Today was day 21 of my P90x workout. Already 3 weeks down. The fourth week is a rest and recovery phase that involves some yoga, stretching and cardio. I hardly consider yoga rest and recovery…lol. Anyhow, I mentioned in earlier posts that I am skipping the kenpo x workouts and replacing them with my muay thai kickboxing class. Instead of me trying to do both this will work out good for me. So today was supposed to be kenpo x, but instead I did the strectching workout, then went to my muay thai class. This catches me up for the day I missed a after yoga last week.

As you can see I’m following the P90x workout pretty closely but I’m also making a few changes to help tailor the routine to my needs and schedule. I’ve been taking 1 rest day a week but on 4 or 5 days a week I’m also attending a jiu jitsu class or a muay thai kickboxing class. I was worried about how P90x would interegrate with my other training, but since my day job is on hold at the moment I’m able to do it.

Today was day 19 of my P90x workout and the routine for the day was legs and back followed by ab ripper x. Today I didn’t feel right. I headed in the basement full of energy and ready to go but once I got down there I felt super tired and completely out of energy about 10 minutes into the workout. I almost felt like I was going to have to cut my workout short and head upstairs and lay down. I’m not sure what was going on, maybe I’ve been pushing myself too hard and my body needs a little bit of a break. I am approaching the first rest and recovery week of the program and I think I need it.

I did complete the entire workout and I was able to do more pull up in my first couple initial sets. I was pushing myself through the workout but my body just didn’t feel right. I also wondered if it could be because I changed allergy medicine. I usually take Zyrtec D, a common medicine for indoor and outdoor allergies. My prescription ran out so I bought the CVS brand which is much cheaper and is supposed to have all of the same active ingredients as Zyrtec D. Since I’ve been taking the cheaper brand I have been feeling drowsy. I wonder if it is because of the pills or if it is all in my head. I may have to go back to the drug store and pick up my normal brand.

The ab ripper x portion of the work was tough as usual. I still think I’m getting better and better at it each time I do it and I can feel muscles in my midsection that I’ve never had before. 19 days into P90x and I have to say that is working. I’m definitely feeling stronger and can see results when I look in the mirror.

Today was Day 18 of my P90x workout and I did yoga. I’m still surprised at how tough his workout is. I originally thought yoga was going to be more of a rest and recovery day, boy was I wrong. First, the workout is over an hour and a half long. It is the longest of all 12 of the P90x workouts. And second, it is just plain tough. The poses require flexibility and strength and you will even work up a sweat although you are hardly moving.

This was my third time doing the P90x yoga workout and I think I am getting better. The first 2 times I did this workout I struggled a lot with many of poses and would stumble and lose my balance a lot. Today I was able to hold most of the poses the whole way through so it is good to know I am making progress.

I’d recommend that most guys start off with a yoga block to help get you through some of the poses. Girls tend to a little more flexible so they may be able to get through the workout without one. Don’t worry if you don’t have a yoga block, you will probably be able to find something you can use lying around the house. Today I used an empty Nintendo Wii box as my yoga block. It was the perfect height and sturdy enough to support my weight. I am embarassed to admit it but I think I’m starting to like yoga.

Today is day 17 of the P90x workout and today’s workout was shoulders and arms and ab ripper x. I feel like the workouts are already get much easier. I still feel like I’m getting a great workout but I think my body is starting to adjust to the vigorous workout routines.

The shoulders and arms is a workout of supersets that work the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. You do three different sets, all in a row, repeat those same three sets, then take a thirty second break and move on to 3 news of 3 differents lifts. You repeat this 4 or times which makes 12 or 15 sets, I can remember exactly. The P90x shoulders and arms workout is a great workout that will leave your arms burning. I’m only 17 days into the program and I’m already noticing muscles in places I’ve never had before.

And then there was still the p90x ab ripper x routine to do. Ab ripper x is a tough ab and core routine that involves many different moves from all kinds of angles. I’m surprised at how much better I am doing with one already. I’m almost able to make it all the way through the dvd and keep the same pace as Tony Horton and the others. I still take a few breaks during some of the ab rippers moves, but I’m definitely getting better.

I’m 16 days into the P90x workout, today’s routine is plyometrics. This was my third time doing this workout routine and I did much better than the previous 2 times. I did not pause the dvd halfway thorough to catch my breath like I did the first 2 times doing plyometrics. And I was actually able to keep the same pace as Tony Horton in the video.

By the end of the workout I was covered in sweat, which is a good thing. The P90x plyometric workout is mostly a cardio workout, but it still exhausts the leg and core muscles from all of the jumping around. Plyometrics is also know as “jump training”.  My least favorite move of the plyometric workout is the rockstar jumps. The rockstar jumps are when you jump in the are and kick up your feet behind you but also to the side at a 45 degree angle while holding one hand in place and rotating the other arm in a circle. The rotation of the arm is for balance but also simulates the strumming of a guitar, which is where this move gets its name. You have to really get some height on this jump and it is near the end of the workout so it gets to be pretty tough.

I found this local news story on P90x. They were having a “Does it Work Week?”, where they tested different products to see if they actually worked. The results they had in their P90x test were amazing so i wanted to share the article here.

Does it Work Fitness Week: P90X

Posted: Feb 23, 2010 1:26 PM ESTUpdated: Feb 24, 2010 3:51 PM EST

By Lauren Keith

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) – David Likens is 36 and the father of three active boys. He wants to keep up with them. To do that, he said he needs to be in shape.

“For me, getting the food, understanding the program, and ok, I’m gonna make time for it and not take away from my family.”

David also works overnights, so this at-home fitness regimen really looked like it could work for him. P90X promises in just 90 days you’ll get the ultimate physique, “no machines, no kidding.”

All you need is a set of dumbbells or resistance bands and a pull-up bar.

“I think I can make this thing work.”

That’s the other addition, a can-do attitude and a willingness to change your eating style, perhaps. Aside from the workout DVD’s, P90X offers a dieting plan with meal ideas.

“You’re pretty much eating every two hours.”

And you stick to it for 90 days, no if, ands or but’s about it.

“Once I got started there were bumps and hills, and I thought, ‘Hey I don’t have time for this, but the nice thing about the program, he tells you to just push play and you’ll see the results.”

Several people tend to quit this program after the first two weeks because it can be so intense. For David, it was a challenge he was willing to take.

“It did take a good week to two weeks of soreness, but this is working. I’m seeing the fat tear off.”

And 90 days later David is down six pant sizes and back to the same weight he was in high school.

“Which for me has to be the “a-ha” moment. This thing really does work.”

Remember his goal was not to get big and bulky. Instead he upped his cardio so he could keep up with the kiddos and get back to playing the sports he loves.

David says what he loves most about P90X is the diversity, which any personal trainer will tell you is key in sculpting your body. One day you focus on cardio, another it’s weight lifting, another is yoga and plyometrics. Again, all in the comfort of your own home. David says he’s amazed at his stamina now and flexibility.

He also says the workout instructor is very down to earth. David says it’s like having a personal trainer in your own home.

“It is, and I like it because he wasn’t cheesy. He’s very real.”

Now let’s get real on the price. For $100 you get 12 DVDs, training advice, and a food guide, plus access to the live chat on the P90X web site in case you have a question or need to find the extra motivation.

“This thing really does work. For me, the letter grade I’d give it would definitely be an ‘A’ or A+ because of my outcome.”

I also think this works..it’s your basic fitness and dieting advice that’s ramped up and wrapped up into a kit but remember, it only works if you have the motivation to keep doing it. So combine all that and this program could earn an ‘A’ for many of you on this Does it Work Fitness test.

Today was day 15 of my P90x workout and the workout was chest and back and ab ripper x. I missed a day last week so yesterday I did the P90x stretch routine and instead of doing the kenpo x workout I went to my muay thai kickboxing class. I probably could of skipped the stretch but I need all the flexibility help I can get.

Anyhow, today’s chest and back workout went very well. It was my third time doing this workout and I feel like it is getting a little bit easier. Today was the first time using the push up stands and they do make a difference. The push up stands enable me to bring my chest down further providing a wider range of motion, I could definitely feel the difference and the amount of push up reps I was able to do stayed the same and in some cases a little lower.

Ab Ripper X followed the chest and back workout. As Tony Horton says, “Ab ripper x…I hate it…But I love it.” That’s how I feel too. It is a tough routine but I’ve been increasing getter better and better.

About 4 hours after my workout I went my jiu jitsu class and my chest and back muscles were still fatigued. To make things worse at the end of the class we did push ups, I could barely do 20, it was the worse.

Today was day 13 of my P90x workout and it called for the Kenpo X workout. The Kenpo X workout is a cardio based workout based on Kenpo karate kicks and punches. I decided I was going to change up the program a little bit. I figured since I already attend a muay thai kickboxing class twice a week, I could just skip the kenpo, which is on a day that I will be doing some muay thai training.

So I decided I was going to do the P90x stretch routine today in the afternoon, then attend my muay thai kickboxing class this evening. The stretching routine is just under an hour long and it is a full body stretch. Just about every muscle in the body gets stretched during this workout and by the end i felt worn out but nice and loose at the same time. I’m not really that flexible of a guy so I need to work on my flexibility every chance I get.

So since I did the stretch dvd today, my plan is to jump to the arms and back, and ab ripper x workout tomorrow. This will catch me up on a day I missed last week when I was at a funeral all day and missed a workout for that day.

Today was day 12 of my P90x workout. The workout for today was legs and back followed by ab ripper x. This was my second time doing the legs and back workout and I remember it being easier the first time around. About 25 minutes into the workout I was completely out of gas and had to pause the dvd for a couple of minutes to catch my breath. All those legs exercises and pull ups take up a ton of energy. I did however improve on the number of pull ups I was able to do, which is great.

Following the legs and back workout was ab ripper x, which is always a tough workout. I am getting better at it though and I know I’ll eventually be able to keep up with the dvd.

So far I feel my P90x results are good. It has only been 12 days and I already feel stronger and more flexible. I have not been following the P90x nutrition guide like I should, but I have been drinking the P90x recovery drink and have been trying to up my protein intake and not have any junk food.

Below is edited video from my actual Ab Ripper X portion of the workout from today, I sped it up to make the video shorter, I’m not really this fast

Today was day 11 of P90x and the workout for today was yoga x. I’m currently writing the blog from my cell phone. I have the G1 for t-mobile and I downloaded the wordpress app and wanted to test it out. I just thought I’d mention that in case I had any misspellings or grammatical errors.

Anyhow, the yoga workout is tough. This was only my second time doing this workout and I think I did better than the first time around. I don’t really know much about yoga, but I think some of these moves are pretty advanced. I’m not that flexible of a guy so a yoga would of helped out a lot. I did not have a yoga block so I found an old box that a camera came in and used that. The box worked ok but wasn’t sturdy enough and started to crush at one point when I put too much weight on it. I did better this time but I’m still surprised how hard this P90x yoga workout is.