Don's Blog

So, I’ve had the P90X DVDs since 2009. Since then I’ve made multiple attempts and completed two rounds. The first completed round I really don’t count because it was half-arsed, at best. I barely finished it and skipped a whole lot of days. The most recent round, with results posted previously, was the real deal. After this one, I can confirm that completing your first real round of P90X is a true commitment. I know a couple people at work who have been having trouble completing their first rounds as well, and yesterday another person mentioned she was just getting started and having a bit of trouble. So, I started putting together a list of ‘lessons learned’ over that last year for her, and decided to post them up here as well. Hopefully this will be helpful information for anyone working to complete their first round. What’s next for me? Currently I’m into my 4th week of a fresh round, and starting in January, P90X2!

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Oh, so corny! Alas, not to be written off, as it’s true. Something I learned long ago when competing at a high level is that you will only get back what you put in. If you truly decide you want a change, commit yourself to making the change, success will indeed follow. This really is important, because if you’re not in the best of shape the first 6-8 weeks will simply be a lesson in survival. From my own experience and from others I’ve spoken to, it’s the final few weeks where you really start seeing and feeling the results. Stick with it and bring your best effort to every workout.

Food, Body, Soul

Put simply, you are what you eat. Whether your follow the meal plans provided, or do your own thing, I suggest really learning about what you put into your body. This is a topic I’m quite passionate about, and will elaborate on in a future post.

Track Everything

Use the Excel spreadsheets! A lot of work was put into these, and they can be a hugely motivational tool. I have my sheet up during the workout and have a goal of beating my numbers from the previous workout every time. I did 14 pullups last week? Well then, I’m gonna hit 15 or more! During workouts where you repeat moves as well, the sheet will turn orange if you didn’t match the numbers. 22 pushups first round and 20 second, orange. I hate the orange. I will push out those last few and turn that square green if it kills me…

Equipment and Location

I workout in a tiny basement, 10′x9′ with a 7′ ceiling and cement floor. I also have a very limited set of equipment: set of bands, pull-up bar, a chair, and a yoga mat & block. So, if you think you need a ton of space and lots of expensive equipment think again. Intensity is 100x more important than fancy equipment.

Yoga X

Stick with it. I know it’s a bit cheesy at first if you’re not into it, and it’s a larger time commitment compared to the other workouts, but it’s worth it. During my last round, I actually skipped the Yoga days a few times in the beginning, or even replaced them with Cardio X simply because I could not do the moves. A couple months in, my strength and flexibility improved enough that I was able to actually complete the entire session, so stuck it out. I’m now totally into the yoga and I can really see the positive impacts with flexibility, strength (especially in my shoulders) and focus. Yes, I felt kind of lame at first, but open your mind a bit and results will follow.

While a decent yoga mat is a given, I would highly suggest getting a block as well. I picked up a simple block made from cork (renewable and sustainable, of course!) for about $10. Even if you are already very flexible (I haven’t been ‘flexible’ since high school), having the block allows you to focus on the movement and form itself rather than pressure/pain of the move. I swear I sweat more during yoga than any other workout.

Ab Ripper X

Let’s be clear on one thing: Targeted fat loss is a myth. You cannot simply do a bunch of situps and expect your belly fat to disappear. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t work your core. What it does mean is that along with core work, you sort out your diet (bottom line, weight loss comes from creating a calorie deficit). Plain and simple, a 6-pack is built in the kitchen, not the gym.

I’m not saying you should not be doing the Ab routine. Rather, I want to set expectations here. In fact, the best thing you can do for your core is to learn to engage. I learned this running hurdles in high school track. Focusing on tightening, or ‘locking’ the core (abs, hip flexors, etc) during every move, whether it’s cardio or strength training, is super important. Not only will it enable your body to perform better, it tones and strengthens all of those small, supportive muscles. Focus on keeping your core locked tight .

What’s that, you can’t complete even a few of the moves? No problem. Skip the workout if you need to in the beginning, then slowly add it in, but scaled down. Start by trying to get 5 or 10 reps of each move, with the emphasis on good clean form. If you do your best every time, I guarantee you will eventually catch up and hit every rep. Set your goal to kill it and work steadily toward that goal.

Sleep

Easily the most neglected part of any training program. Sleep is another topic I will be dedicating an entire post to later. Over the last twelve months I’ve been on a mission to get a decent night’s sleep. I can honestly say that sleep quality is just as important as any nutrition or workout plan. Your body and mind need the rest to rebuild and refresh. Bottom line, make sleep a priority. Yes, I know you really want to watch Castle/Modern Family/whatever else is on TV, but you have to decide what’s more important; a TV show, or your health?

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Recently I’ve had a series of articles coming together in my head. I think I’m about ready to write them up finally. Let’s start with the results, so far…

So, a while back (as in nearly two years ago), I picked up a copy of P90x. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, and yes I am still a Crossfitter at heart. Still, the workouts themselves intrigued me, as 1) they’re based around the same periodization I know works (for me at least) and 2) I didn’t need any specialty equipment such as barbells, etc (budget is a huge factor). I started the workout a few times starting in the fall of ’09, but it wasn’t until this past March that I finally got my s**t together. I even had a nasty chest infection only a couple weeks in. In the past that would have been enough to call it quits and try another day, but this time I was determined to see it through. I took a few days off, adjusted the workouts and continued to learn and develop my diet. The end result was finishing the program in early June, just in time to enjoy a wonderful summer vacation with my kiddos and some killer climbing days (which I haven’t done in years!). A recent checkup also showed all my readings are down, including my ‘bad’ cholesterol down from 223(!) to 132 (target is under 130). No pills, no magic supplements. Just consistent exercise and healthy lifestyle.

The road has been a long one, and there’s a whole lot of other personal ‘stuff’ I’ve been digging into here in 2011. Getting my physical health back has been a major component in my overall growth. I actually lost a few more pounds after finishing the program, mainly due to increased cardio and continually improving diet. I’m not a big fan of the original photos, but putting them out here for the world to see is a pretty motivating way of ensuring I never go back there…

My strength has gone up considerably, though my main focus was to shred the fat and regain my overall health.  I’ve achieved that, and am now into my second week of a whole new round. It’ll be interesting to see what progress looks like come November.

What’s next? More hard work and new challenges await. I’ve honesty never felt more physically, spiritually and emotionally stronger. The light at the end of the tunnel has turned into warm daylight and the future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades…