P90X - Round 3 Complete

I am now finished with Round 3 of P90X!  I know I haven’t been posting, but I have been super busy at home.  I kept pressing play, but I didn’t type anything down about my workouts.  I actually completed Round 3 yesterday. 

I just took some pics this morning.  Eh, I see changes but I don’t think I will ever get really ripped.  I guess if I ate super super clean, but you know what I’m okay with it.  My goal when I started doing P90X was to get fit and lose weight.  I’ve done that, I’m stronger now, I am definitely fit and I’ve kept the weight off.  I am definitely more tone than when I started.

This round was by far the hardest for me to do.  I think it was more mental than physical.  I had a lot on my mind during this round (job, home, etc.).  But I pressed on and completed the round.  I really thought I was going to quit early phase 2 (I think),  I was totally not motivated.  Maybe that was the challenge this round, keep pressing play - even when your mind says stop.

I think I will take some time off (probably 1 week to 2 weeks) and think about the next thing.  I really think I’ll give Insanity a shot.  Oh btw, I tried CardioX yesterday and I actually got a pretty good sweat off of it.  I had never done it before.  Honestly, if you’ve done P90X, CardioX isn’t bad at all.  I do think that b/c I had never done the exercises in that sequence, it was “confusing” my body and made for a pretty good workout. 

I’ll post Round 3 pics shortly….

P90X Round 3 - Day 79 - 81 Plyo / Back and Biceps / KenpoX

Day 79 - Plyometrics - this is my last plyo for this round and maybe for a while.  Sweet!  I actually don’t mind plyo too much.

Day 80 - Back and Biceps

  1. Wide front pull-ups (11 with break / 4 assisted)
  2. Lawnmowers (12 reps, 40 lb dumbbells)
  3. Twenty-ones (21 reps, 30 lb dumbbells - tough)
  4. One-arm cross-body curl (9 reps, 30 lb dumbbells)
  5. Switch grip pull-up (2 / 2 - yeah wimpy I know)
  6. Elbows-out lawnmower (12 reps, 40 lb dumbbells)
  7. Standing bicep curl (9 reps, 40 lb dumbbells - burn)
  8. One-arm concentration curl (8 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  9. Corn cob pull-up (4 unassisted / 1 assisted)
  10. Reverse grip bent-over row (12 reps / 40 lb dumbbells)
  11. Open-arm curl (10 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  12. Static arm curl (16 reps / 30 lb dumbbells - TOUGH)
  13. Towel pull-up (3 / 3)
  14. Congdon locomotive (40 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  15. Crouching Cohen curl (8 reps / 30 lb dumbbells - tough)
  16. One-arm corkscrew curl (10 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  17. Chin-up (6 unassisted, 5 assisted)
  18. Seated bent-over back fly (14 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  19. Curl-up/Hammer down (9 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  20. Hammer curl (5 reps / 40 lb dumbbells, 5 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  21. Max rep pull-up (7 corncob all assisted)
  22. Supermans (5@10)
  23. In-out hammer curls (5 reps, 30 lb dumbbells / 3 reps, 25 lb dumbbells)
  24. Strip-set curl (8 reps @ 30 lb dbells, 8 reps @ 25 lb dbells, 8 reps @ 20 lb dbells, 8 reps @ 15 lb dbells)

Day 81 - KenpoX

Today’s Kenpo session went pretty well, wasn’t too bored, maybe b/c I knew it was my last one for some time. 

Short posts I know - just trying to catch up…

P90X - Day 76 - 78 Yoga / Rest / Chest, Shoulders, Tris

Day 76 - YogaX - it was just what I needed after a long week.  Its still tough, but if you let your mind go and just breath, its very relaxing.  Get to this this one twice next week - last recovery week and end of Round 3.  Damn, I seriously questioned whether or not I could get through this round.  But I will be done soon!

Day 77 - Rest

Day 78 - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

  1. Slow-Motion 3-in-1 Push-Ups (12 plus 15 Bonus)
  2. In & Out Shoulder Flys (16 reps / 15lb dumbbells)
  3. Chair Dips (20 w/leg raises)
  4. Plange Push-Ups (15 - tough)
  5. Pike Presses - (18)
  6. Side Tri-Rises - (10 each side - tough)
  7. Floor Flys (12 each side - tough)
  8. Scarecrows (15 reps / 15 lb dumbbells)
  9. Overhead Tricep Extensions (10 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  10. Two-Twitch Speed Push-Ups (12 fast - 9 slow with a break)
  11. Y-Presses (8 reps / 40 lb dumbbells - TOUGH)
  12. Lying Tricep Extensions (8 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  13. Side-to-Side Push-Ups (16 reps)
  14. Pour Flys (12 reps / 15 lb dumbbells)
  15. Side-Leaning Tricep Extensions (8 / 9 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  16. One-Arm Push-Ups (8 on my knees / tough)
  17. Weighted Circles (40 reps / 8 lb dumbbells)
  18. Throw the Bomb (12 reps / 20 lb dumbbells)
  19. Clap or Plyo Push-Ups (12 clap push-ups)
  20. Slo-Mo Throws (11 reps / 15 lb dumbbells)
  21. Front-to-Back Tricep Extensions (10 reps / 30 lb dumbbells)
  22. One-Arm Balance Push-Up (15 reps)
  23. Fly-Row Presses (10 reps / 20 lb dumbbells)
  24. Dumbbell Cross-Body Blows (40 reps / 20 lb dumbbells)

My wife took a photo of me and my son yesterday….I was looking at it and I noticed how slim I looked in it.  She also commented that for as long as we’ve known each other (11 years), this is the most fit and tone she has seen me. 

So I wanted to do a comparison pic of before I started P90X.  I’ve always had issues with my weight and its true what they say, even when you lose weight, get fit, etc…there’s always a little voice inside my head that tells me “I don’t see much difference, all this work and I haven’t lost any weight since the end of the first round”…I posted this before, but don’t pay attention to your scale, really…pay attention to how you feel, how your clothes feel, etc….also take pics - then you can see what others are seeing.

May 2010 (before starting P90X)

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Current March 26, 2011 - lol that’s my boy (cute, huh?)

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P90X Round 3 - Day 73 - 75 Shoulders & Arms, KenpoX and Legs & Back

I’ve really fallen behind in my posts, b/w work, toddler, p90x, its hard to keep up.  So I love P90X, but I gotta keep it real, I think I need to change it up.

Day 73 - Shoulders and Arms - felt good after this workout, what more can I say that I haven’t already?  Yeah I think its time for a change…

Day 74 - KenpoX - yep so I swap out Yoga for Kenpo on this day and do Yoga on Fridays.  I’m just not really into this workout anymore, I think its just becoming too routine.  I really start to lose interest during the entire “blocks” section.

Day 75 - Legs & Back - Today’s workout went pretty smooth, except for the single leg wall squat and chair salutations.  I usually don’t have issues, but today I did. 

ARX tonight - and only 15 days to go =D

P90X Round 3 - Day 69 - 72 YogaX / Chest and Back / Plyometrics

Day 69 - Yoga - good day, needed to stretch at the end of this week.  It was a bit hard to concentrate, I had raccoon on my mind.  You see there is this raccoon that keeps visiting my house and wants to nest in our attic (most likely to have babies).  Called a Wildlife Control company (humane).

Day 70 - Rest

Day 71 - Chest and Back

Reps in (    ) 

  • Standard Push-Ups (35/25)
  • Wide Front Pull-Ups (10 unassisted with break / 8 unassisted w break)
  • Military Push-Ups (20/14)
  • Reverse Grip Chin-Ups (8 unassisted with break / 6 unassisted 6 assisted)
  • Wide Fly Push-Ups (20/18)
  • Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups (7 unassisted / 5 unassisted 5 assisted)
  • Decline Push-Ups (15/14)
  • Heavy Pants (12 - 40 lb dumbbells / 12 - 40 lb dumbbells)
  • Diamond Push-Ups (14/13)
  • Lawnmower (12 - 40 lb dumbbells / 12 - 40 lb dumbbells)
  • Dive Bomber Push-Ups (11/12)
  • Back Flys 12 - (12 - 30 lb dumbbells / 14 - 30 lb dumbbells)

Day 72 - Plyometrics - good workout today, worked up a good sweat.  Only 18 days to go, am I ready to take the next step to Insanity - or do a hybrid…or do something completely different?

P90X Round 3 - Day 67 & 68 KenpoX / Legs & Back

Sorry for all of the late posts, been busy at work and home, but I keep pressing play…

Day 67 - ARX - completed prior to KenpoX.  I still need to make up two sessions.  I’ll get them done.  KenpoX - worked up a decent sweat.  I am starting to find this routine a little boring now, especially the blocks section.  Another sign that I need to start mixing things up after this round.

Day 68 - Legs & Back - You can see the routine below along with weights if used.  The single leg wall squats hurt a bit today.  My balance was a bit off on dead lift squats, lol - I was thinking about stuff I needed to get done today.  Crazy how much your thoughts can impact your performance.

1) Balance Lunge (15 lb dumbbells)
2) Calf Raise Squat (15 lb dumbbells)
3) Reverse Grip Chin Up - 12 unassisted with break
4) Super Skater
5) Wall Squat
6) Wide Front Pull Up - 9 unassisted with break / 4 assisted
7) Step Back Lunge (15 lb dumbbells)
8) Alternating Side Lunge
9) Closed Grip Overhand Pull up - 10 unassisted with break / 3 assisted
10) Single Leg Wall Squat
11) Dead-lift Squat
12) Switch Grip Pull up - 3 / 2 unassisted
13) Three Way Lunge with Two Kick Option
14) Sneaky Lunge
15) Reverse Grip Chin Up - 11 unassisted with break
16) Chair Salutations
17) Toe Roll Lunge
18) Wide Front Pull Up - 8 unassisted with break
19) Groucho Walk
20) Calf Raises (20 lb dumbbells)
21) Closed Grip Overhand Pull Up - 8 unassisted with break
22) 80/20 Debbie Siebers Speed Squat
23) Switch Grip Pull Ups - 2 / 2 unassisted

P90X Round 3 - Day 64 - 65 Chest, Shoulder and Triceps, Plyometrics

Day 64 - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps - Man I love Phase 3, the mix b/w weeks is crucial.  Chest Shoulders and Tris today, this might be one of my favorites.  Its a tough workout but its encompasses so many different routines.  I guess you can say that about most of the P90X routines.  Just really well-rounded program. 

AbripperX - Did abripper right after Chest, Shoulders and Tris…I used to do this routine at night, but I’ve skipped it twice during Round 3 (b/c I fell asleep while putting my son down for the night).  Yep, these will be made up.

Thanks Buddy, just what Daddy needed!

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Day 65 - Plyometrics - I’ve been focusing on getting higher on my jumps (jump knee tucks and rock star hops).  On the double airborne heismans, I’m trying to lift my knees up higher during the step.  I try to get lower during the lateral leapfrog squats..alright you get the idea.

P90X Round 3 Day 61 - 63 - Legs and Back / YogaX / Rest

So I’ve been a bit busy at work and home, so I’m just now getting to my blog.  I typed this out this morning but lost it b/c Tumblr failed.

Day 61 - Legs & Back - so I haven’t done this in almost 2 weeks b/c of recovery week.  I decided to use weights for most of the leg routines, except for toe-roll lunges and 3 direction kicks.  Pull-ups for some of the grips were on par with the last time I did this, and for a couple my numbers were 1-2 off.  Recovery week takes its toll, but I’ll be back next week.  Oh and my legs were still sore until yesterday (2 days later - awesome).

Day 62 - YogaX - I think I’m finally seeing some improvement by getting lower in most of the stances.  Last time I took some photos of me doing Yoga and I could tell that I wasn’t getting quite as low as I had thought.  Guess I’ll need some photos to prove this to myself. 

Day 63 - Rest

So the one day that I can get like an hour more sleep is on my rest day.  My wife wakes me up at 5:40AM b/c she hears something - the noise was coming from the roof.  I go outside to check it out and found the problem.

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P90X Round 3 - Day 60 KenpoX

AbripperX - I didn’t do AbripperX last night, so I ended up doing it this morning before KenpoX.  I don’t do abripper after a resistance workout, I’m just too spent.  So I usually do it at night, after work and after my son is sleeping.  With this round, I’ve found myself too tired to do it at night.  There have been a few times when I fall asleep while putting my son down for the night @ 8:30!

KenpoX - felt great today, although I do admit that I was thinking about whether or not to skip the “block” section…lol…just b/c I had done AbripperX in the morning.  But I didn’t, I pressed through and I’m glad I did.  I know if I had skipped the section, I’d probably feel guilty all freaking day.

P90X Round 3 - Day 58 - 59 Plyometrics and Shoulders & Arms

Day 58 - Plyometrics - I wasn’t looking forward to this after recovery week, but honestly it went well.  I felt pretty good throughout.  My left knee gave me some issues on the twist combo (ski poles out and twist in three directions) and again on the hot foot, but otherwise good workout throughout.

Day 59 - Shoulders and Arms - Um, damn I’m still a bit sore from Chest and Back.  Its a good thing though.  I’m not sure what it is, but I’m starting to feel good again about the routines.  I was able to do a few more reps during some of the routines, which is always a good feeling. 

Tomorrow is Day 60 - so 31 days more to go.  I actually like Phase 3 of P90X as it does mix up the routines by week - Phase 1 exercises the first week, Phase 2 exercises the second week, and repeat for another 2 weeks.  Insanity Asylum is coming out soon, so I’m hoping that Insanity will go on sale (wishful thinking right?).

P90X Round 3 - Day 55 - Day 57 YogaX, Rest, Chest and Back

YogaX - focused on getting lower in my stances.  I wasn’t as patient today, I fast forwarded a lot of the pre-exercise instruction.

Day 56 - Rest

Day 57 - Chest & Back - haven’t done this routine in about a month.  Good workout, ended up doing more push-ups during the first round of exercises.  I can definitely feel my chest and back muscles today, they are sore and a little tight.  Looking forward to finishing off phase 3 and completing Round 3.

Just some notes about my journey so far:

First Round was exciting - hard but exciting, I had to remind myself why I started and keep pushing play, change my eating habits. 

Second round for me wasn’t bad at all, I enjoyed it and it had become my routine. 

Third round - good and bad days.  There have been days when I really just want to get through the routine.  I had one day when I just wanted to quit (never felt that way in the first or second round).  But I got through it, and I am committed to finishing this round.  Now that the excitement is over, its really tough to maintain.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have some goals in mind (like getting more tone).  I need to do more research on how to mix up my routine a bit (maybe a p90x/insanity hybrid)?

Off to do Plyo…damn - haha, gotta keep motivated

P90X Round 3 - Day 53 and 54 XStretch and Core Synergistics

Day 53 - XStretch - Since my first round of P90X, I only do XStretch during the recovery week.  I look forward to these days and recovery week in general.  In the beginning, I remember thinking recovery week my ass….this is hard, but as you continue P90X - you realize that recovery week is something to look forward to.  XStretch - almost an hour of stretching still amazes me, but it is a great way to…yep stretch.

Day 54 - Core Synergistics - I really tried to push myself a bit harder today and focus on my core.  Superman, Banana, Superman…ugh.  I can’t remember the weights I’ve used in the past, since there is no worksheet for this workout.  Today I used 15s for they squat Y press (tough), and 15s again for the lunge, kick-back, curl, press, reverse curl move (probably could move up).  I only use 8s for the lunge and reach (probably need to go up here).  Recovery week is working its magic, I feel good….damn next week is the final phase of Round 3…Bring it! 

P90X Round 3 - Day 52 KenpoX

I felt like I had more energy throughout the workout and my left knee wasn’t bothering like it was last week.  Worked up a pretty good sweat.  At the beginning of this round I was trying to focus more on bringing my hands back after punches (back to my face/ears).  At first I had to focus on doing this, now I don’t even think about it.  My kicks were a little higher today too. 

I love recovery week - no abripper - no pull-ups - and I have Xstretch this morning..awesome.

P90X Round 3 Day 49 - 51 Rest, YogaX and Core Synergistics

Sorry for the posting of multiple days, but on weekends I tend to stay away from the computer and spend more time doing stuff with my wife and son  :)

Day 49 - Rest

Day 50 - YogaX - really tried to focus on my form - especially getting lower in my stances.  Overall pretty good day.  The last couple of times I’ve felt that the routine went by pretty quickly - weird b/c I tend to think its way too long.  Hmmm..could it be b/c I’m thinking about on my form instead of thinking about just getting through the routine?

Day 51 - Core Synergistics - great routine, its fun to do, but after not doing this routine in quite some time, of course its going to tough.  I always like recovery week b/c you get to do this routine twice.  I like to see if I can improve on the second day of core synergistics. 

P90X Round 3 - Day 48 YogaX

I saved this to draft but forgot to post…

Yoga today was pretty good, I tried to focus on getting lower and having better form overall.  I noticed in my pics last week, that although I thought I was pretty low, I really wasn’t.  Worked up a pretty good sweat and the workout seemed to go by pretty quickly.

Oh man, recovery week 2, looking forward to it and then the last phase of round 3!