Day 73 - Go Up, or Go Home!

Well, this is the last time that I'll be able to do the Shoulders & Arms workout. I took what was written in the P90X fitness guide to heart today:

Phase 3: .... At the onset of this stage, you should be rested and ready to leave everything you've got on your exercise mat. No holding back. This will be the time to push to exhaustion and near muscle failure on every single set. Give it your maximum effort, each and every day, and you will know the true meaning of X...

I took this to heart on Chest and Back and today was no exception. I blasted through today workout, with only one thing on my mind: Perfect Failure

What I mean by perfect failure is to do AS MANY moves as I can till I can't push/pull anymore. BUT!!! With perfect form. Quality over Quantity the saying goes. Tony says that people stop way too early. They stop because their mind hits an invisible barrier where you start to tell yourself it's OK to stop. People need to go past that barrier and they'll hit a new level. Keep pushing/pulling with the best form you can do till your BODY (not mind) can't give any more while maintaing proper/perfect form.

I had the gym (at my work) all to myself. I had some great workout music playing, I had my dumbbells, water, and my P90X worksheets.

I tried to go up +5# on every exercise. If it was 20# in week 9 and I did 15 reps, then I moved up to 25# this round. Keeping to my original goal of honing and toning I still kept in the 12-15 rep zone. Perfect Failure. I surprised myself that I was able to do more weight and still keep up the same number of reps. I continued this mental perfect failure battle through the entire workout.

After it was all said and done I was amazed as I looked down at my sheet. I have come along way since Week 1. My weight has gone down, my muscle tone has gone up, my definition is starting to show through. Comparing my week 1 # vs. Week 11. WOW!

My max on dips when from a struggling 20 to a tricep pumping 36 in the time giving. Some bicep exercises went from 15# to 30#. Maxing 12 reps of 20# to 15 reps of 25#.

Another sign of a GREAT workout is the "Face Washing" Test. You know you've worked out that after you can barely wash your face because you arms are PUMPED! My arms had such a workout that I had an amazing pump. The skin around my biceps and triceps were taught to where I thought my muscles were going to pop through. As I tried to go into the shower room to wash my face, it was a laughable site. I could barely touch my face. But I digress.

While I was happy with my workout today, at the same time I was annoyed at myself that I hadn't been "BRINGING IT" like this since Day 1. Instead of pushing myself to the brink each and every workout, I tended to go up to the point to where I mentally stopped. Never pushing through like I did this workout. What I thought when I was giving 100% was me merely going till my mind told me to stop. If I had been pushing through my mental stop, who knows the results that I could have right now. Instead of doing curls w/ 25-30#'s, I could be in the 30-35# range.

A perfect example is my pull-ups. All the way through Phase I and most of Phase II, I'd been using the chair as a crutch. I never tried to do any without the chair, knowing that my Fit Test Day 1 I could only do 3. It wasn't until I kicked the chair away and started doing pull ups on my own, going to failure, and ONLY then would I burn out using the chair that I started getting results. I went from doing 3-5 on my own from Phase I till the end of Phase II, to doing 10-13 in Phase III. Pushing myself past my mental block I put up about my inability to do pull ups. That's what I started seeing results.

I'm nearing the down hill run of Week 11. With week 12 on the horizon and the final week of my resistance training on P90X, I still have alittle bit of time to keep trying for "Perfect Failure".

I'll be back tomorrow pushing play.

Day 59 - Armageddon III

So far... So Good with Phase III. I'm really excited about having Chest&Back and Shoulders&Arms this week. I like chest and back because it uses every pushup under the sun so the workout can be less free weight intensive. I loved seeing that I did X amount of weight in Phase I and now I'm doing X + 10#, 15#, etc. And today was just that sort of day.

I used the weights and reps that I did in Week 3 (Phase I) and added 5#. So if I curled 25#'s in Phase I, then I picked up the 30#. I thought it was a good way to see where I was at in terms of strength increase, and if 5# increase was too little, then since this workout repeats itself, I was able to go up (or down) another 5#.

I did put a limit of no more than 10#, because the point of my journey (this round) of P90X is to shred some fat and get my muscle tone back. I have the mass, I just need the definition, and with me doing 12-15 reps on each move, putting a weight increase limit on myself would help from blowing my arms out and be out with an injury for the rest of the Phase.

If you've been keeping up with the posts on my blog, you'll remember that I have an old left rotator cuff injury and that a month or so ago, I re-subluxated it. Well, I've added rotator cuff excersices (i.e. Scarecrows both vertical and lateral) to my each and every arm/shoulder workout. This will help build up my shoulder muscles and strengthen my rotator cuff muscles.

I can't wait to see what my 60 day progress photos look like compared to day 30 and day 1. Since tomorrow is Day 60, I am going to revisit the fit test and see "the progress". On the Interactive P90X Workout Spreadsheet that I have, I added a progress tracker that is similiar to the one on the MDB/Beachbody website. This will be a great way for me to SEE my progress not only in pictures but in a graphical way.

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Countdown till Progress Reports (& Pics): 1 DAY
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In the past few posts, I've been contemplating on wether or not to continue the "Doubles Routine" for Phase III. I really enjoy working out with the videos at night, but with the weight room at work, it poses a perfect opportunity for me to use a wide assortment of free weights, benches, mirrors, etc. Plus, it frees up time for me at the end of the day to throw in Cardio. It's a win-win situation. In addition, since this journey is all about complete and total transformation, AND I still have this "tire" around my waist, there is NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE CARDIO!

I'll be back tomorrow pushing play.

Day 17 - Boulders for Arms

Shoulders and Arms today was another challenge for me to BUST last weeks numbers. Tony says Bulk8-10, Tone:12-15. Well, I'm been, for the past two weeks, hitting 16 reps with my weights, besides the excercises that Tony says do 16. So this week, "No Pain, No Gain" made me try to up the anty by going up in weights to get where 12-15 is the max.

This workout was INTENSE!! I think this is the best workout I've done since the start of P90X. I brought everything I had to the table. I pushed myself to the limits on reps/weights while keeping good form. I was getting that muscle pump that I use to get in the gyms those years ago that I've been lacking these past two weeks. It's a great workout, hands down. After reviewing my performance of the day, I don't think I could have brought anything more to Shoulders and Arms today. I gave it my all.

Shoulders, Bi's, Tri's, REPEAT! --> Can't get any easier, better than that. When I was doing my shoulder exercises (i.e. Deep Swimmers Press, Two-Angle Shoulder Flyes) my left shoulder, which I hurt a week ago, was twinging (if that's even a word). So I went as hard as I could, with the correct form, and doing the best that my shoulder would let me do.

I don't let it try to hold me back. I think that the more I work it out correctly, the stronger it will get, and the less likely it will give me problems in the future.
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I don't know about anyone else, but I'm craving desserts!! With Thanksgiving around the corner, all the stores have Pumpkin Pies & Pumpkin pie cheesecake. MY FAVORITE!! Then of course, there is acouple of steak houses on the way home from work. The smells are intoxicating.

BUT!!! I'm staying strong, I'm staying true. I took my week 3 pictures the other day and it's almost night and day of what I looked like a 17 days ago. So I'm using them as my motivation to get to day 90.

I'll be back tomorrow pushing play.

Day 11 - Popeye has nothin on me!!

This day is by far my most favorite day. Working out the money makers. This week, I'm still on a "BUST IT!" mentality. Meaning, I want to bust my #'s of last week. "Bigger, Stronger, Faster, Better" doesn't come from just "Bringing It!". You got to smash through barriers and push yourself to new levels. I believe that I've done that again today. I'm still pleased that I'm still feeling Chest & Back two days ago. I feel stronger, faster. I have more confidence, even though it's just in my own little Nick's World.

I started out with the green band again, but after the first set I was tired of trying to get the "perfect loop" in the band to get me struggling on 12-15. But I was still fighting with the loop size by the time Tony and the others were half way done. So I busted out the free weights. I'm glad I did. I slapped on the weight to give me 20# dumbbells and OH YEAH! the difference I needed. Only on one or two did I go back to the band, but I'm done with that thing for now.

Today's workout was AWESOME!!! Got that after workout pump that I didn't get last week. If you take a look at my spreadsheet, you'll notice that I busted last weeks numbers, with good form and execution. So I'm pretty stoked about that. Plus, my left shoulder didn't give me any problems.
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As a little side note:
Today, I just happened to be working out when my 2 yr old son came out to the living room. He asked "What you doing Daddy?" After I told him working out, he said "I work out too." He proceeded to pick up the green bands, which he saw me us and push them above his head. He would mimic me during every excersice. Every little grunt, foot placement. He even got a drink out of his sippy cup when I took my water break. High Fives happened after every set. He even did ARX w/ me. Of course it was as alot of just laying there watching me, but he kept saying: "Good work Daddy".

I'd like to also add that he LOVES the Recoery drink. :) Now if a 2 year old, finicky eating, son likes the recovery drink.. YOU KNOW IT TASTES GOOD!!

I loved every minute of this workout. I got myself in shape, and I had my biggest supporter and motivator right next to me!
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I don't know if it's just me, but I didn't start using that recovery formula till the end of last week, and I can tell a difference when I do and do not take it. I'm not as "tired" after and the next day. Plus, it's freakin tasty. Like a orange creamsicle or orange-julius.

Goals for today:
Stick to the meal plan: DONE --> 90%
Bust It! during this workout: DONE

I'll be back tomorrow pushing play. BUST IT!!!

Day 3 - Shoulders & Arms

Once again today, ALL my muscles still sore. Plyometrics really kicked my butt. But to tell you the truth, Plyo was really really fun. Tony's comic relief throughout the video makes in fun and enjoyable.

At work today, I had to get up and walk around more than usual due to the fact that the longer I sat in my office seat, the more my legs would hurt the next time I got up. I guess I was having too much fun last night.

Today was Shoulders & Arms. Due to a relatives birthday, I didn't get to workout until 11pm tonight, but it didn't bother me because I felt that if I missed a day, or skipped a day in the sequence that I was letting myself down. Weird how this was only Day 3, but I'm 110% on this program. I WANT MY RESULTS, Come hell or high water!!!

My P90X came w/ a green band. So, I thought that if I ever need to go on vacation, or have to go out of town during work, I could just pack my DVD's & band. So I thought I'd try this workout w/ the band.

The green band seemed to work quite nicely. The only problem that I had was trying to figure out the correct loop size for each exercise. One exercise I would need a big loop; another, a small loop; the other, medium loop. So the first time through it was cumbersome. I found that by the time I'd figured out my correct "loop size", Tony and "the kids" were either already done or half way through. So I'd have to run over and hit the pause button. Finish my reps, then press play again. I gave each exercise my complete 100% attention to form. Being that I'm wanting to tone/lean down I went for the higher 12-15 reps instead of the bulk maker 8-10.

All-in-all, it was a good workout. I started seeing those veins popping and muscle ripples in my shoulders that I had in college again. Almost made me want to cry. :) My triceps and shoulders were blasted on this workout. I can't wait for tomorrow. Once again, I'm am amazed, absolutely amazed on this Workout Package as a whole. This is THE workout program I've been looking for!! There is No Equal. Not Tae-Bo, Not Buns/Abs/ETC of steel. No lame "Body by Jake" apparatus. Nothing.

Goals Day 3:
- Stick to the Nutrition Plan - DONE!
- Keep & Attain Rep # - DONE!
- Get Through Shoulders & Arms - DONE!

I'll be back tomorrow pushing play.