2 Days in a row!

Believe it or not, the way things have been that's quite an accomplishment. Surprisingly enough my cardio isn't to bad, I did a 5 minute walk on the treadmill followed by 20 minutes of HIIT and finished off with a 5 minute cool down walk. Worked up a good sweat and it looks like my heart rate peaked at about 172 bpm, a lil to high for my likings. It didn't take long at all for my heart rate to peak while taking what seemed like forever to settle back down, oh well, out of shape I guess. Starting to feel better already though.

Its about time!

Well after falling considerably far off the wagon I figured its time to get up and dust myself off. I can't believe I made it through 75 grueling days of this only to fall short of my goal by 2 stinking weeks! I've blamed it on everything from the holidays, to injuries to minor illnesses. In all reality I was slipping way before then, skipping workouts, not giving it my all and eating whatever I wanted, to the point that I've ballooned up past my original weight of 217 to an all time high of 220 pounds!!!! Which means I've gained 14 pounds since Nov.21st, wow and I feel it! The funny thing is I'm not down at all in fact my resolve is a great as ever.

Unfortunately since I wasn't able to complete the first round I can't call this round 2, fine! It's round 1 day 1 all over again. This time I plan to go about it with a lot more dedication and determination. My goal is to start on Jan.4th and until then I'm going to be doing some High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) on the wife's new treadmill and some deep stretching . I finally got a heart rate monitor which should prove to be helpful. I'm very anxious to get this started and this time....I'm finishing it!!!!

Day 75 of P90X - Kenpo X

I'm so far off schedule that I'm pretty much just doing cardio related routines and I need it. Last time I checked I was about 6 pounds heavier than my day 60 update, that kinda sucks but I do feel like I've gained some muscle as well. Not going to kid myself though, one look in the mirror and I can tell, I was just starting to see some abs and now I'm pretty soft, dang! Like I said I know what it is ; FOOD! I have two Christmas parties to go to this weekend and I know there's going to be some good eats and I'm calling it now, I ain't gonna say no! Its all good, going to keep working out, finish out this phase and worry about the diet aspect come New Years. Already getting pumped about round 2! 15 more days to go.

Day 74 of P90X - Cardio X

Well what started out as being Back & Biceps ended up being Cardio X due to an earlier injury. Way back on Dec. 7th I blogged about pulling something on the inside part of my forearm. It's not to bad unless I attempt any kind of curling or pulling motion and then it hurts pretty good, so I gave up on just the 3rd exercise of the day. I was really ticked off but all is not lost. Instead of packing it up and calling it a day, I figured I can always improve my cardio and burn some extra calories and that's just what I did. Kinda stinks cause I think I'm going to have to lay of arms & back for a little while and seeing how I'm coming to the end of this I won't be able to expect any more improvements there.

I really don't think I'm gonna meet my expectations when I wrap this up and it's not the systems fault, it's mine. But I'm okay with it, I've said all along that I'm going to this again when I get finished. Maybe learn from my mistakes, plan things a little better and bring it a little bit harder. It would be all to easy to beat myself up over not giving it my all here recently but I ain't going to. I still feel absolutely amazing as compared to what I felt like before I started this. For me, getting in shape is going to be a lifelong journey, not a 90 day episode. 16 more days to go.

Day 73 of P90X - Kenpo X

Feeling a little better today, getting out of my funk, Kenpo X always helps out there. Lots of sweating, hacking , coughing ...feel like a new person lol! Still not getting much height on my kicks, well sometimes I do but for the most part they're still pretty low. Had another scary bout with shortness of breathe, not as alarming as the other time but still uncomfortable. I'm just gonna attribute it to my recent inactivity and press on. 17 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day.

"Change favors the brave"

Day 72 of P90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Well I've really been slipping up. Today's work out was super tough, as expected. It's so hard to get back in the boat once you've fallen out. Man, I can't believe I came this far only to slack off in epic proportions! All is not lost just yet. Though today was a struggle, I was still able to post some improving numbers and I feel somewhat revitalized now that its over. My diet on the other hand has been absolute crapola. Gonna try and do better these last 18 days, have to!!!

Day 71 of P90X - Shoulders & Arms

Decent work out today. I can't believe that I'm continually sore from this. Some days I feel great but others, man, rough. I seem to always be sore in my lats and chest, especially chest. Sometimes when I'm doing cardio work and I'm jumping around I have to hold my um, boobs, I guess???... because of how sore I am, it helps but its somewhat embarrassing too. Trying to debate which routine I wanna do tomorrow, I'm thinking core, most likely. 19 more days to go.

Day 70 of P90X - Kenpo X

Its actually been awhile since I've done this routine. It seems like more and more I'm using Cardio X as my supplemental work out but I've always felt like I burn more calories with kenpo at least judging by the ole sweat meter. So I'm planning on using this routine more frequently in these closing weeks. I'm also planning on perhaps sneaking in a Core routine if at all possible. 20 more days to go.

Day 69 of P90X - Chest & Back

Pretty decent work out today especially the chest portion, back portion, not so much. First off for chest, I did 177 total push ups of about 6 or 7 varieties. Hoping to top 200 before this rounds over and I have a goal of being able to do 300 total push ups at the end of round 2. The back routine on the other hand, man its tough. Only seeing slight improvements in my chin ups and I've seemed to have pulled something in my right forearm, making pull ups damn near impossible. I wanna try to increase my arm strength by lifting even heavier in round two. Maybe that coupled with some additional weight loss will help me to get my chin up there! 21 more days to go.

Day 68 of P90X - Legs & Back

Ok, I hate it! I dread this routine most of all and I dread it all week long, I hate it! No improvements, robs my cardio and leaves me sore as...as a 40 year old man who dreads doing the P90X leg routine! 22 more days to go.

Day 67 of P90X - Cardio X

A somewhat scary moment today. The plyo segment of this routine is tough and I soon as its over you go right into core synergistics, the first exercise of that is where I experienced problems. 30 reps of x squats, going airborne on the last 10. As soon as I finished it was like someone or something sucked all the oxygen out of the room. I just could not catch my breath for a good 2 minutes, scary stuff, like a slow suffocation. All those years of smoking have no doubt affected my lungs and I'm very curious to see at what level of efficiency they are operating at. I'm so glad I quit but sometimes I look back and shake my head for being so stupid.

One thing about my little hiatus is that I didn't miss the leg routine at all. Guess what tomorrow is? Man, another thing, as posted before, not only do I hate it but its also strangely tough on my cardio....should be a blast. 23 more days to go.

Day 66 od P90X - Back & Biceps

Dang, another tough work out. Struggled again today, reps were down across the board. Really wanted to quit but I wasn't having it, as ugly as it was, I plowed through...remaining positive. I just can't believe how counter productive it was to take a 5 or 6 days off. I was planning on taking 7-10 days off after I finish this and before my 2nd round but I don't know, its rough getting back in the groove. 24 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's levels of aspiration . . and expectation."

Day 65 0f P90X- Cardio X

Still reeling from my little mini vacation. This routine was almost as tough as it was the first time I did it, geez, I can't believe how far I've fallen. Its all good though, hope to be pack on pace by the end of this week. Diet was pretty good today, could be tighter, guess it could always be. Still some what sore from Monday's strength training which should bode well with Wednesday's strength training. Been trying to maintain a more vigorous pace at work maybe help burn off little more calories. 25 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."

Day 64 of P90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Alright, got it in! A 6 day absence and a poor diet made this a tough work out. Struggled through out but managed to get er done and get back on my feet. In fact, just getting back to work was helpful, I've spent the last 5 days stuffing my face and watching TV and in all honesty I felt horrible about it. NEVER again! I have an unfortunate 4 lb weight gain that I'm dealing with but my focus is razor sharp and job one is losing those 4 lbs plus an additional pound by next Monday. One week to lose 5 lbs. I did it my 1st week...time to see what I'm made of now. 26 more days to go!

Inspirational quote of the day

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

Hold on, hold on....

Alright, in life sometimes things don't go as planned and if were lucky we can correct them. That's what I'm doing, a do over if you will. Week 9 has been tough, I've had this lingering chest cold all week long and now the holiday (bye bye diet). I have not been committed at all these last couple of days, so I'm gonna erase them and restart week 9 this coming Monday. I'm still going to try and kick out a cardio and kenpo routine, maybe a couple ab ripper x's before then. I feel like I'm cheating a little but I also believe its the best thing I can do at this time. Soon to be 27 days to go all over again.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Success is not permanent. The same is also true of failure."

Day 64 of P90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Considering I 'm still experiencing some tightness in my chest from this stupid cold, I was still able to have a really good workout today. Man, lots of crazy exercises in this routine and there one after another and only two 45 second breaks, I think. Really keeps you pumped through the whole routine. Surpassed several indicators which is always good, especially on a Monday. other than that, feeling great, ready to finish this strong. 26 more days to go.

Day 63 of P90X- light run & more rest

So the title pretty much sums it up for today. Its been a rough couple of days and I figured it's best to listen to how I'm feeling and just finish this week out on an easy note. Should be cleared to go at it hard again tomorrow and I plan on doing just that. 27 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Slumps are like a soft bed. They're easy to get into and hard to get out of."

Day 62 of P90X - 60 day Update

Ok, so today I totally did my own thing, little bit of weight training, little bit of cardio, nice work out but no where near what I'm accustomed to. That's really kind of the theme for today. After taking my pics and studying my results I'm thinking, sure , maybe I could of seen better results had I just hit "the gym" but I just don't think I would have stuck with it and I'm certain I wouldn't be anywhere near as good of shape that I'm in. I feel amazing in every aspect.... cardio, flexibility and strength.

When I look at my pics I see a lot of room for improvement and oddly enough, I like that. I've absolutely loved this system from day one, its changed my outlook on life in more ways than I care to mention. My 60 day pics could never represent how I actually feel nor could any words but to know that feelings going to multiply is awesome!

Once again I just don't think the numbers are indicative of what kind of shape I'm in and a little misleading as well. For example, to me my biceps and thighs look "bigger" than the actual gains I'm reporting. I don't know if I lost whatever little fat I had because now, they're both solid and maybe just appear bigger? Pretty happy with my losses, body fat, hips and waist but again a 36" waist? Got a lot more work to do there. 4 weeks to get there!!!!!

Day 61 of P90X - Rest ***UPDATED***

Man this sucks! Since I started this 60 days ago, I haven't had two days rest in a whole week, let alone two days in a row. I've seen other people who have been shut down momentarily because of an illness or an injury and I'm suffering both. Actually the knee feels much better but this cold, which was in my head has now settled in my chest. Feeling downright crappy. I'm gonna see how I feel tomorrow and if I have to miss again then I may not even count these last 3 or 4 days and restart on day 59 where I left off. 29 more days to go....maybe.

Updated

Surprisingly, I was able to do a round of Cardio X and Ab Ripper X at about ten last night. Felt good to work up a sweat again, cold or no cold. I guess I'm going to just keep right on schedule since last night's work out means that I've only missed one now. I'm planning on doing some circuit training with weights Saturday morning then gonna get my pics taken and should have my 60 day update finished and posted Saturday night.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs."

Day 60 of P90X - Rest

Well I've finally reached day 60 and how appropriate, I'm using my rest day. I've been fighting a cold the last couple of days, nothing to severe but now its seems to be all in my head and I've had a splitting head ache a good part of this morning. But even stranger I'm having weird knee issues. For some strange reason I feel like I've banged it on something but for the life of me I can't recall what, odd. Should serve me well for tomorrow's leg routine. I figure the only thing I can do is go super, super lean today, unfortunately its only 11:00 am and I'm already starving. Will post my 60 day update on Saturday. 30 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."

Day 59 of P90X - Shoulders & Arms

Really good work out again today considering I'm fighting off a cold and suffering from some pretty decent soreness. Amazingly I was able to go up 75% in the amount of weight I'm lifting. No, I'm not on steroids, I just didn't have enough weights the first phase and now that I want to lift really heavy this last stage, keep it in that 8-10 rep range. Tomorrows day 60 only 30 more to go!!!!!

Inspirational quote of the day

"The only way around is through."

Day 58 of P90X - Cardio X

Using Cardio X as my supplemental work out today, no surprises there. After being away from strength training for a week, I'm really sore from yesterday's work out especially in my lats and neck. It's a good soreness though, nothing debilitating like it was in the beginning, just enough to let me know I put in a good days work. Looking forward to another strength day tomorrow, hopefully I can bring as much intensity as the I did the day before. 32 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was."

Day 57 of P90X - Chest & Back

When I look back at day 1 of this journey it was this routine, chest & back. I remember how tough it was and don't get me wrong it still is. I remember feeling like I was starving for air and dizzy and faint and how sick I became immediately afterwards... not anymore! Its been 5 weeks since I did this routine and I'm so pumped from it! Really brought it today, just to give you an example of how far I've progressed, Day 1, September 21st, I did a total of 111 push ups (some assisted) during that routine. Today I did 171 total push ups (all non-assisted), 60 more than my day 1 and I'm sure those numbers will increase more in the coming weeks. Awesome work out, feel great!!!!! 33 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"In some attempts, it is glorious even to fail."

Day 55 & 56 of P90X - Rest & Kenpo X

Alright, after today I should be caught up on the blog. Lets see, Saturday was my rest day, just kicked out a kenpo routine an hour ago, diets been pretty shot all weekend.... that sucks. Tomorrow is day one of my final phase, 5 more weeks to go.

I've wondered this whole time how many people have started this and for whatever reason weren't able to see it through. Once I got into my second week, I knew I was going to finish this. Plus I have those lovely day 1 pics to haunt me. You just can't go and post unflattering pics of yourself and say I'm undertaking a major transformation and then quit in week 2.

Due to technical difficulties, I won't be able to post my 60 day pics until probably this coming Saturday (day 62). I'm very curious as to what they'll look like. I see very little improvement when I look in the mirror and that's my fault. I'm hitting the workout hard and consistent so that's not it. Its my diet. Every week I say I'm gonna go lean on my diet and I start off great but round time for weekend, I lose. What can I say, I love food and I love beer. Hopefully my update pics and measurements will help to keep me dedicated and focused these next 5 weeks. 34 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals."

Day 54 of P90X - Core Synergistcs

Man, really starting to slack off on the old blog. I need to refocus my efforts and remember how important this blog is. I use it instead of the P90X calendar, I use it to refer to previous workouts in order to guage my current status and more importanly as a motivational guide. Anyways, Core today, tough work out but I really, really like it. I'd put it at #3 right behind Cardio X and Kenpo X. Regardless of what my future intentions are, lifting heavy weights in the gym or running or whatever else, I'll always keep and use these routines.

Big football weekend has me somewhat leary. My Buckeye's have a big game Saturday and my Steeler's have a big one on Sunday. Plus there is a UFC event on Saturday night. What this all means is I'll probably have some cool ones and hopefully some good eats. I'm either gonna have to keep it in moderation, put in some extra work or both. 36 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."

Day 53 of P90X - Cardio X

Once again I was suppose to do X Stretch, which I've done before and enjoy but I just felt like I needed to burn off some more calories today. So I turned to my old bread and butter and had a very good work out as usual. Falling behind in my blog a bit, just not much new to add, pushing the limits everyday, working hard, diets good ...big update in about a week. There it is. That's it. 37 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance."

Day 52 of P90X - Kenpo X

For whatever reason I thought I was required to do 2 rounds of plyo's during recovery week, wrong. No plyometrics at all this week ...YES! Kenpo went as well as it always does, its a great routine, probably my favorite. Diets been tight again today, not forseeing any deviations at this point. X stretch tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. 38 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"When you know what you want,and you want it badly enough,you'll find a way to get it ."

Day 51 of P90X - Core Synergistics

Man, what a tough work out today, not frustratingly tough, just tough! Drenched in sweat, I felt like my heart rate was pegged the whole time. I really can't wait to do it again Thursday, to see if I can surpass today's work. Diets been really tight today. Last I checked I'm still stuck with just my orignal 8 lb loss, I've lost and gained back 3 lbs numerous times and I believe I just need more determination to see them away for good. 39 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

Day 50 of P90X - Cardio X

Its the start of my second recovery week today, as usual no Yoga X, Cardio X in its place. Really looking forward to Core Synergistics tomorrow. I've only done that routine twice and that was a month ago, quite interested to see how far I've come, plus its a challenging and enjoyable work out.

Ten days out from my 60 day pics and I'm going to be honest...I'm worried. I've done a lot of hard work since my 30 day pics but my diet which I would characterize as being 90% clean the first phase has fallen to around 70% this phase and its showing. I think I can salvage this if I really go lean and add in a little more work these next 10 days. I got to do it...got to. 40 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Everyone has his burden. What counts is how you carry it."

Day 49 of P90X - Rest

Well, when I posted earlier today about yesterdays routine, I had full intentions of doing something today that would help me work towards reaching my goal. I haven't done anything at all. Nothing. It was gorgeous all day and I went out once to help the Mrs. bring groceries in. Shameful. And now that the sun has set and the day is gone, I really feel like crap. Its not even about missing a routine or taking a rest day, it's about taking care of business, getting things done and still being able to enjoy the day. I didn't do any of that, I wanted to but I just couldn't shake this funk I'm in. The good thing is, this will bug at me for a little while and hopefully tomorow I'll be able to value and appreciate my time more wisely. 41 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Make rest a necessity, not an objective. Only rest long enough to gather strength."

Day 48 of P90X - Cardio X

A day late in my post, actually did this routine Saturday just gettin a lil lazy with my blog. Had another great workout. I am so pleased with where my cardio is, I can do so much more now and oddly, I feel really light on my feet. It's been beautiful the last few days here in the heartland, might test the waters and go for a run today, just to see where I'm at...then again I might just do a round of leaf raking. 42 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day


"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want."

Day 47 of P90X - Legs & Back

I must of found my inspiration today cause I finally made it completely through this routine and its feels great! Sure it wasn't pretty and I know I'm gonna be feeling it tomorrow but none of that matters right now, I did it. Hopefully I've triggered something upstairs and I'll be able to remember that the only time I can't do this routine is when I think that I can't. 43 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting."

Day 46 of P90X - Kenpo X

I'm not even going to say "doing my own thing" or "switching it up today" cause I do it so often. Besides, I really enjoy kenpo but I don't recommend doing it the day after the bicep routine. All those punches have really left my biceps tight and sore which should go well with the 100's of pull ups waiting for me tomorrow. Speaking of which, the dreaded back and legs routine. I'm already thinking up excuses for it. I've tweaked my left hamstring somehow, I'm wondering if that's the card I'm gonna play? "Couldn't do it, hamstrings hurting, sorry" Regardless , because of work, I won't attempt it until late tomorrow afternoon. That gives me plenty of time to get my game face on, hope I can do it. 44 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends."

Day 45 of P90X - Halfway Home

The Turning Point

I can't believe how far I've come in 45 days and I can't believe how fast they've gone by. Now that I'm half way through this I'd like to take some time and reflect on what the last 45 days have meant to me. The first thing I want to address is how tough this is. Its hard, at times downright grueling. Let me give you just one example, Kenpo X is 58:45 long and your given four 90 second breaks and those breaks are spent running in place and doing jumping jacks, that's your break. Secondly, I'm sore everyday and everywhere. I don't think I do a good enough job getting this message across; even though I'm painfully sore, I still feel better than I've felt in years. Its hard to explain. Before most work outs I'm always thinking, "How am I going to this when my bodies killing me?" but not only am I able to do it, I'm able to do it better, longer, farther and heavier than before.This translates into the real world as well, I may be sore, tired and hurting but when called upon, my body responds in ways I thought were long forgotten.


I've had a personal goal set even before I turned 40 and that was to be in as good of shape as I was when I was 20. I now know that's not gonna happen and I'm ok with that. Whats the saying? Aim for the Heavens, if you fall short, you'll still be amongst the stars. But I do feel like I'm in better shape now than I was at 30 and that says a lot, like I've rolled back 10 years of my life. I'm now able to carry a subtle confidence that I lacked as a super fit 20 year old kid. Sure, that cat was in pretty good shape but I have him beat, because now, I really believe I can do anything I put my mind to.


At the rate I'm going I can't imagine what my 90 day results are going to be. I truly am getting better and better. I can look in the mirror and see the results, my once challenging job has become easier and I have a weird calmness thing about me going on, kinda of feel like I'm in the "right" place? Stress has been fleeting and happiness has been abundant. I really owe a lot to this system but at the same time, I made the decision to do this and I've put in all the hard work so I'm taking all the credit, its mine to own and I deserve it. 45 more days to go? I'm ready to Xplode!

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Inspirational quote of the day

"If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results."

Day 44 0f P90X - Cardio X

Doing my own thing again today. It's so easy to talk myself into Cardio X on Plyometrics day. But in all honesty I really can push farther with Cardio X, besides my knees and back take a hammering after each plyo session. I know Tony's always harping about landing softly and I pay special attention to do so but the results are always the same. Next week is recovery week and if I'm not mistaken I'll have 2 rounds of plyo's to do then and I have full intentions of doing them...maybe. 46 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"It's not the work that's hard, it's the discipline."

Day 43 0f P90X - Chest, Shouldrs & Triceps

Awesome work out this morning, great way to start the week. Really pumped right now, makes typing somewhat difficult. This was my last day for this particular routine for a couple of weeks and I pushed it hard. Great improvements through the first half though I did get a little pooped during the second half, I was still able to finish incredible strong.

A buddy of mines "girlfriend" is doing P90X and judging by the shape she's in, she's either finished it and doing another round or she's close to finishing it. Either way, at 41 or 42 she's in phenomenal shape and he summed it up best when he said she's addicted to P90X. That's how I feel about it, I'm always thinking about it, always. 47 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"As long as you live, keep learning how to live"

Day 42 of P90X - Kenpo X & ARX

I always feel amazing when I finish this routine, just a great workout! I'd like to know when I'm going to get some height to my kicks, should be able to easily defend myself against a gang of 5 year olds though. I went ahead and threw in a round of Ab Ripper X for good measures.

It's been a wonderful weekend and the kids had a ball trick or treating, unfortunately there are three overflowing buckets of candy on the bar that I have to pass more times than I'm comfortable with. I'm not really big on sweets but for some reason I'm awfully tempted. What I'm really having problems with is fast food cravings, I wanna Big Mac ...badly and I don't even really like Big Macs, oh and I want some fries, super sized and extra salty. Guess I could be like Jared and do the subway thing but I want something bad for me like Taco Bell, Wendy's, White Castles.... 48 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"One of these days is none of these days."

Day 41 of P90X - Rest

I have an awful lot on my plate today so once again I'm flipping the schedule and using my rest for today. Wasn't actually what I had planned and I'm feeling pretty blue that I missed it but I got some things done that desperately needed tending to. Like cleaning out the garage. Whats that have to do with a fitness blog? Well you see, tucked "neatly" in the corner of my garage is a nautilus machine that's been used as a every thing from a clothes rack and garden hose holder to a rocket ship for Charlie. I thought I might start implementing it with p90x, maybe do a few finishing moves that correspond with that days work out.

I'm already starting to worry about my 60 day pics. Mostly because the pics are the single most telling signs that I've been working my butt off! The safe bet would be to pair my 60 day pics with my day 1 pics but I'm afraid I would be misleading myself. I have to match day 60's with day 30's and I just don't think the results are going to be as noticeable. Unless, I really, really bring it these next 19 days. So, that's my motivation, my phase 2 pics HAVE to be as equally impressive (to me) as my phase 1 pics. I like that, really gives me something to shoot for and something I know I can reach. Who's gonna stop me, you? Bring It! 49 more days to go.

Day 40 fo P90X - Legs & Back

Damn it! Another bombed leg routine. I just can't get it. By the time I reach the half way point I'm totally spent, I don't know what to do about this. I'm eating a light healthy breakfast an hour beforehand, had a great nights sleep...clueless. I've had great results with 5 Hour Energy in the past, maybe I'll try it next time. I've heard em say if your feeling tired slip some recovery formula in your water, any thoughts? Kinda sick right now, maybe to much caffeine this morning? Man this is gonna bug me, I'm gonna have to come up with a better plan of attack for this son of a....! 50 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"No one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe"

Day 39 of P90X - Kenpo X

Wow, wow ,wow...Awesome work out this morning, sweats just pouring off of me and hopefully a little goo too. Man when I got finished I just felt amazing, total euphoria. I feel like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or at least going for a run or something. I really do need to get a heart rate monitor though, couple of times I felt like I was pushing the edge and my pride wouldn't let me rest, kept thinking to myself, I won't be denied! Ya, unless I have a coronary on the bedroom floor.

Once again I've switched up the routine, I do it so much I'm thinking about changing it to D90X! I'm hitting my strength days as required but I'm changing my conditioning days to suit how my bodies feeling. Just didn't want to do a lot of jumping around today, saving myself for the dreaded leg routine tomorrow. 51 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

Day 38 of P90X - Back & Biceps

I had to get up at 5:30 this morning to get this one in, man I forgot how enjoyable that is....Anyways, happy to report that I was able to go up in weights as planned and was still able to keep my reps identical, so I guess I'll increase again next time, why not? Wasn't able to get in my kenpo routine last night, ended up getting slammed with work and was pretty well spent when I got off. Abs tonight for sure, I'm still way too soft in my core. I can flex and see my abs but there still snuggled under a layer of goo. I want them to be tight so bad! Hopefully I can shed another 2 inches of my waist this phase, that's my goal. Gotta have goals people and you gotta want it. I want it badly!

Inspirational quote of the day

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."

Day 37 of P90X - Cardio X

Technically, today should have been plyometrics but I'm just getting over the soreness hump and I think that might have been to much for me. Cardio X makes a great supplemental work out and I can tell I really pushed it hard this morning cause I'm feeling a little sickly right now. Today's a double routine, so I'm planning on doing Kenpo X when I get off work tonight. I have dentist appointment tomorrow morning, right during my work out time which means I'll to have to get up extra early to get that one in. Gonna be tiresome. Oh well, how bad do I want it? 53 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything."

Day 36 of p90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

I had surprisingly good work out today considering I partied like Keith Richards this weekend. Speaking of which, I really need to start focusing now about how I'm going to live a little bit more conservatively come this weekend. Anyways felt strong throughout and I was able to increase reps across half the board. Feels good to work some of that goo out. Weigh in and Ab Ripper X tonight. 54 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do."

Day 35 of P90X - Rest

I was suppose to do a round of Kenpo X today but after yesterday's leg routine...I can't. A two week layoff from leg training has left me with with some serious leg and booty soreness. My kenpo skills are laughable at best anyways, add to the fact that I can hardly sit on the toilet and I just know this routine would have been a lost cause.

I had five really strong work outs this week and I feel good about that but I'm always questioning if I can do more. Not to mention that I had a serious lapse in my diet this weekend, badly. I will weigh myself Monday night as usual but I'm not going to post the results, I know they won't be favorable. So, time for some re dedication. I'm planning on doing the doubles routine and adding Cardio X on the nights that I don't do strength training, Tuesday's, Thursday's and Saturday's. I know for a fact that I haven't been taking in enough water and since I work 2nd shift I'm going to try and drink 64 oz before work and another 36 oz at work. Hopefully that will help out with my recovery time and my overall well being. Planning on maybe adding some whey protein some time this week. Going to also try and adjust my sleeping pattern a little bit, earlier to bed and earlier to rise and adding a 20-30 minute rest around noon to help prevent me from crashing once i get to work. 55 more days to go.

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Inspirational quote of the day

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion."

Day 34 of P90X - Legs & Back

Man oh man do I hate this routine. Burn city, plus I cant believe how much cardio it takes out of me, some major huffing and puffing going on. It doesn't help that my legs are seriously weak and skinny. To say that I had chicken legs would be an insult to chickens. I've got a goal of 16+" for my biceps by the end of phase 2, so I need a goal for my quads. I was able to gain about a 1/2" the first phase which put me at 22 1/4", I'm thinking an even 23" by the end of this phase would be nice. Chickens beware. 56 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Wealth is the ability to fully experience life."

Day 33 of P90X - Rest

Today is lost. My work schedule didn't allow me anytime to work out before hand and only a small window afterwards. Unfortunately that small window of time was spent crawling through the attic with an auger in an attempt to unclog our dryer vent...arrrrgh! Talk about a pain in the...man! I fought with it and fought with it and come to find, out all it took was a little bit of cussin and bam...DONE!

So, I've thrown the towel in on today's workout and I'm sipping on a beer instead. Whats worse is one of the teachers at work bought me lunch for helping her wash one of her students wheelchairs. I couldn't refuse her generosity, besides, I wanted it...I wanted it bad. Now i haven't had any fast food in like 6 weeks and let me tell you it was good, sinfully good. We're also planning on going to a bonfire Saturday night, which means beer, burgers and brats.I think that's going to be my last hurrah for awhile. I can't be true to my goals all week long and then set aside my dedication and hard work for a good time,even if is for just one night.The thing that sucks is I hate the leg routine and I was so ready to go beast mode on it today!

Every week is better than the last and I really want to finish it out strongly. So today will be my rest day and I'll do back & legs tomorrow and Kenpo X on Sunday. I feel like after nearly 5 weeks of this, there's a lot more that I can give. The last time I made slight adjustments to the work out, my body responded positively. So Monday I'm planning on doing some modifications again, a few lifestyle changes, adjusting my work out time and more. I've got my end goal in mind and nothings going to stop me from reaching it. 57 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it."

Day 32 of P90X - Cardio X

I'm really amazed at how I can blast through this routine, its still tough but no where near as tough as it was. Lots of room for improvement and raising the intensity level but I'm getting more and more out of it every time. Flipping my work schedule again tomorrow and its the leg routine...ugh! Definitely going to have to get my mind right for that one, dreading it for now. 58 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Knowing your destination is half the journey."

Day 31 of P90X - Back & Biceps

Wow...I'm beat. I know I said today was going to be like day 1 all over again and it sure feels like it. The strange thing is, I've never been so sore and so tired and yet felt so great, very strange indeed. As far as the workout itself, loved it, lots of curls and lots of pull ups. I've upped the weights from my last phase and I think I'm going to go even heavier next time, feeling strong. I'd really like to see my biceps at 16 + inches at the end of this phase. My arms have always been pretty toned so I know that any gains there will be strictly muscle. Yoga X tomorrow and I'm saying it right now, ain't doing it! Its Cardio X for me. Little bit of stretching, little bit of yoga and a good amount of cardio, suits me just fine. 59 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Begin with the end in mind."

Day 30 of P90X - Plyometrics

With the update this morning, I didn't have time to include today's workout. Plyometrics, what can I say? I wasn't looking forward to it at all, as usual. That all changed about 5 minutes before I started, I thought to myself instead of dreading this why not give it your all instead, I mean if I'm going to do this and I am going to do this, why not bring some intensity to it? And I did. Don't get me wrong, I still got my tail handed to me but I was able to really bring it. Now I know I'm always saying I'm going to bring it blah blah blah and I do but this time it was on a different level...determination is the only word that comes to mind. Of course that was 12 hours ago and now I'm a sore SOB!

I'm on my way to my next update 30 days away. I'm going to play this phase the same way, hopefully improve everyday, push my limits and tighten up on my diet. Though I feel like I've grown quite a bit with this program I still have a long road ahead of me. As far as I'm concerned tomorrow is Day 1. Time to bring it all over again! 60 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day.

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."

Day 30 of P90X - ***Update***

Well I finally made it to day 30. Its went by pretty quickly and I've put in a lot of grunting and groaning in that time.I also learned some things along the way...One, there is no quick fix or magic pill, only hard work and dedication. Two, I've never tried to lose weight before and I never realized how damn hard it is to do so. And three, P90X is EXTREME!

So, the results are in and I'm really happy with where I am. I guess the numbers could be better but that's all they are...numbers. Sure, I could have tightened my diet and I could have pushed it a little harder. Then again, I could of just as easily got burned out or grew resentful, maybe even called it quits...but I didn't. I think I did the best that I could do these last 30 days and I can't expect anything more from myself. Besides, I got 60 more days to improve...I'm right on track.

I'm not going to swear by these measurements, I had the Mrs. help me and it seemed like every time we measured something, particularly chest and shoulders, the numbers changed. I'm no seamstress, so in all fairness, all the numbers I posted are what I would consider to be the numbers that showed the least amount of favoritism.

Day 29 of P90X - Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

First day of phase 2 yippee. I really liked this workout, its nice to get back to some strength and resistance training. Tons of push ups (just for you Lisa), my triceps and chest feel pretty weak right now. Freaking plyometrics tomorrow sure didn't miss them! Big update tomorrow! 61 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"New habits make new horizons."

Day 28 of P90X - Run

All in all, its been a good week and today in particular has been beautiful. After spending a better part of the afternoon working in the yard, I didn't want to be couped up inside for an hour long p90x routine, it was just to nice out. I decided to go for a run instead but the thought of doing laps around the neighborhood bored me, so I loaded a very eager Phoebe into the car and headed down to the river. We did a 3 mile run on a historic section of trail to a town long since forgotten. The trail itself was awesome, covered in leaves that crunched beneath our feet while the sun shined down on us through trees filled with amazing colors. Phoebe had a ball and I ran like a kid again, lots of fun!

I'm starting phase two tomorrow, took a sneak peek at this weeks routine's, looks like I've got a lot of new exercises in store for me. Also went to the sporting goods store and picked up 40lbs of plates for my dumbbells. I'm planning on cutting back on reps and increasing the weights in hopes of putting on some muscle during this phase. Going to start compiling my new stats and pics, should have them up on Tuesday, just in time for my 30 day update. 62 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better."

Day 27 0f P90X - Kenpo X, ARX, Core Synergistics

Well between the girls soccer playoffs, the Bucks getting spanked and Charlie's trophy presentation (his first trophy!) I still managed to get in 3 workouts today. CRAZY! If you've done P90x then you know how fast paced it is, the breaks are few and far between. So when I say that I worked out for a total of about 2 1/2 hours, you can bet the intensity was extreme...and I loved it! 63 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

Day 26 0f P90X - Rest

Fortunately for me, this program affords you 4 rest days for this phase and I've elected to use number 3 today and thankfully, its been a great day! It feels good to relax and not think about the program for once. I'm nearing the end of this phase and I'm planning on finishing super strong, can't wait for Tuesday's 30 day update! Can you say Bring It? 64 days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"Forty in the mirror... twenty in the heart."

Day 25 of P90X - X Stretch

Not much to add today, nice easy stretch this morning. I thought I might take a shot at ab ripper x but somehow midway thru I lost my motivation. Weathers crappy, I'm hungry, I'm sore and I'm tired. Working and alternate shift yet again tomorrow which should really knock me on my butt. Good thing is, I'll be getting off early and I'm thinking about having a beer with my buddy from work. Maybe get all dolled up, let my hair down and have my regrets about it later. 65 more days to go.

Inspirational quote of the day

"If you can't beat em, join em."