The BS of My Life / P90X: Day 8-14

I just completed my 2nd week of P90X and The BS of My Life, and it was definitely an interesting one.

Starting weight: 177lbs
After week 2: 171lbs.

Here’s how the week went.

The Workouts:

Day 8:
Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

I started off this workout with a lot of determination to beat last weeks numbers. I’ll be posting all of my progress either on my 30 Day mark or on my 90 Day mark depending on how I feel. The program comes with worksheets for you to record how many reps and how much weight you’ve used for all the workouts so that you can see the numbers right in front of you when you go into doing each DVD and psych yourself up to outdoing your last performance. My main goal here was to do exactly that.

For some exercises I boosted my reps by 5, others by 9. Some exercises I went from doing 7 reps using bands to doing 15 using weights. Overall, the pushups are getting easier, my form and determination are a lot better, and my numbers are proving it. The one thing I can say that I really still have trouble with on this DVD is the pull-ups and chin-ups. I really wanna be able to do at least 10 without using a foot support, but it’s really difficult for me. I was able to beat my 1st week results for some pull up sets though. For instance, I did 5 Wide Front Pull-ups last week with the foot support, but was able to do 5 without any foot support this week. It sounds pathetic, but believe me, they’re tough. I’m working on it though.

My favorite, and the most grueling of the exercises on this workout, is the Dive-Bombers. I was determined to be able to do 20 to end the workout, but I was only able to finish with 15. I did 12 in round 1 (versus 10 in round 1 of Week 1), and 15 in round 2 (versus 10 in round 2 of Week 1). So my TOTAL amount of Dive-Bombers went from 20 to 27. I dare you to try to do 27 in a row. Seriously.

After that workout was done, I was faced with my ever dreaded “Ab Ripper X” workout. I had some plans as to how to get passed it with my lack of flexibility and strength in my legs, but still struggled through it. I just wasn’t able to keep up with the relative speed of the DVD. When I say “relative speed” I mean how fast or how slow they do some of the exercises. Either my legs couldn’t hold up through the slow movements, or my core wasn’t strong enough to do something as fast as them. This workout is hell in a hand basket, and if you can make it through this shit, you’re a G. No Gatorade.

I finished up feeling quite accomplished nonetheless, and immediately ate a handful of turkey and chicken and slammed a protein shake with a banana and some soy milk. lol.

Day 9:
Plyometrics

Aight. Last week, this workout fucked me up for about 3 days. This week I was ready to punch it in the mouth. So with some serious aggression, I went into today’s workout like I’d been doing it for my whole life.

The majority of the exercises and movements came a lot easier than last week. It is insane what 7 days of this program will do to you. I found myself being able to move faster, jump higher, tolerate the pain longer, and push myself harder through every little round of jumps and squats throughout the workout. But I still couldn’t do quite a few moves and I still needed to take breaks that I extended by 30sec – 1min a piece. My heart rate just sky rockets and the pain in my legs is absurd from this workout that I really can’t go on at the pace that they go at. One thing that I did notice though is that sometimes when you feel like you’re heart is racing, and you actually check your heart monitor or your pulse, it’s not that high, so I had to get up off of my ass and get back into working when I’d see that it was around 160 but felt like it was nearing 190.

I still wasn’t able to do the Squat Jacks, but I most definitely had great control over today’s workout, feeling like I got through it and wasn’t defeated by the time it was done. I fucking clapped my hands so hard when it was over out of excitement that I felt like an idiot considering I’m not in the room with the people in the DVD. I’m just in my house by myself. lmao.

Day 10:
Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

This, by a LONG shot, was the best I’ve ever felt after a workout. Ever. I absolutely pushed myself to my limit today and did everything I could to match and surpass my numbers from last week. For some exercises using 20lbs dumbbells, I matched last weeks rep counts. But for others, I pushed myself to surpass them or add weight. Shoulders & Arms is my favorite of the P90X workouts right now, strictly based on the Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps cycle they do and how hard you’ve gotta push yourself to do more reps and stay strong for the next exercise. I found myself struggling, but gutting out 4 more reps here and 5 more reps there. It was amazing, especially considering that 1 week ago today, my girlfriend saw that I had exhausted myself doing this exact workout. I felt so accomplished after this, and I was not about to be discouraged by Ab Ripper X.

When I switched the DVDs, I had a new approach to completing Ab Ripper X. I know that there are 11 exercises in this workout and you’re supposed to do around 25 reps of each exercise. So I started playing the DVD and as I got to each of the 11 exercises, I would pause it and get through the 25 reps, fast forward to the next exercise and so on. If I needed a “mid-set” break, I would take it, but then I’d quickly jump back into the workout. This approach, KILLED my stomach and actually allowed me to complete the 339 some odd reps that are performed throughout the entire DVD.

I FINALLY COMPLETED THIS SHIT!! Fuck yeah. My next goal is to be able to do it at the same exact pace as the DVD.

Fuck, today was amazing. I got on the scale and saw that I had shed 4lbs too! Another bonus of all this work. 4lbs in a week and a half? I’m not complaining.

Day 11:
Yoga X

I got up this morning at about 630. There’s gonna be some construction going on outside of the window of my apartment, so I don’t really wanna be doing Yoga while dudes are on scaffolding outside of my place.

I gotta admit, getting to do Yoga used to feel like a bit of a relief, but today, I was dreading it. Yesterdays workout was so sick that I didn’t know how I was gonna have the strength to get through an hour and a half of Yoga X. I know, I know, there’s a 30 min chunk of static postures, but for those of you who have done this, you can understand my fear of today.

I got into it as usual and felt really good, again, not doing the push-up before every downward dog. I am not in the least bit strong enough to follow up the “Shoulders & Arms” day with a day of Yoga X doing those push-ups. So I opted out of that option and kept everything else the same. I noticed that my focus, posture, and ability to breathe comfortably and in a relaxed manner throughout todays workout was better than it has been in the past. I need to definitely accredit that to being on P90X in a strict fashion and sticking to it.

One of the things that I wanted to be able to do by the end of P90X was “Warrior Three”. Considering the pain in my feet, I’ve been worried about it, but today I was able to do it! I’m completely shocked and amazed at how much change I have FELT since I got on the program. By the end of the moving postures I was back to the mentality of feeling calmness and a sense of release from being able to do this DVD.

After I was completely done I felt really good and in really great spirits. The way this is all set up is genius. Absolute genius.

Day 12:
Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

So now I’m back to working on my legs. I’ve gotta admit that the recovery from Plyo has taken full effect and I’m not hurt from that workout at all today. In comparison to last weeks near paralyzation, I’m feeling amazing. My goal for today was form over quantity, something that they promote in this workout particularly. I know my legs are the weakest part of my body, so I’ve gotta stay focused on working them efficiently.

I did every leg exercise for the allotted 15 or 25 rep count, keeping in mind that I would be able to get a relative break during the pull-up sections. Keeping this in mind and keeping my legs relatively relaxed during the pull-ups helped for a short but necessary recovery before getting back into destroying my legs.

I noticed that the wall squats/sits were far easier today. All of the workouts have a timer on the bottom of the screen to show you just how long you’ll be doing something. So when it says you’ll be there for a minute, you can see the timer go down and you can envision 15 second intervals that you’ve gotta push through in order to complete the minute. This was key in getting passed the wall squats. I’m still unable to get through the one legged wall squats, so I just opted to sit through it using 2 legs. My fear for my feet, legs and hip problems returning is insane, and I’d rather not risk it. So I’ll be fine with 2 legged version for now.

Throughout todays workout I noticed myself seeing stars, getting really dizzy, and feeling really lightheaded. I needed breaks to focus on breathing and hydrating with a fear of fainting. Something felt a little bit off. You’re forewarned when getting on the Fat Shredder diet that you may lose some energy, and it really started to hit me today I think. My energy store was depleted and I started to feel like I was getting to a dangerous place. I was able to complete the Legs & Back workout, but needed some time before even considering getting started with Ab Ripper X.

After a little break and a lot of water, I started Ab Ripper X, trying to complete it in the same way that I did 2 days ago. But after the first few exercises, my energy level dropped to a point where I could have fallen completely asleep had I just closed my eyes for 2 minutes straight. I started to get a little bit concerned and so I paused the DVD, sat on my couch, drank water and took deep breaths. I was literally wasted. The consistent routine for me has been to workout in the morning on an empty stomach with the exception of water and then quickly recover with a protein shake, but today I waited to get to my workout. I think that this really affected my ability to get through it all considering how little I eat during the day in comparison to what my body has been used to over the past few months. I’ll get more into the diet aspect of this at the end of this update.

Once I felt like I got my bearings together a bit, I restarted the Ab Ripper X DVD and completed it. I felt a little bit upset about how today went, but you’ve gotta listen to your body when it tells you that things aren’t going well. Plain and simple.

I’m glad I got through it though..

Day 13:
Kenpo X

After yesterday’s situation, I was hype to get back on my feet and get my energy back up. And Kenpo X is perfect for that. The workout is fun, energetic, and the people in the DVD stay smiling and joking around. It keeps your spirits light while you’re beating the hell up out of yourself.

My goal today: DO NOT TAKE BREAKS. And I did it.

Like I noticed during the Plyometrics workout, sometimes you feel like your heart rate is blasted through the ceiling when really it isn’t. I took that into account today and did my absolute best to just keep going, keep working, stay focused, BREATHE effectively, and do every movement properly.

Today’s workout was definitely driven by yesterday’s situation, but the most important aspect of being able to make it through it all was knowing when to breathe. Exhaling during punches and kicks will keep your strikes strong and inhaling when pulling back to a defensive stance will keep your breaths natural. On 4 punch combos I would exhale on each Jab and Cross with a faint pause in between, and then inhale on each Hook and Uppercut with a faint pause in between. This rhythm will give you something audible to pay attention to that will keep your body moving even when you’re gassed. The breathing is SO important in getting through Kenpo X, and I found that if you can find an effective breathing pattern for each exercise, you’ll be able to blast through this workout comfortably.

After this was done I felt incredible. My waist is noticeably smaller and my clothes are fitting a lot better. My girl came over and we headed out to my mentor’s birthday celebration. If on any day I’ve felt accomplished, it’s today after this week of hard work.

Day 14:
X Stretch

I noticed during the last quarter of yesterday’s Kenpo X workout that my right hip and lower back on my right side were feeling a lot of tension. This is something that I’d struggled with a lot in the past. When I got orthotics for my ridiculously flat feet, they warned me that my body would need time to adjust. That adjustment involves changes starting in the feet and affecting the ankles, knees, hips, spine, etc, consecutively. For some reason, my right side is always the affected side. I had carpal tunnel in my right arm, my right foot is my problematic foot, my lower right back is always the tense side, and when I did my fitness assessment at Premier a couple months back, you could physically see that my right side drops lazily. It’s crazy. My ex-girlfriend says that it involves something related to my life, but who knows.

Today my back was in intense pain and very sore. I saved X Stretch for the very end of my day, and right before I did it, I put my right foot on my coffee table and twisted my torso so that my left elbow was on my right knee. I generally get a crack or pop out of my back when I do this if it’s tense, but holy shit. It popped like I’ve never heard before. It was like my hip was dislocated and it shifted loudly back into place. It felt great, but I was definitely not at 100 percent yet.

During the entire X Stretch DVD, I was focusing on loosening my back up for the upcoming week. When I finally got to the back stretches, that shit popped and cracked like crazy. Again, very relieving, but still not at full strength.

This DVD is so necessary for so many reasons. It gets you back to square one, it gives you a sense of relaxation and relief in the week that you’ve just completed, and it prepares you for yet another grueling week of the program.

I can’t wait for week 3. I’m feeling amazing.

The Diet:

As I mentioned in the 1st update, P90X comes with a Nutritional Guide. I wasn’t to stoked on sticking with it, but I realized that this program was designed to help you get the results you’re looking for. I started putting more emphasis on my diet this week and have stuck to the portion plan that they give you for the first Phase of P90X. That portion plan involves 5 servings of protein, 2 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of dairy, 1 serving of carbs, 1 fruit, 1 snack, 1 serving of fat, and 1 condiment daily. I use my dry erase board in my kitchen to stay on top of what I take in on a daily basis.

This is what a typical day looks like for me when it comes to this guideline:

Breakfast:
6 egg whites fried in a teaspoon of Canola Oil = 1 Protein, 1 Fat
Coffee with 1 nonfat or soy milk and half a sweetner
Glass of water

Post workout:
Protein Shake with ice, 8 oz of Soy Milk, a Banana and Low Carb Whey Protein = 1 Protein, 1 Dairy, 1 Fruit

Lunch:
A sandwich with 2 slices of cooked Turkey, 1 slice of cooked Chicken, a slice of Havarti cheese, mustard, a teaspoon of mayonaisse, and peppers on Low Calorie Whole Grain Bread = 2 Proteins, 1 Dairy, 1 Carb, 1 Condiment (mustard is one of the lowest calorie condiments to use).

Mid Afternoon:
2 Slices of Turkey or Chicken with mustard and 2 Dill Pickles = 1 Protein, arguably 1 Vegetable. (There are only 3 calories in 2 pickles, so it’s great to snack on).

Dinner:
2 bowls of low calorie or homemade vegetable soup = 2 Vegetables

Snack:
A small portion of Soy Nuts (about 2 tablespoons) = 1 Snack

Being on this diet has seriously helped me stay focused on my 160lbs goal and is allowing me to think about food as fuel more so than fun. I’ve been able to comfortably stick to this routine and it thankfully hasn’t gotten boring yet. I’ve done my best to keep only healthy ingredients, condiments and foods in my house, and have only purchased things that fall into these guidelines when I’m at the grocery store. I’m a firm believer that diet has so much to do with seeing results in your workouts, and I haven’t been any more convinced of that theory than I am now.

Closing Thoughts:

Week 2 was a bit of a ride. The workouts have been amazing, but that’s only half of what this project is about.. the other half is getting rid of issues in my life. On Thursday I went to The Remix fundraiser and saw a lot of good people. But I also realized how much being out in those types of environments isn’t for me. It’s really just not my vibe and I need to take it in small doses. I got really drunk and had a ton of fun, but I wasn’t impressed with how much I drank even though I only bought 2 beers at the bar. The rest kind of showed up from friends, etc. I can’t let my biggest vice – alcohol – strain all this work I’ve put in. And there’s a possibility that it can throw me off. On Saturday, I went downtown to run some birthday errands for the wife, and found my social comfort level has dropped dramatically. I get extremely nervous in social situations and I always need to bail or know that there’s a place for me to bail to. I went by LiveStock during their sale, and while I was in the store I started to feel like I needed to take off and get some fresh air before I freaked out. It sucked. I mean, it’s nothing new – I’ve suffered with social anxiety in the past – but I hated it nonetheless. The point of this project is ridding myself of The BS of My Life and getting into The Best Shape of My Life. I need to look at this social fear as BullShit. I’ve gotta get passed it, and I’ve gotta figure out how to get that done. My girl brought up the possibility that my month long disappearance from Toronto and the fact that I rarely went out when I was in California could have played a part in that. There’s also the addition of the fact that I haven’t been working for the past 4 months. The combination of these 2 things has made it awkward for me to be around people, and being drunk seems to be the easiest way for me to fix that, but not the smartest. The amount of confidence that being on P90X has given me is crazy. But that confidence seems to not have an affect on my anxiety. Very weird. I hope that as these days go on, I can do my best to partially reintegrate myself into a level of comfort around people that doesn’t make me feel like a hermit or an outsider. Because, while I may be that in my mind, there’s no reason to feel like that around my truest friends.

Welcome To The Legends League.

Read The BS of My Life / P90X:
Intro
Week 1

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