realize how out of shape you are. If there’s one thing we should all be able to do is carry our own weight right? So I think the industry has made a lot of money off of gym memberships and whatnot, but Jack Lalaine was right. All we really need is a chair, a few hand weights and some motivation.

That motivation comes from a guy named Tony Horton. Horton is annoying as heck at first and comes off as some genetically perfect psychopath bent on turning you into a pile of mush. However, after doing two weeks of P90X I’m actually starting to admire the guy. He was in his mid 40’s at the time of the making of P90X and he’s in dynamite shape. I also get the feeling that he’s a genuinely nice guy. He motivates without sounding like a drill sergeant and constantly reminds you to go ahead and take a break if you need it. “Do your best and forget the rest” is repeated constantly during the workouts which gives me the urge to push, but doesn’t make me feel like a total loser in these early weeks.

So I give the P90X workout 5 stars. It’s a great workout and you can do it in your own home without buying a bunch of gear. It’s still too early in my plan to say what the results are going to be, but I do feel much stronger already. I’m able to get further into the ab workout without taking a break, and I’ve noticed my coordination and balance have improved a lot in the Yoga and Kenpo workouts in just these two weeks. I expect to start seeing noticeable fat loss and muscle growth in the coming 2 to 4 weeks. I’ll be sure to post here as the program continues.

Check out the P90X workout at the following website. The workout alone is around $100 which compared to a gym membership is pretty affordable. They also sell packages if you need a chin up bar, etc., but I found that you can get the equipment for much cheaper by shopping around.

http://www.Beachbody.com/P90X

Alright, I’m doing it. After months of hearing about other people tearing it up with the P90X program, I’m gonna cave to the peer pressure, join the cool kids, and give it a shot.

See the thing is, I have this bicycle ride planned. Just a little one. Oh, a hundred miles or so. And several miles of that is some wicked hill climbing. Standing over 6 feet and weighing in at around 210 pounds, means I’m just too freaking large to push myself up those hills. I gotta lose weight. About 15 pounds I figure at least. That combined with weight training and a ton of cardio should give me what I need to do this ride without my heart and lungs exploding.

Now that the holidays are over I’ve been lifting and watching my diet and stuff, but I’m approaching 42 years old and let’s face it, the body just does not burn fat like it used to. So I need some extra oomph. So I’m taking on P90X in addition to my cycling. I’ve got 6 months to get in the best shape I’ve ever been in.

I’m determined to succeed!

Ok, so this is just a note to everyone on the Elimination Diet. If you’ve not have any trace of sugar, alcohol, wheat products, or caffeine in your diet for a month, and then because it’s your birthday you want to go out and splurge on all the things you’ve been missing, I have advice for you.

DON’T.

Last night we went out for my birthday and I had a combo pizza, a few beers and some chocolate cake when I got home. I swear my body is experiencing toxic shock this morning. I actually feel like I’ve been poisoned. I’m shaky. I’m tired. I had nightmares all last night and couldn’t sleep. I have the worst heartburn and my gut feels like a band of raving jungle savages are in there doing a war chant, and dancing over hot coals. Michelle was also complaining about an upset stomach last night. Unbelievable.

This really goes to show what certain foods will do to a body. I honestly thought that a lot of the stuff in the diet about wheat being bad for digestion, etc, etc was bull and just put in there for encouragement to stay on the diet, but I’m a believer now. I have felt so good for the past three weeks and I feel completely trashed today.

So today it’s back on the diet… for good.

Link: Dax Moy’s Elimination Diet

We have an Africa meeting tomorrow and this is a biggie. It’s our final group meeting and will provide a lot of the nitty gritty details about our trip. Unfortunately It’s supposedly a “team building” exercise as well. And honestly, I think “team building” is a joke.

Now, you’re probably thinking I’m just not a “team player”, but that’s not it. The fact is, I’ve been though many team building exercises and they simply do not work. What happens is that people will adapt for the exercise so they don’t look bad and then they go back to being themselves as soon as the class is over. You just can’t force people to feel a certain way on cue. Teams are built by starting with strong leadership and growing the team over time. You just can’t build a solid team in a few hours by doing lame “role-playing” exercises or “trust falls”.

The only team building exercise I ever enjoyed was one I did when I worked at FMC corp. What we did was take a long psychological test, and then interview with a psychologist. Out of this we got a complete report on what kind of personality each of us possessed. We also got a summary that we could share with the group. The rest of the seminar was spent learning how to understand and work with people who posses the different personality types. So it was just really cool because you start to understand why people behave the way they do and you learn to deal with them THE WAY THEY ARE, rather than try and force people to act against their nature. Very informative.

But anyway, it really doesn’t matter because honestly, I think we have a solid group of people with their hearts in the right place and I don’t think there’s anyone on the team I can’t beat into submission…. um, I mean, totally get along with. LOL. Just playing. Seriously, I think we’re going to do just fine.

Ok so…. I ran 21 miles this week! We started a Holiday Fit Club at work to help all of us desk jockeys stay fit through the holidays. I think I’m off to a good start. And this is really perfect timing. I want to be as fit as possible when we go to the Big A, so this little competition couldn’t have come at a better time. I also have been cooking nothing but vegetarian dishes this week and plan to continue that through January. This is partly to try and shave 5 pounds off that’s still holding onto me from last Christmas, but also to just try and get more in “Africa mode”. The last thing I want is to be in Africa having pepperoni pizza withdrawals with the closest Domino’s being 9000 miles away!

Another thing I think is great timing is Michelle’s trip she’s on right now. This is the longest time I’ve been alone in nearly 10 years, so this is a great little exercise. I never cease to be amazed at how God will time things just perfectly in order to prepare us for what’s ahead.

Have a great Friday!