p90x

[shmokes]

BTW, I had been bugging my wife to start for a couple weeks and couldn't get her to display any interest in it at all.  After weeks of badgering, we started the program Sunday.  Monday morning she said, "I'm not even sore at all."  And I smiled and said, "Wait till tonight.  You'll be sore.  And then wait till tomorrow and you will be SORE."  So, we skipped last night cos I had class till 9 and went straight to a friend's birthday party till about midnight.  And get this . . . today my wife texts me from work and says, "I'm so sore.  I love it.  Let's do it again tonight."  (Come on . . . get your heads out of the gutter . . . she's talking about P90X ).  Then I had lunch with her and she said that last night she wanted to do it without me, but didn't know which exercise she was supposed to do next.

So . . . it's at least good enough that it only took one workout to take my wife from reluctant to excited.  Kinda cool!

[Dartful Dodger]

I was surprised to see this one at my local Walgreens:
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

When I started this routine I realized that a pull up bar and dumbbells would be the last workout equipment I'd ever need/buy, so for my b-day I bought myself a set of these:
Sport 5.0



Day two is when I realized this program was the real deal.
(The soreness you get from day 2 can’t be mentioned in this thread without it going straight into the gutter.)

[DrewKaree]

Core Synergistics was fairly nice today, smooth and calm again, I didn’t really push too hard because my legs are sore from hiking all over this weekend, but I finished the whole thing (didn’t do the bonus moves) and felt good and strong.  Hopefully I can get some more sleep tonight than I did last night and bring it more for Cardio X.

Thanks Stacy! 

I was surprised to see this one at my local Walgreens:
Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

When I started this routine I realized that a pull up bar and dumbbells would be the last workout equipment I'd ever need/buy, so for my b-day I bought myself a set of these:
Sport 5.0

I got a used set of those Power Blocks from Play It Again Sports about a year ago.  They're insanely expensive to purchase brand new.

[Dartful Dodger]

I got a used set of those Power Blocks from Play It Again Sports about a year ago.  They're insanely expensive to purchase brand new.

Right now I use 10s, 15s, 25s, 30s and 35s.

As I get stronger I'll need to keep adding more.

They’re cheaper than a gym and cheaper, cleaner and cooler, than having dozens of dumbbells.  My buddy has an assortment of dumbbells and his workout space is littered with them.

What really sold me on the block was while I was researching them I found some YouTube videos where people were using the block for advance p90x pushups:

[ChadTower]

Did the first hour of Yoga.  Did so much better than last week, but still, an hour is all I have tonight. 

[AmericanDemon]

Alright.  I did my fitness test Monday.  I am so much further out of shape than I originally thought.  However i digress. 

Shoulders and Back - DONE!
Ab Ripper X - DONE and I hate you

I had some issues with Diamond Pushups and then the Divebomber.  Especially the second set.  It was really rough.  I then proceeded to hitting the ring for an hour afterwards for some ground fighting......  yeah my arms and shoulders were so toast.  I couldnt even hold onto an armbar.  When I did hook one, my abs were blown and I could submit them.  Oh well.  Extra cardio is always good.

[Cakemeister]

This program only requires dumbbells and a pullup bar?

What weight of dumbbells are needed? I have a variety of them going up to 25 pounds.

[ChadTower]

This program only requires dumbbells and a pullup bar?

What weight of dumbbells are needed? I have a variety of them going up to 25 pounds.

That's more than enough for dumbbells unless you're really strong.

You'll need a chair too.

[AmericanDemon]

Plyometrics - Done!

This workout blew me up.  I have strong legs, but apparently not strong enough.  LOL.  The jumping Jack squats did me in.  So very hard.  I completed the workout but wasn't able to keep up the pace with the guys on the video.  Of course, I dont expect to keep up with them on my first go through it.

[shmokes]

What/where is the fitness test?  I don't see it in my videos.

[ChadTower]

What/where is the fitness test?  I don't see it in my videos.

RTFM.  It's not in the video.

 

Legs and back done.  Didn't eat a good dinner and really paid for it.  Labored through it the whole time.  Lesson learned.   

[shmokes]

ugh . . . nobody told me this was going to involve reading!!!   

Plyometrics today.  Holy Jesus Mary Almighty Mother Of god! 

A #1, I could not begin to keep up.  B #2, I have never sweat so much in my life. 

I skipped Monday and Tuesday for various reasons.  Rather than sticking to the schedule and doing Yoga I went in the original order it was gonna have me go in, so I did plyometrics.   This seemed logical, but I wonder, since the calendar on the website doesn't reschedule workouts when they're marked as missed.

[ChadTower]

I think the webapp just isn't all that well done and that's why it doesn't shift the schedule.

I don't have much of a problem with plyo.  Done them a billion times for football.  For me Yoga is worse.  I sweat more in Yoga than maybe half the other workouts combined. 

Wait until you get to legs/back and have to do the 90 second wall squat.   

[shmokes]

Arms & Shoulders + Ab Ripper done.

SOOOOOOO sore from plyometrics on wednesday.

[AmericanDemon]

Arms & Shoulders + Ab Ripper done.

SOOOOOOO sore from plyometrics on wednesday.

What he said!  I skipped Thursday due to being out of town.  I tell ya what, this program is kicking my butt in a good way.  I'm pushing myself harder than I expected and I just LOVE waking up the next day being sore as can be.

That said....Arms & Shoulders.  Not as hard as expected.  Still difficult when I found the right weight.  Ab ripper, leg climbers killed me today.  I breezed through them on Monday no problem.  Crunchy Frog still sucks and my abs will definitely feel this tomorrow.

[Ummon]

Wait until you get to legs/back and have to do the 90 second wall squat.  

Oh, those are fun. Good time to really work on your breathing.

[shmokes]

BTW, bands suck balls for shoulders and arms.  Not only is it really difficult to get an appropriate tension, but they make good form impossible.  Also, when I'm doing curls the rubber likes to rub against my forearm and pull the hairs.

I only have 2 sets of dumbbells -- 5's and 25's.  The 5's are too light for every exercise and the 25's are too heavy for all but a couple.  I'd love to have a set like what Dartful linked to earlier, but I'm too poor.  I'll probably just have to pick up a set of 10's and 15's. 

Anyway . . . about to start yoga.  Just waiting for my girl to fall asleep.  I hope it kicks ---my bottom---.  Also, I'm hopelessly inflexible.  I'm hoping yoga improves that a bit.

[shmokes]

For me Yoga is worse.  I sweat more in Yoga than maybe half the other workouts combined. 

Yeah . . . I don't know about more difficult -- it certainly won't make me a fraction as sore.  But I was practically spraying sweat out of my pores.   

So, Yoga done.

[ChadTower]

Chest/back and ab ripper done.  Missed thursday because of the holiday and too many guests.  Yesterday was rest day.  Back to it today. 

[shmokes]

Legs/back + ab ripper done.  As usual, these things just beat ---my bottom---. 

[ChadTower]

Plyo done.  I like this one.  Tough but I can handle it.  Definite improvement third time around.

[shmokes]

Kenpo done.  About 1/1000 as difficult as all the others so far.  Still a good workout, and still covered me in sweat, but I usually did more reps than the people on the TV just to get a better workout.  Also, in the introduction video Tony suggested that Kenpo X would not only get you in shape, but would teach you self-defense.      at that.

[Dartful Dodger]

Skipped most of the weekend.  Thursday I did a 3 mile(5k) "turkey trot", so I marked it off on my calendar as "other"  I really thought 50 minutes of plyo and all the other workouts would transfer over and allow me to run for 30 minutes with no problem.  It was still rough and it took me 35 minutes.  I finished after my 11 year old cousin.

I was as coordinated with the assorted punching in kenpo as I was with the imaginary right handed pitching in plyo (I'm left handed).  I know my punching has improved through kenpo.  My buddy teaches Ju-Jitsu and he enjoys the punching sets but gets pist at the blocking sets and doesn't want us to do them.  I tell him it's part of the exercise and since it's at the end of the session it's just a way to cool down our muscles.
He gives me the line he tells his students.  "How you do it in class is how you'll do it on the street."  It’s all muscle memory and in a fight I’ll do what comes most natural to me and I’ll end up taking a baseball bat to the side of the head trying to block like that.

[ChadTower]

I didn't realize our goal for this program was to prevent getting beaten with baseball bats.   

Dartful, your current condition won't translate directly to running, but if you started to run regularly you would be down to lower times much quicker than you would otherwise.  Moving to a new thing is always tough the first week.  The difference is how fast you can improve in week 3 over week 1.  35 min/5k for a dude over 200lb isn't terrible.

[Dartful Dodger]

I didn't realize our goal for this program was to prevent getting beaten with baseball bats.   

Dartful, your current condition won't translate directly to running, but if you started to run regularly you would be down to lower times much quicker than you would otherwise.  Moving to a new thing is always tough the first week.  The difference is how fast you can improve in week 3 over week 1.  35 min/5k for a dude over 200lb isn't terrible.

This is the only running I do.  I’ve ran this thing every year for the last 5 years and 35 minutes is over 10 minutes faster than last year. I’m happy with my time. Normally the weather is in the negatives, but this year it was 40, so that should have helped my time as well. 

I was sore the day after, since I'm not getting sore from plyo anymore I was just hoping that I was able to do 3 miles easily.

Next year I'll kick that 12 year old's butt.

[ChadTower]

Shoulders and arms done.  Upped the weights by 25-50% depending on the exercise... really upped the intensity but I felt good. 

[shmokes]

The wall behind my TV is floor to ceiling mirrors.  My wife just noticed that there are a bunch of streaks on it like somebody flicked liquid up there, and each drip ran down a few inches.  They surround the TV.  Then it occurred to me what it was.  I turned off the TV and, sure enough, the screen was covered in similar streaks.  During Kenpo I flicked sweat all over the TV and wall behind it    She wasn't pleased.  She skipped Kenpo, but it wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't.  She doesn't sweat 1/100 as much as I do.  After these workouts I am every bit as wet as if I'd just stepped out of the shower.

[ChadTower]

Must... skip... is wife wet too jokes...

[shardian]

Surely you had to realize how that sounds when you typed it. Ahhh. My day has been started the right way. 

[ChadTower]

45 minutes of Yoga.  Much better than last time but still a long way to go.  And yes I'm all wet.

[ChadTower]

Hey that's pretty cool.

[shmokes]

Likely no more worky outy for me for a little while.  Finals are REALLY here now, and every second counts.

[ChadTower]

Lots of us have been there, bro.  Best of luck on the finals.

[ChadTower]

Legs/back and Ab Ripper.  Ow.

[ChadTower]

Didn't get the chance to post last night.  Kenpo completed.

I can see real changes in my conditioning.  Workouts that had me sucking wind three weeks ago are leaving me with gas in the tank now.  I was already in pretty good cardio condition but I'm much stronger now.   

[ChadTower]

50 mins of Yoga.  I took a look at the second phase... man, way too much Yoga for my taste.  May as well be that way, though, as it's my weakest of the elements so far.   

Where did everyone else go?  I know shmokes has finals, but Dartful and American Demon?   

[shmokes]

yeah . . . i haven't worked out once since that last post.  it's killing me.  i was feeling so good, too.  now i feel like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, though i've stopped doing other things too, like sleeping and eating well . . . and apparently using good grammar, lol.  it's killing me.

[ChadTower]

yeah . . . i haven't worked out once since that last post.  it's killing me.  i was feeling so good, too.  now i feel like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, though i've stopped doing other things too, like sleeping and eating well . . . and apparently using good grammar, lol.  it's killing me.

Finals are like that.  They're only a week long.  You'll live.     I used to spend the week eating coffee and sleeping by accident.

[ChadTower]

Just when I was getting confident... blam, it changes.  Core Synergistics.  Didn't seem like anything was that bad but by the end I'm trembling and pouring sweat.  Ow.

[shmokes]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, earlier this week I got coaxed by some random woman into jogging 1.5 miles with her and that was the first time I had ever gone jogged that far in my life. 

Then, on Friday, some random dude on the trail stopped me and told me he had been watching me since March and I was looking great and to keep it up.  Later my wife tells me he was making a pass at me.   


Today I went out for 5 miles, 3 of it jogged.  I don't anticipate being able to walk tomorrow.  At least it'll be from leg pain.   

So let me see if I've got the timeline correct here:

1- Never jogged more than 1.5 miles in your life.
2- Guy thinks you're hot and tells you to keep it up.
3- You immediately go out and jog 5 miles.

Hmm . . . something lit a fire under you.