P90X: Day 01.

I finally got my yoga mat and resistance bands in the mail, so today I'm officially starting P90X. You've most likely heard about this (apparently 2 million other people have tried this workout) but if you haven't, Wikipedia's description of the regimen is that it:

stresses the importance of "muscle confusion" (a term for adding variety through cross-training and periodization), so it switches the order of exercises and incorporates new movements during each phase. According to [exercise instructor Tony] Horton, muscle confusion prevents the body from adapting to exercises over time, resulting in continual improvement without plateaus ...

P90X is an intensive 90-day home fitness program that combines a variety of exercise styles, including strength training, cardio, and stretching. The system also stresses overall fitness by including bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups, as well as plyometrics (jump training), yoga, and kenpō.

Periodization is "an organized approach to training that involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period of time." Combine that constant cycling with the high-intensity interval training that defines the pace of the individual workouts, and you can get some impressive results.

Obviously, "your results may vary" as the commercials warn. But I'd been researching P90X for a while, reading fitness discussion boards and asking around. Most everyone I've contacted seems to give it high marks, with the caveat that discipline, willpower and hard work are definitely required.

high-contrast image manipulation
+ overhead lighting = beach bodies!
Oh yeah, working out helps too.

So ... it's a go! I already own and use the pull-up bar and push-up stands so now I have all the basics. I start this afternoon after class. It's gonna be weird not going to the gym anymore, but I'm sure the ass-kicking I'll be receiving will more than make up for it. I'm planning on posting updates every week or so here on PM so stay tuned for those if you want to read about my progress.