The BS of My Life / P90X: Day 36 – 42

I just completed Week 6 of P90X, and it was one of the best weeks so far. I really put myself into a different mentality this week and it paid off.

Starting weight: 177lbs
After week 6: 164lbs.

Here’s how the week went.

The Workouts:

Day 36:
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X

I gotta admit, I’m the most excited about this Phase of P90X because of the way that the workouts are set up. Day 1 and Day 3 are pure strength training style exercises and you don’t repeat any of them. You just plough through 24 exercises and move on to Ab Ripper X. So, today I was stoked about getting my second shot at Chest, Shoulders & Triceps.

Obviously my goal today was to outdo my first attempt at this workout. So like every other week, I took a quick look at my workout sheet before I started to get an idea of how hard I would have to push myself to advance my results. Some exercises I did more, others I did less as a result of doing more of something else and being tired. Some of the exercises that I feel I really pushed myself in today were: Slow motion 3 in 1 Push-ups (added 5 extra reps), Chair Dips (added alternating leg raises), Floor Flys (added 8 extra reps), Y-Presses (did 5 less reps but doubled the weight), Clap Push-ups (did 8 vs. 20 using knees last week), and Front to Back Tricep Extensions (did 12 less reps but doubled the weight).

I feel amazing when I’m doing this workout. You feel strong, you’re working hard, and the people in the DVD are not fucking around. I think what I like the most about this workout is that the people in the video switch their weights when they get tired instead of stopping, they clown Tony Horton a bit, and one of the guys is just a maniac. It motivates me to push a little bit harder, take mid-set breaks, and add reps even after I collapse from fatigue. For some it’s annoying, for me, it so happens to be perfect motivation.

Next I moved on to Ab Ripper X.

After last week’s semi-slack results and discipline I really wanted to put a lot of effort into this one and I really, really did. I can honestly say that this is the most physical pain I’ve felt from this workout since I started P90X. I still suck at Fifer Scissors, but everything else just about got annihilated. I advanced from doing the Spread Leg Sit-Ups to doing the Cross Leg Sit-Ups, I really pushed myself on the Hip Rock & Raise and the Pulse Ups, and I slowed down the Leg Climbs to really get a burn out of my stomach. I did take breaks when my body would crash, but I never paused the DVD or skipped any exercises. The last exercise, The Mason Twist, I was really looking to do well in, but the fatigue just killed me and my legs hit the ground after 30. I got back in around 35 and pushed until the end.

Today was the best day I’ve had so far with P90X. I’m really feeling my confidence in my strength pushing up and I’m feeling the results of proper form during the exercises versus just trying to get through the DVDs.

Tomorrow is the dreaded Plyometrics DVD. I’m feeling a bit doomed.

Day 37:
Plyometrics

I fucking killed Plyo today. I’m sorry, but I’m fucking proud of myself. This, to me, is the hardest workout in the whole series. Your heart rate is certain to peak, your legs will feel like mulch, and you’ll feel like vomiting by the time it’s over. And my mentality today was that Tony Horton was either a) Training me for a fight, or b) Tony Horton was egging me on to fight. *I know, this sounds weird. But trust me, after 6 weeks of listening to the guy every day you get a bit sick of him and his Hollywood ways.

So I wanted to break down to you guys what is involved in this damn DVD and how I did today in comparison to past weeks.

What happens in this DVD is you do a group of 4 exercises, all of them usually :30sec except for the last one which is a full minute. When you’re finished them all, you repeat the sequence. Then you get a :30sec break and move onto the following group of 4 exercises, and you repeat those steps. Here is the full workout:

Exercise Sequence 1
Jump Squat:
Feet shoulder width apart, low squat, jump at the peak, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) I had no problems with this at all this week.
Set 2) Still no problems.

Run Stance Squat:
One foot slightly staggered, 3 low squats, jump switch feet on 4th squat, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) No problems here at all. I found that focusing on the front leg and hip flexor helped give the back leg a break before switching.
Set 2) Started to feel it, but was confident and kept good form.

Airborne Heisman:
One foot on the ground, the other with the knee bent towards the chest, lateral jump switch feet and position, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) I try to think of 1 exercise per sequence as a mental break. This is that exercise.
Set 2) Relief.

Swing Kick:
stool/chair in front of you, swing right leg over, left leg over, left leg back, right leg back, repeat for 1min.

Set 1) This usually gets pretty tiring, but I kept psyching myself up to keep going.
Set 2) I keep in mind that one of the people in the DVD is doing this on a prosthetic leg. That’s about enough to keep my pace up.

FIRST BREAK
I got to the first break no problem this week. No pausing the DVD or feeling gassed. I also noticed that not drinking a lot of water during the break actually helps. Instead, I take a small sip and keep it in my mouth and breath through my nose. Then I swallow it slowly as I calm my breathing down for the next sequence.

Exercise Sequence 2
Squat Reach Jump:
Feet shoulder width apart, low squat, touch floor, jump at the peak, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) This set was relatively easy. I was jumping and touching my ceiling (8 feet) no problem.
Set 2) My legs started to feel a little shaky by this point, so I was still leaving the ground, just not touching the ceiling.

Run Stance Squat Reach Pick-up:
One foot slightly staggered, low squat, jump switch feet, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) Just like the first sequence, I put a lot of focus on my front hip flexor as I jumped and landed to help keep my mind off of the pain in my quads. It worked really well and I got through the first set pretty easily.
Set 2) By the second set I was starting to really feel the pain in my legs. I pushed through it, keeping in mind “You can do anything for 30 seconds”. The pain was really burning, but I made it.

Double Airborne Heisman:
One foot on the ground, the other with the knee bent towards the chest, lateral jump with 2 steps, switch feet and position, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) Again, I think of this move as a rest move. Even though I still perform it with intensity, mentally, I keep my mind as clear and calm as possible to act as a mid sequence break. That usually helps with the pain in my legs, but my breathing still gets short.
Set 2) Same as set one. Got through it okay, but was feeling tired.

Circle Run:
Towel folded into a small square on the ground, run clockwise around towel with shoulders and head stationary for :30sec, counterclockwise for :30sec.

Set 1) I tried to go really fast in this sequence and started to lose form a little bit after 15 seconds or so, so I slowed down a bit and went for form over speed. Got through it with no physical pain, but my heart rate was very high.
Set 2) By this set I was feeling pretty gassed, but pushed through with a lot of mental confidence and got it done.

SECOND BREAK
Again, I got to this break without having to pause the DVD which was a huge accomplishment for me. I was jumping and skipping around like I was about to fight, getting myself amped to get through the 3rd sequence. I knew I was getting tired though, and I could feel my legs getting more and more sore. The next sequence had me a little shook.

Exercise Sequence 3
Jump Knee Tuck:
Feet together, forearms parallel to ground, jump straight up, touch knees to hands for :30sec.

Set 1) I hate this move. I stuck with the video on the regular paced jumps and tried to follow on the double-time jumps, but I got gassed and had to stick to the regular speed.
Set 2) After doing the whole sequence and coming back to this, I felt like I dreaded it a lot. Again, I was only able to do the regular speed jumps, but I got it done.

Mary Katherine Lunge:
Low lunge, hold, jump switch legs and position for :30 sec.

Set 1) I’m pretty good at this move. I find that it just takes a little determination. I got through this set without issue, but I was feeling tired and short of breath.
Set 2) The second set was a bit difficult in terms of control. I was very tired and gassed, so while I was able to finish the set, stabilizing myself was the hardest part.

Leapfrog Squat:
Feet wider than shoulder distance, in low squat, leap forward twice and backward twice while holding position for :30sec.

Set 1) This move is my mental break move in this sequence. It’s difficult, but not grueling, so while I do it, I try to keep my mind elsewhere to take a midsequence break. Set 1 wasn’t so bad.
Set 2) I was feeling burnt from the jump knee tucks and my breathing was getting short. These were still the easiest moves of the sequence, but I was getting tired.

Twist Combo:
Feet together, hands positioned like holding ski poles, jump, switch foot position to right, center, left, center, repeat for 1min.

Set 1) I find that this move is only really tough on your breathing, like running in place is when you’re tired. I got through set 1 just fine.
Set 2) You can amplify this set by jumping a full 180 degrees but I always opt to stick with the conventional move so I can have the energy to make it through the rest of the sequences. My breathing was still intense, but my legs were catching some wind.

THIRD BREAK
I kept telling myself that I was gonna make it through the whole video in good shape and psyching myself up to continue. The next sequence is one of my least favorite and I hate it with a passion, so getting motivated before starting was necessary. I continued to take small sips of water and toweled off.

Exercise Sequence 4
Rock Star Hop:
Feet together one arm straight out, jump, kick feet to buttocks, swing opposite arm in circle, repeat, :15sec each side.

Set 1) I hate this move, but I got through the first set just fine. At this point in the DVD you’re tired all around, so it’s really necessary to just keep going through the fatigue and pain.
Set 2) After doing the whole sequence once, another set of these just sucks. The difficulty isn’t so bad, it’s the fact that you feel like you need to sleep and rest your whole body that kills you.

Gap Jump:
Jump over an imaginary gap, leading with your right foot, turn around, lead with left, turn around, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) This is my mid sequence mental rest move. It’s the fun part of the sequence, it gets your head out of the intensity of the rest of the workout for a bit. Although I was tired, I got through this set easily.
Set 2) Again, no problems with this set.

Squat Jack:
Perform jumping jacks with hands behind head in low squat, jumping feet from shoulder width to wide, keeping knees stationary for :30sec.

Set 1) I remember the first week of P90X, I wasn’t able to do this. But now, as hard as they are, I’m alright with them. This set wasn’t too tough.
Set 2) By set 2 my heartrate was making me feel more tired than my legs on this move, but I got through them just fine.

Military March:
Stand with joints flexed, right arm directly upward, right arm on the ground, left leg kicked forward, left arm swung backward, slowly march, alternating position for 1min.

Set 1) This sounds easy. But by the time you get to this move, doing it slowly and keeping good form surprisingly is harder than it seems. I kept good form, but I was really feeling tired by this point.
Set 2) By this point I was gassed from the workout, and getting to this move is no consolation. I did them in good form, but again, was really, really getting exhausted.

FOURTH BREAK
This is where you start to feel really knocked out and ready to quit. But these are also what many people refer to as “The Championship Rounds”. You’ve gotta make the decision to keep going even when you’re gassed and stop only when your body quits, not your mind. I was tired, but in the best shape at this point in the workout than I’ve ever been.

Exercise Sequence 5
Run Squat w 180 Jump:
One foot slightly staggered, low squat, touch floor in front, jump 180 degrees, touch floor again, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) This move will put your legs on fire. I was trying my best not to have to do the modified version and got through it by a hair.
Set 2) By this set I was exhausted. My legs were burning and shaky, but I didn’t do the modified moves, and pushed through the set.

Lateral Leapfrog:
Legs in horsestance, leap to the left, hold, leap to the right, hold, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) No problems here. This move is my mid sequence mental break, and is pretty easy to perform.
Set 2) Again, no issues.

Monster Truck Tires:
Right knee high, jump to right like leaping into a monster truck tire, lift left knee high, alternate move and repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) My body was dying for the workout to be over, but this wasn’t too, too difficult. I got through the set, with my breathing being pretty heavy and my heartrate was pretty high.
Set 2) By the second set I was feeling pretty gassed, but I was in really good spirits which made this set actually a little more fun than anything else.

Hot Foot:
Stand on one foot, jump left, right, forward, backward for :30sec, switch feet, repeat for :30sec.

Set 1) Because of my flat feet, I can’t perform this move without feeling intense pain in the arch of my foot more than in my calf. So I opt to do skipping versions for a full minute. This keeps my heart rate up, but takes the pain out. I got through the first set no problem.
Set 2) No issues here.

FINAL BREAK
I was feeling pretty amazing by this point considering I had done my best week of plyo since I started P90X. I was definitely tired, but mentally I was so hype about what I had just completed, that it didn’t really matter how zonked I felt.

Exercise Sequence 6 (Bonus round)
Pitch & Catch:
Perform a pitching motion and catch position in horse stance, repeat for :30sec on each side.

Set) I love this whole bonus sport section, and the Pitch & Catch is the easiest of all the moves.

Jump Shot:
Perform a catch and jump shot motion, catching from left, shooting with right, repeat for :30sec on each side.

Set) In my opinion, this is the most tiring bonus round move. I got through it fine, but my breathing was getting heavier and the fatigue in my legs was kicking in bad.

Football Hero:
Lateral jumps from left to right 4 times, highstep backwards for 8 steps, repeat for 1min.

Set) By this point, I was having fun and enjoying every second of this move. I was so stoked that I had just finished Plyo with that much determination, that fatigue didn’t matter.

—-

So that was my full Plyometrics experience. If that makes any sense to you guys who are considering doing P90X, you’ll get an idea of what you’re getting into as far as the most hectic workout in this series.

Day 38:
Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

For some reason I thought today was Shoulders & Arms. I guess I’m still kinda stuck in Phase 1 of this thing. It was actually Back & Biceps, which I was really happy to realize as soon as I got home today. The bad part was I got home at about 8:30pm and hadn’t eaten anything except for 2 slices of an apple since 1pm. My mind was telling me to just workout, but my lady was telling me to eat something so that I wouldn’t die working out on an empty stomach. So I cooked some food up, did some laundry, waited an hour, and got to working out at about 11:00pm.

Honestly, I was tired as fuck today. But I want to see more results, so I really, really pushed myself to the absolute peak of my energy.

Here’s where I feel I excelled this week:
Wide Front Pull-Ups (equalled last weeks reps plus 10 more reps with a stool).
One Arm Concentration Curls (dropped from 15 reps to 8 but doubled weights).
Crouching Cohen Curls (1 short of last week, but added 5 more reps with half weights).
Strip Set Curls (last week I used 20lbs/10lbs/10lbs/20lbs, this week I did 20 the whole time. I only have 2 sets of weights and I need to buy a couple more).

By the time I was maybe 5 exercises in, I could feel that feeling of your muscle stretching your skin to its capacity and you feel like your arms are gonna tear open. This workout is fucking great. It’s easy on the heart, unlike most of the P90X workouts, but it’s a lot to deal with on the strength side of things. But I feel like I did amazing today.

Right after I was done I went right into Ab Ripper X, no breaks.

I was tired. Of the sleepy and exhausted sort. And I know that this DVD is only 11 moves, but they all suck.

Here’s how I did:

In & Outs: No Problem.
Bicycles (forward): I hate these. My legs always kill from doing them. But I got through it.
Bicycles (backward): Had to take a 2 second break after 8 or so. Then again at like 20.
Crunchy Frog: My legs are too weak to ever get through these at the DVD’s pace. Had to break at 15.
Spread Leg/Crossed Leg Sit-Ups: I’ve got these down. Graduated to the Crossed Leg and haven’t turned back.
Fifer Scissors: My nemesis. I put the backs of my hands under my butt to be able to do this, and I was alright today. I kind of felt like I was cheating, so I took them out for the last 5 and it was hell. But I got it done.
Hip Rock & Raise: All good. I needed a bit of a break around 18 or so, but got all 25 done.
Pulse Ups: These can go fuck themselves. I needed a break at around 7 and then again at like 18. These I hate. A lot.
V-Up Roll-Up: I went in on these today, getting my lower back higher off the ground for the V-Up.
Oblique V-Ups: Ever since I discovered that I was doing these wrong, they’ve been hell. I got to 12, needed a break, then to 17 and finished through to 25.
Leg Climbs: I went for the bent leg variation today to make it interesting. I couldn’t get all the way up my leg a couple of times. Whatever though. It’s harder, but I’m trying to see some fucking results.
Mason Twist: I made it to 24, feet hit the ground til 34, finished til the end.

I’m telling you. If you still haven’t tried this whole thing, do it. You’ll see how hard it is.

I’m happy as fuck about today. Can’t wait for Yoga tomorrow.

Day 39:
Yoga X

I was really, really determined to make this Yoga X experience better than last weeks, so, trying to do something I hadn’t done before, I shut off all the lights in my house, and did the yoga DVD in the dark, with only the light of my television. And it was amazing.

This was my best Yoga X experience yet. The ambience was nice, I waited until the evening to workout, and there was minimal noise outside of my house. I did all the sequences, including putting in a strong effort with the Warrior Three section, and just did the modified move when it came to Twisting Mountain Pose.

When I got to the balance postures, I had some trouble with Crane and Standing Leg Extensions, as usual, but tried my best. I also noticed a lack of flexibility when doing Plough, but my workout was going so well that it didn’t really matter.

The effort put into tonight’s workout was ridiculous, and the payoff was well worth it. I’m really, really pleased with the way I feel right now.

Day 40:
Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

I definitely never look forward to this workout. It involves my 2 biggest weaknesses, and makes me feel a little incapable of a lot. After last weeks painful experience, I wanted to regain some confidence in myself during Legs & Back.

I’m really feeling like I’m at a bit of a stand still with this workout. I was able to perform all the leg exercises just fine, but the pull-ups involved for the back workout are frustrating me. My goal as always was to do better than my previous weeks. But it’s getting a little fucked up. Here’s what my results were for the pull-ups:

Reverse Grip Chin-Ups:
Last Week Set 1: 15 w stool
This Week Set 1: 17 w stool
Last Week Set 2: 17 w stool
This Week Set 2: 8 freeform

Wide Front Pull-Ups:
Last Week Set 1: 17 w stool
This Week Set 1: 8 freefrom
Last Week Set 2: 20 w stool
This Week Set 2: 8 freeform

Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups:
Last Week Set 1: 17 w stool
This Week Set 1: 7 freeform
Last Week Set 2: 22 w stool
This Week Set 2: 15 w stool

Switch Grip Pull-Ups:
Last Week Set 1: 12 w stool
This Week Set 1: 14 w stool
Last Week Set 2: 20 w stool
This Week Set 2: 15 w stool

I know, freeform pull-ups are harder. But I know I’m not getting my full potential out of these pull-ups, partially because my chin-up bar is screwed between my door frame. It limits my range of motion and I feel stuck in a little box, doing pull-ups on a bar that’s basically at my forehead.

If I can give you guys any advice about this, I would say, do your best to get a pull-up bar that lodges into your doorframe, but has it’s grips on either side of the door.

I gave it my all today with the legs workout, but I know I can do much better with the back.

Ab Ripper X was next.

Right away I could feel how wasted my legs were, struggling with the first 3 moves. I had to take a few breaks because my legs were just giving out. The moves that I’m comfortable with: Cross Leg Sit-ups, V-Up Roll Ups, Hip Rock & Raise, etc, were done just fine, but I really felt a bit out of it today. Fifer Scissors was tough as usual, and I was only able to do 15 Oblique V-Ups on each side. By the time I got to Mason Twist, I was in a bit of a bad mood and my legs gave out at rep 25. I pulled my feet back up and kept going, but I didn’t feel the same satisfaction that I’ve grown accustomed to after finishing Ab Ripper X.

Today was kinda shit. The legs workout was the only thing that had me feeling semi-good.

Day 41:
Kenpo X

After yesterday’s workout, my legs, hips, bum, and lower back were hurting. Kenpo is super fun, so I was excited to get it going, but I knew it would be a bit of a challenge.

Turns out that after getting started, I was fine.

Honestly, getting to the end of a P90X week and doing Kenpo is a great experience. It’s enjoyable and difficult, it goes by quick, and the people in the DVD are great. My one complaint about today was that I was feeling a lot of pain in the joint of my right arm. I’m pretty good at throwing a punch, but I think that because of Wednesday’s workout and my recent increase in art related work, my arm was just killing me.

The workout itself was great, and was a perfect close to the best P90X week I’ve had so far.

Day 42:
Rest or X Stretch

I decided to take today to rest, but really needed to do X Stretch. My back is feeling very sore and I need a massage badly.

The Diet:

My diet for this week was the same basic platform as last week, except I didn’t do enough grocery shopping. I ended up eating a lot of tuna, which I’m feeling really sick of, and eating more bread, which I’ve now kept in my freezer to increase it’s shelf life. I’ve been drinking a little too much coffee I think (about a cup a day), and haven’t been cooking as much as earlier weeks.

This week was the first week that I didn’t precisely record how many of each food group I was eating. I would mark it down while I was at home, but if I left home and had anything to eat, I wasn’t writing it down when I returned home. I would just make a mental note of it. Because of this, I think I fell short some days on my protein intake, and had too much dairy on other days. No big deal, just an observation.

I’ve definitely gotta get more groceries next week.

Closing Thoughts:

There was a definite increase in intensity in this week’s workouts. I did my best to really push for more everyday and do as much as I possibly could every second of the workouts. I feel really confident in what I was able to do and am very proud of my outputs this week.

On a personal level there were also some good improvements. I’ve really just needed to get out of the trap of my house a bit. I’ve been secluded for almost 2 months, and it’s not healthy, so being out and about and seeing friends and interacting with people was a great help in my overall mood. I’ve been slacking a bit on things like cleaning my house and doing laundry, but I’ve been busier in terms of work and making some money again. Things are looking really good, and I’m feeling a great deal of general confidence thanks to the mental clarity and the physical results from P90X.

I’ve been included in an upcoming artshow to do a new Fully Wholly collection, which I’m very stoked about, and have been working on a book that is nearly finished. I can’t ask for too much more right now.

Best week I’ve had in a while. I am very grateful.

Welcome To The Legends League.

Read The BS of My Life / P90X:
Intro
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Day 30 Results
Week 5

• Share/Save