The Fitness Ninja

…how tough ab ripper X was.  Having just gotten off of my first recovery week, I was pretty stoked to get back to weight training.  Well, let’s just say that the Tricep, Shoulders and Chest routine handed my ass to me.  I had watched this video once before (on my iPod touch as I took my lunch breaks at work) and so I kinda knew what to expect.  Well, knowing what to expect and executing are two very different things.  I had to keep most of my loads pretty light switching between 10, 15, and 20 pound weights.  Really, the only time I could use 20s was when a press was called for and I had to actually dip to 5s during the weighted arm circles.  Geez those things make your shoulders burn.

Also, I knew that one handed pushups were in this routine and was really looking forward to trying them… I thought I would at least be able to do a few. NOPE!  By the time I got to them in the routine, I was kind burned down already and I had to settle for doing them on my knees (if I remember correctly, I think I was able to do 6 per hand).  Then returned the horror that is ab ripper X after all this… If there is one exercise that totally gets me in ab ripper which I still cannot do with any consistency after like 6 reps it is Fifer scissors.  I just cannot hold my legs up straight now matter how hard I try.  They shake and shiver then tumble down like a house of cards… which I just then promptly try and rebuild again for the next rep.  Ah well, it’s a journey after all… just gotta keep doing my best.

Food: oatmeal, cup of juice, 2 granola bars, string cheese snack, mix of shreddies, raisins, almonds, 4 mini chocolate bars (approx. 240 cal. for all of them / 60 each) DAMN HALLOWEEN and weak WILL!, pork and beans for dinner, 2 slices of pizza (chicken and tomato).

Here’s another great P90x results video…

Man, today was a rest day and my downfall came in the evening when I decided to go over to my sister-in-law’s place to have dinner.  They ordered Chinese food and so I chowed down.  I had about 4 breaded shrimp, 3 fried chicken wings, noodles and fried rice and an egg roll.  I don’t even want to think the fat level or calories of such a meal.  It’s depressing.  And to think I move onto 2nd phase tomorrow.  I gotta tighten up my nutrition if I really want to make stellar progress on this program otherwise all my hard work and time will be wasted.  What else did I have for food today…

-Oatmeal, cup of juice, can of pop (150 calories), granola bar, 2 cheese string snacks, yogurt (35 cal.), mix of shreddies, almonds, raisins, 2 of those mini chocolate bars from the Halloween bags.

Tomorrow’s a new day with a fresh start.  But as Apollo Creed so powerfully reminded Rocky..

“There is NO TOMORROW!!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlbKn8_p3vk

I finished yoga X prior to going to work.  That ends my first recovery week.  It was a little frustrating today as I had a hard time falling asleep again last night.  So… being groggy this morning, my balance during the routine was very off (not that my balance is ever really ‘on’ … I tip over just walking on flat surfaces).  It’s like, regardless of how much I will myself to “stay still” or “focus” or “relax”, these tiny fluctuations either in my feet, or legs or just breating bring the inevitable downfall to my twisting triangle poses or warrior threes (or whatever pretzel shape I am trying to accomplish).  Frustrating… but as Tony often repeats “Do your best and forget the rest”.  So I just keep plodding on.

Interestingly, despite having done yoga X several times now, I still cannot do crane… at all.  Not even for like 5 seconds.  I just tip over if my toe leaves the floor.  I should probably look up a yoga wiki to see if there any tips there to doing this move.

To close this entry,  I’m going to leave you a P90x video I found on youtube.  There are hundreds of these all over video sharing sites and some of them are really well done.  I’ll occassionally post any I come across that I think are especially inspirational.  I honestly think these homemade projects / testimonials are probably Beachbody’s best selling tools (free advertising to boot) as they show regular people do extraordinary things with just hard work and P90x.  So the think is “If these regular folks can come up with such stellar results, why can’t I?” At least that was my thinking when I first started…

Food:  oatmeal, 3 cups of juice, 2 granola bars, tuna sandwich, 3 baby dill pickles, chicken breast in mushroom soup sauce, potato caserole, jelly beans (200 cal.), 1 pack of rockets candy (25 calories), mix of shredded wheat, almonds and raisins.

Man… almost didn’t do the workout today.  The run last night… was something I underestimated.  Since I haven’t been running for the past little while, I was especially stiff throughout the night and today at work.   As a result, I had a very hard time falling asleep last night (despite taking the time to run cold water over my legs prior to sleeping to help ease the tension and then taking a hot shower).  I was so tired this morning it was a huge struggle to get out of bed.  To make matters worse, a friend of mine has been going through some tough times and so I decided to take him out for lunch to a local Indian-Thai restaurant today.  So my eating was off… my food intake for today was:

Oatmeal, 2 cups of juice, 2 granola bars, 2 cups of yogurt, piece of toast with PB&J, for lunch we had Hakka noodles, fried spicy pork, steamed rice then dessert was a small coffee-crisp McFlurry from McDonalds.

When I got home, I decided to take a nap.  I basically just conked out for 2 hours.  I just know that something like that is going to throw my sleeping off for tonight.  Waking up super groggy, I hauled my butt out of bed and did core synergistics.  I don’t know what was up with me today, but I was sweating BUCKETS….like it was just dripping off of me to the point where I had a hard time seeing the TV.  And again that Plank run to chataranga run just gets me GASSED.  I am so drained by that thing that I know I must look like a pathetic little tadpole wriggling on the basement carpet.  Still I got through it, felt the burn (even upped the weights I was using from two days ago) and that’s all that matters.

I leave you with this thought…

For realz.

Well, when I looked over the schedule today it said X Stretch.  I almost didn’t do it considering that I equate the stretch routine with a rest day. BUT… it didn’t list rest as an option and so I decided to do stretch.  This routine is basically all the warm up and cool down sections of all the other dvds strung back to back.  It was ok but I got interrupted part way through by gas workers coming to my house to replace a gasket or something.  In addition to doing X Stretch, I decided to run home from work tonight.  It was 14 celsius, with a brisk cool autumn breeze.  A beautiful night for running.  I pushed myself a little bit more tonight starting at a fairly fast clip and trying to sustain it for as long as I can (I began to get winded about 2/3 of the way through).  I also increased the distance I ran and decreased my warm down walking distance.  Felt good… felt great.  Hopefully, my legs aren’t killing me tomorrow.

Food: oatmeal, 1 piece of toast with peanut butter, 1 and a half filet of salmon (leftover from last night), a bowl of mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas and beans mix from Green Giant) heated with a pat of butter, 1/2 a  ciabatta bread piece, mix of raisins, shredded wheat, almonds, pudding cup (100 cal.), for dinner tuna sandwich, cup of tomato soup, 4 small pickles, granola bar, yogurt (35 cal.).

Well, I just finished Kenpo X again.  This time I upped the weights I hold to the 3 lb. dumbells.  By the end of the entire routine, I was drenched in sweat and my arms were a little sore.  I think I’ll keep using these from now on.  To be honest, like a lot of other P90xers (well at least the ones who blog or make comments on youtube), I think Kenpo is probably the easiest of the routines aside from Stretch X.  Gotta be inventive regarding how to increase the intensity of the routine (once I get accustomed to these weights I might move onto the 5 pound dumbells). It really feels weird not to be doing weights and not to have the accompanying muscle fatigue this week.  Just as strange is not doing Ab Ripper X (although I guees core synergistics and the yoga belly 7 segment make up for the lost ab work).  Tomorrow is a Stretch X day.  Might decide to run home from work if the weather is good.  I haven’t done that in a while (truth be told I haven’t done much running at all since the start of P90x) and miss it terribly.

Food: oatmeal, cup of juice, granola bar, oyako don (grilled chicken on a bowl of steamed rice and onions with some kind of sweet soy sauce type sauce on it [no egg]), cup of miso soup and cup of salad (I went to a Japanese restaurant YUM!!), pan fried salmon with roasted cauliflour, for dessert a fruit smoothy (made it with ice cubes, cup of mixed frozen berries, a frozen banana, yogurt [35 calories] cup of 1% milk).

True Story: I used to absolutely HATE Japanese food.  It was one of my fears accepting a work contract in Japan that I would have to subsist on McDonalds and KFC for two years (imagine what THAT would do to a person’s insides).  But once I got over there I learned to love so much of their cuisine (still hate sushi and sashimi though, something about raw fish turning my stomach.  Ironically, those two dishes are ultra healthy because of lack of processing.  They love a lot of their food raw or with a no frills preparation method it seems.  Sometimes my wife would partake in school lunches and they would literally just place a huge boiled squid in front of her which she would then politely take bites out of… another time she was provided with a local delicacy of horse sashimi)… but like any culture, they have their own share of super tasty food that can also be pretty bad for you when consumed on a regular basis.  Example: Tempura! OH MAN SOO GOOD… deep fried flaky goodness.  Not that I’ve had any in a while because of this fitness kick I’ve been on.  Mmmmm….. Tempura.  Don’t know why… just had to share that.

Oyako don

Just did core synergistics for the first time.  Without knowing what to expect, I got quite winded at times during the workout.  I guess what I like best about this routine was that it really mixed up a lot of elements from all the other dvds (plyo, yoga, chest work, etc.) giving a full body workout.  I also really liked finally getting to do planks.  Prior to doing P90x, I used to do planks all the time as part of my own workout routine 3 times a week so I’m kinda used to doing them.  When I started doing this 90 day adventure, I kept asking myself “Does Tony Horton not believe in planks?” Well, I guess now I know where he stuck them … in synergistics.  That plank / push up run to chataranga run is brutal btw.

In addition to working out, I did some light work in the garden for an hour and took a walk for about an hour.  Feels strange not to be hitting the weights this week.

As for today, food-wise it was ok.  What I ate:

-oatmeal (I combined 2 packets and added some raisins – 300 cal. for breakfast), cup of juice, 11 Swedish berries (140 cal.), a chicken wrap for lunch, 1/4 cup of macarony salad (the salad that came with my lunch was literally just 16 pieces of macaroni!), Starbucks small non-fat hot chocolate, low fat banana bread slice (I wish I could get a definitive answer on the caloric value of this stuff… looking it up on the internet, depending on the source, you get values ranging from 190 calories to 400 for the hot chocolate… kinda frustrating), for dinner a caesar salad (light dressing and croutons added), pudding cup, half a bag of light popcorn.

Alright … so it’s the beginning of recovery week.  I don’t know why but I kept thinking core synergistics was the first workout of the week.  Good thing I checked as it’s actually Yoga X first.  In a fortunate set of circumstances, I went out today to the mall with my wife and got a yoga block from (OF ALL PLACES), the digital entertainment store HMV.  It was on sale for $10 as opposed to the 25 it usually goes for at Chapters (I don’t know why a bookstore would be selling them either but hey… strangely I went to Sportchek in the Scarborough town center and they didn’t have any).  The block really, really helps with doing some of the twisting triangle poses as you don’t have to strain so much if your arms don’t naturally reach the ground yet.

I’m really surprised that I’ve come to love the yoga workout as much as I do.  My wife says she’d never dream in a million years that she would be seeing me do yoga let alone liking it.  I think it has something to do with the fact that the routine starts off soooo slowly and “harmlessly” but then, without noticing it (or at least I never seem to), 30-40 min. in you are just dripping in sweat.  It’s like a mental / physical flood gate breaks and all this energy is expended.  I might preview core synergistics tonight just so I know what to expect tomorrow.

On a side note, man, I wish I had HBO to watch 24/7 tonight so I can see my hero Manny.

Food:  2 egg omellete, 1 ciabatta roll, 2 pieces of bacon, cup of juice, 2 Fresco style soft tacos (amazing I know, but Taco Bell actually has a half decent “healthy” menu… these two tacos were only 340 calories and have approx. 6 grams of fat each), a small bubble tea (mango slush… this bugs me as I don’t know what the actual caloric value of something like this would be… mango bubble tea is my most favourite drink in the entire world and I have no idea how bad it is for my diet… so I do the best I can and just stick to a small size), tuna sandwich (light mayo) for dinner with 4 small dill pickles, 6 pieces of Swedish berries (unreal how many calories are in candy… for 11 pieces it’s 140 calories… by contrast half a bag of light microwaveable popcorn is 130 calories).

Rest day today.  Just got home from work.  If I have the initiative, I may do stretch X later or do a run on the treadmill.  Man, I haven’t used the treadmill in weeks because of P90x.  I kinda miss the running as it’s invigorating…but I’m also a little tired as I just got home from work.  I guess another thing I really miss is being able to play my own music while working out.  I love the P90x videos but I kinda still need to be able to listen to Tony for his cues and hints at this point in order to keep up with him.  It’s funny cause I used to blare rap music while working out… it got me pumped to do some of those reps.  I’m sure my wife doesn’t miss that.  Other music I’d listen to would be anything used in a Nike commercial or Manny Pacquiao tribute video.

Haha… on a side note,  I’m a huge fan of the Pac-man and just watching him (or any other high profile boxer really) train is an inspiration to pull out all the stops when working out.  I just tell myself “Man, if those fighters are willing to go through hell and back everyday to get the conditioning they need, you can do at least 2 more reps / stay on this treadmill for a few more sprints”.  Although I know I could never be a fighter myself, I have the utmost respect who practice the sweet science because it takes so much not only from your body but also from your spirit.  It takes discipline to train.  It takes discipline to stay on top of P90x or any regimented exercise routine.  I guess that’s what I’ve been most proud of with regards to my fitness experiment this entire year… not just the results, but the fact that day in and day out, I’ve been able to haul my butt downstairs or outside to complete something that only I am asking of myself.  That’s a pride anyone who is willing to get fit can have and I guess it’s why friendships spring up all over the place with regards to sports / training / workout routines.

I’m babbling.  I’m going to leave you with my two most favourite Pacquiao videos.

I’m so pumped to see HBO’s 24/7 this week.  That’s like an hour long reality series focusing on boxers before a mega-fight and their training regimen.  I just eat it up!!

Food: Oatmeal, 2 cups of juice, 2 granola bar, cheese string, Michelena’s frozen dinner (350 calories), pudding cup (non-fat 80 calories), shredded wheat-raisin-almond mix, two pieces whole wheat toast with PB & J, popcorn, handful of Swedish berry candies (approx. 11 pieces).

Alright… finished kenpo x today and got through the entire routine while holding onto the 1lb. weights. Felt good. Rest day tomorrow then I’m going to roll into my first recovery week. The only uknown I think is core synergistics but I’m looking forward to it.   Ugh.. tired.  Not gonna write much tonight. Peace!  Addendum: Hehe… despite being tired, I finished my dinner around 9:15 so I forced myself to stay up until about 11:30 so I’d have adequate time to digest some of my food.  One of the rules I’m trying to stick to is to not go to bed on a full stomach.  Something about being unhealthy for you and adding more to the gut that way as your metabolism really, really dips when sleeping.

Food: 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter, 2 granola bars, cheese string, 6 inch Subway roast beef sub, diet coke, Lays baked chips, bowl of franks and beans for dinner.  I calculated what all this comes to and it hovers around the 2000 calorie mark.  What really does it is the dinner as I was quite hungry after work.  Because on top of the kenpo X, I also did about 40 min. of vigorous walking today.  I dunno… I just get real hungry.  I think I have to pack more adequate snacks while working.  Like, more shredded cereal.  That bran fiber along with raisins and almonds can go a long way to satiating you.  Optimally, I read that you shouldn’t be going hungry on P90x (or any well prepared exercise regimen really) as your caloric intake should be large enough to compensate what is going out.  I’m not really trying to lose weight anymore.  I want to get muscular and stay around the 140 region.  In about a week’s time, it will be the first of the month and I’ll weigh in to see my progress.