Tip of the Week

My workout tip of the week: "Bring It"! That is what they say in P90X and although it's kinda cheesy it's true. You have to put everything that you've got into every workout you do. Sure any exercise is good for you but if you really want to change your body, you have to work hard.

This means pushing the envelope every time. Go faster, harder, and lift heavier than you ever thought possible. If it's too much you can always tone it down. But if it's not enough, it's not like you're going to re-do the workout to get more out of it.

Set a goal in your head. Set it high. You won't be discouraged if you don't reach that goal that day, but you will be determined to strive for that goal the next day you do that workout. 90% of people don't know their own strength and/or abilities. You can lift more than you think. You can run faster or further than you ever thought possible. You can do it. All you have to do is push yourself.

Back to P90X

Well, I survived my first week of P90X. Not bad! I got to do that back and chest workout where you do a million pull ups and a million and a half push ups again yesterday. I'm really sore today, but feel like I am getting a stronger upper body (honestly I didn't think that was possible...not to toot my own horn). Today is PlyometriX (I changed the name, it fits better don't ya think?) which is my favorite. I'll be pushing myself today and hopefully I don't die!

Did anyone who has done the P90X program think there is not quite enough cardio involved? I keep thinking I should add it but after doing 80-90 minutes of exercise I just don't have it in me to add more. Maybe I'll just do jumping jacks between sets during the weight workouts. Any thoughts?

KenpoX

This was pretty good. Just pretty good. It's like doing a semi watered down version of Tae Bo but without the spandex clad penis. Hey, I'm just sayin'! In fact just thinking about the spandex makes me want to do KenpoX verses Tae Bo any day.

Today is supposed to be my "rest day". I can do the StretchX or nothing. I will be doing a boot camp class this morning at the church and then teaching a gymnastics boot camp class tonight. What is wrong with me? I am obsessed with exercise. But if I have to be obsessed, it might as well be that!

P90X Update

Sooo...what's better than doing 171.5 push ups and 56 pull ups on Friday? Doing 72 more pull ups on Sunday, that's what! Legs and Back was yesterday and it was fun. This workout got my heart rate up (because of the leg work) and was tough of course, but doable.

YogaX was on Saturday and I LOVED it! 90 minutes of stretching, balancing, and breathing. It was definitely one of the best yoga DVDs that I've seen. Pretty comparable to my favorite yoga teacher, Heidi.

Today is KenpoX and I've heard it's the best DVD of the bunch. It's a cardio workout and I'll tell you how it goes later...

171 and a half pushups and 56 pull ups later...

...OUCH!

P90X Chest and Back is so far the hardest workout I've done. Then add Ab Ripper X at the end and you've got yourself a very productive day!

P90X Plyometrics

I was a little nervous to do this workout. First my good friend and fellow "tough girl" tells me that it "seriously changed her life". Then as I was waiting for the DVD to start, Tony Horton is talking about how this is the "X" in P90X and if you are not P90X ready you should not do this workout.

As I start the workout I decide to take it "easy" and do the modified moves. I don't want my ego to get in the way and end up injured. As I get into the workout and decide that I can handle the "bring it" exercises I bump up the intensity. Sure it was hard and I was breathing hard, but they take lots of breaks and only do the plyos for 30 seconds each. By the time the video was over my heart rate and breathing had dropped to normal and I wasn't sweating much anymore.

So the moral of the story? Go hard or go home. I should have started out high intensity and if I needed a break at the end I could have taken it. But....we'll see how I feel tomorrow morning. It may be a whole other story at that point. I can't wait for another fun workout tomorrow!!

P90X

Okay, so I know that I am the trainer and am supposed to be designing the workouts but I've fallen in love with P90X. I first saw it on an infomercial and wanted it but it was pretty expensive. Then I heard of all these people that did the program and loved it and decided that I needed to do it. I am always looking for fun new ways to exercise and this definitely fits the bill. I recently got a copy of all the DVD's from a friend of mine (thanks Tyler) and now I am ready to start. I'm just waiting for Bethany to send me the info so I can do it the way it's designed to be followed. I did CardoX on Monday and really liked it. I have 11 more videos to try and can't wait! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

So I guess my exercise tip today is to find something new and exciting to do. Don't get bored in your old routine by doing the same things over and over. Always look for a different activity to "shake" things up! If you run, try walking hills. If you bike, try a stair stepper. If you only do classes, try cardio machines and weights. If you only lift weights, try adding 1-2 minutes of cardio inbetween sets. If you do all these things, drop them and try a program like Body-For-Life or P90X.

Good luck!

Slacker

I am a complete and udder slacker. Life gets busy and I quit blogging for Tough Girl. So I am here to say I am sorry and I will be adding more posts in the coming months. Thanks for being patient.

Tip of the Week:

Food is just food and nothing more. It is not a reward, a punishment, or a favorite pastime. Get over it. Food is fuel for our bodies. The better fuel we put in, the better performance we get out. End of story.

Goal of the Week:

Eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking every morning this week. Good examples are: eggs with toast and fruit; PB&J sandwich on whole wheat; yogurt, fruit, and a handful of nuts; oatmeal; cold cereal like Cheerios, Kashi, FiberOne, etc. with skim milk and fruit.

There you have it. A tip and goal for the week. Come back next week for an update. Leave your comments and let me know how things are going.