P90X: Complete.

Actually I finished P90X a couple of weeks back. After my eye surgery in mid-June I had to postpone the program for a while, but picked it back up as soon as I was cleared to do so. It was amazing how hard I had to work to get back to my level of fitness pre-surgery after just a few (relatively speaking) days off. But I'm done!!

And it was a good journey. I don't really have any criticisms about the regimen; it will definitely get you in shape fast if you stick with it. I suppose that's the most important aspect of the program: You have to "keep pushing play" (one of P90X's mantras) in order to see results. And obviously, as with all fitness programs, it won't do any good if you show up but only put forth a sub-par effort. Admittedly I worked harder on some days than others (I mean, let's be realistic here), but I can stand up and say that I did try to push myself. Especially on Ab Ripper X. That shit hurts. But it's a gooood pain.

One thing worth noting is that P90X is regarded as a program that will increase your level of general physical preparedness -- a combination of various strength-building and cardiovascular exercises designed to elevate your heart rate and oxygen consumption, and promote some muscle growth. Something like this, actually. P90X will not, however, give you a bulky, muscular body. You'll become leaner (and definitely fitter) after completing the program, but you'll need to hit the gym if you're looking to gain some serious mass.

With my modified diet, I did meet my overall goals with P90X: Get a sleeker physique, reduce body fat percentage and increase cardiovascular endurance. It wasn't without a lot of effort and discipline, but I'm really glad I decided to do the program. I've talked to other people who've finished, and they've mostly advised to start the program over. I would like to continue certain aspects of P90X, but this is something that will more realistic after I move in few short weeks (doing plyometrics in a smallish bedroom doesn't really work too well). So I've switched my workout around a bit in the interim.

Since finishing, I've been concentrating a lot more on cutting weight. I do mostly cardio exercises (kenpo, yoga, stretching) with some body-weightlifting moves from the program sprinkled in. If you're a regular reader of Perpetual Mixtape, you're familiar with my running routine. I've been running a 5K route around my neighborhood 4-5 times a week which has done wonders for my stamina and lung capacity (not to mention all the freaking water weight I lose).

Crossfit Pyramid

So I guess the question remains: What is my next step? Insanity seems to be a popular option; I know a couple of people who are currently doing this workout with great results. I'm looking to join a gym though, because I do miss lifting actual weights, but will need to tailor it to my own specific fitness goals. Crossfit looks promising and fun as hell! We shall see.

Who wants to work out?

Lace 'Em Up.

After a couple months of focusing solely on a muscle confusion workout, I've decided to supplement it with more cardio. Plyometrics, kenpo and core work are definitely effective in raising my heart rate, but I still feel as though I get winded too easily (although I've made lots of progress over the course of eleven weeks). So after work yesterday, I plotted out a course, waited until an hour before sunset, laced up my cross-trainers and headed out to run a few miles.

3.5 miles of asphalt and hills

It's a decent route along fairly busy streets and residential areas, with the occasional elementary school here and there, a bit of road construction, and even some sort of nature preserve where I saw some deer grazing on an expansive lawn, oblivious to traffic. But the sidewalks were uninterrupted (essential) and yappy dogs were fenced in (even more essential). In all, I made the circuit in a slow 45 minutes due to my being unused to running again. So it was no real surprise that my feet hurt and I was fatigued in a different way from an hour of P90X.

The second reason I began training is that I'll be here in Kansas City to run the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure in early August. I had a blast last year, so I'm planning on participating again this time around. I really want to improve my performance; the route runs through downtown Kansas City, and there were some hills that I struggled with last year. So I'm glad my "practice" route has some similar inclines. I'm hoping to get some other people to join me, but I think I will still run it solo if need be.

Are you in? Lace 'em up.

P90X: Day 57.

Today marks the beginning of Week 09 (Phase 03) of the program and I'm extremely happy that I've made it this far. Just wrapped up another "recovery" week and I'm ready to hit it hard for the remaining four weeks.

Improvement continues -- I've built more lean muscle and several of my jeans and shorts have really begun to sag. I'm down to using the last hole on my belt! I think I'm officially down to a 30" waist from 32" a couple of years ago. Muscle tone is getting more pronounced; my hip flexors are definitely visible now. I can see some slight striation and significant definition in my deltoids and traps as well as in my oblique abdominal muscles. Still want to decrease my body fat percentage though, so I'll keep doing high/maximum reps. I know I'm not going to get huge with this program, but I have seen an increase in general muscle size due to the sheer number and variety of exercises I've been performing -- so no complaints in that department.

Lung capacity and overall stamina have also gotten much better. Plyometrics and Kenpo still leave me drenched in sweat, but I've vastly improved in keeping up with the video without having to pause and gasp for breath like the first couple of weeks into the regimen. Kenpo and Core Synergistics have turned out to be my favorite sessions. I did mention that I was going to try to get an extra Kenpo session in after some of the regular workouts, but that didn't happen due to finals week, graduation and other stuff that kept me on a tighter time schedule. I definitely could still use the extra cardio so I'll attempt to incorporate it during Phase 03 since my schedule has largely settled down.

Kenpo X: fun as hell

I'm still enjoying the yoga sessions and have improved on being able to flow from one move to another without too much cursing and tumbling :) But I'm still struggling with a couple of the asanas, specifically Standing Split, Half Moon and Twisting Half Moon (even with blocks). The fact that they come later in the session when my legs feel like noodles doesn't really help things, but it's a pretty intense combination of balance, coordination and strength in a positions that I haven't quite mastered yet. Ah well -- I'll keep working at it! At least I can do Crane for about 30 seconds now without falling over, so that's a W for me :)

Diet-wise, I've been pretty consistent. I'm still devouring fish by the pound and spinach is now my best friend. Grapes have become my favorite snack food and I estimate I've cut my carbohydrate and sugar intake down 80% or so. I haven't missed meat since I gave up eating it over three months ago. I do still indulge in dessert but those occasions are few and far between.

I can honestly say that I've never felt (or looked) fitter in my life. I can't wait to finish, and I'll write another update in four weeks!

P90X: Day 22.

So today is the start of Week 04 of my P90X regimen. This being a "recovery" week, the workouts will consist of yoga, kenpo (which is by far the most fun to do), stretching and core work with no weights/resistance. After the completion of the recovery week, Phase 01 will end and it'll be back to a more rounded workout in Phase 02.

I can definitely see improvement so far. I've gotten leaner and a little more chiseled due to the high-intensity interval training that is the foundation of the regimen. My strength has also increased in some respects -- most notably push-ups and pull-ups (the Chest & Back workout does not mess around). I think I'll have to end up buying some actual dumbbells for use in the arm workouts though -- the resistance bands can get somewhat uncomfortable doing some of the bicep exercises and leave red bruises on my forearms. And I almost never bruise. The next time I'm in Columbia or KC I'll have to see what I can do about getting some second-hand weights.

I'm really appreciating the conditioning aspect of the program. Plyometrics damn near destroyed me the first time but it's gotten easier over the weeks (and now I'm kinda looking forward to getting back on it after recovery). I can almost say that it's done more for my stamina and lung capacity than just running a couple of miles after my old gym routines. The abdominal workout is a beast. I definitely have goals in mind while doing that routine, but the first few times I did Ab Ripper X were intensely painful and eye-opening. "I hate it, but I love it" (c) Tony Horton -- I can't say that I "love" Ab Ripper quite yet, but I don't gas out as fast now compared to my initial efforts. So I'm loving that.

I'd read about people simply skipping the yoga workout, and I didn't really understand why they'd want to do that -- until I actually tried it. It's probably obvious to many of you, but yoga is hard! I didn't realize how inflexible I was until I attempted some of the asanas. Needless to say, my face and the yoga mat are best friends. But I'm planning to stick with it because body awareness, flexibility and balance are things I'd like to improve upon. (And dammit I want to be able to do Crane for a full minute without falling on my head!)

I think I'll pass on this pose though

Next week I'm going to try adding a kenpo session after the muscle group workouts in Phase 02 for some additional calorie burning. We'll see how that goes; it's really getting nice outside so I'm tempted to go for some runs and maybe finally get some color on me at the same time. Even though the standalone regimens are designed to (and have succeeded in) putting me in my target heart zone (I've been on the brink of collapse more than a handful of times) I do feel like I need to increase cardio intensity. On the diet side, I've cut down on carbs and increased protein intake significantly -- now I go through cans of tuna and frozen tilapia like nobody's business. Salads are still a major part of my meals, and while I'll partake in dessert or snacks once in a while I'm usually pretty good about it. Although I'm not following the recommended diet plan exactly, I've been encouraged by my results so far so I will probably continue to keep tweaking my diet to get the most out of the program and may switch completely over to their recommendations at some point.

Overall, I feel really good about getting fit, and I'm glad I started this thing!

I'll post another P90X update when I complete Phase 02, or sooner if anything of note happens.

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.