Good points. I did mention to replace Plyo with Cardio X, as Plyo is definitely not easy for most people. I still think that Chest & Back is a good workout to stick through. The push-ups and pull-ups will come over the weeks. There really is no getting away from pull-ups as the legs and back workout (which is in both schedules) has a crap ton of pull-ups. Either way, you can't go wrong with lean or classic. Sticking to either will get you results. Diet is half the battle. I didn't follow the P90X nutrition guide at all. In fact I didn't even open it until I went through the program twice. I just spread out meals and ate 5-6 times a day, while limiting calories to what I felt was necessary for me to lose weight. My diet was a lot of fresh sandwiches (absolutely NO FAST FOOD), chicken, protein shakes, protein bars and complex carbs like wheat pasta.
I think it was closer to just going through it once. The second time I was just trying to maintain. Now I'm on it and trying to gain weight by adding a lot more calories. That isn't working exactly as I planned yet... Much harder to gain the right weight than to lose weight IMO.
Yup. There is no big secret to P90X and people shouldn't be wondering if they will get results. Exercising to a regime that makes sense and healthy eating will of course get you results! It is that simple. Diet is probably more than half the battle, for many people it will have to be a lifestyle change. That may sound scary for some people, but it doesn't have to be giving up all fun in life. Here's some more tips for others: In the first week or two just try to eat healthy to the best of your abilities. Don't have to count calories or eat raw fish all day, just cut out all junk food, fast food and sodas. Since everyone here is going to be on a pretty demanding workout regime, DON'T try to cut out carbs. They are not bad for you. In fact you will burn out if you don't take in the necessary amount. Just stick to complex carbs like whole wheat breads or brown rice. Divide your meals up into 4-5 times a day. Waiting too long between eating while doing a workout like this will get the body into starvation mode, which stores food as fat when you eat, and might burn off muscle when you don't. By eating frequent small meals/snacks, the body is in constant energy burn mode and brings up metabolism. For example: Breakfast- eggs, wheat toast, a banana Brunch snack- an apple and a handful of almonds Lunch- Turkey sandwich on wheat bread with romaine lettuce, a few slices of cucumber, a slice of cheese, light mayo and mustard. Sometimes I add a few slices of hard boiled egg, or a few cuts of avocado Post workout- Whey Protein with water immediately, you want to drink it with water so your muscles can absorb it right away when it needs it Dinner- Grilled chicken or fish, brown rice, steamed veggies like zucchini, asparagus, baby bok choy, or whatever you can come up with Late night snack- you shouldn't each 3 hour before bed, but sometimes if I get too hungry I'll go for a plain greek yogurt with honey, or a protein shake with MILK. Make sure you drink it with milk as it contains casein and slows digestion so it can spread it over the course of the night, instead of right away as with water Last thing, take some multivitamins everyday to supplement your diet. It isn't anything mandatory but I've read good reviews and, well what the heck. The GNC brand seems to be well received.
Allright, just knocked out chest and back. I paced myself a lot more than the first time and tried to stick to reasonable limits, so I don't expect the soreness to last past Tuesday. Starting stats: 221.6 lbs 28.6% bf 34% mm I normally sit at about 17-19% bf and 209-211lbs, I have totally slacked off this past year, especially since the holidays. I know I gained a solid 7-8lbs there, the rest I blame on moving to a place with a lot of bars nearby I am gunning to get to 15% and 205lbs, but we'll see.
No worries. It's inspired me to start back tonight. I'm crazy out of shape, didn't know how bad till I messed my back up playing ball. Good luck with the program!
For gaining weight/muscle make sure you get the right reps on the lifting days. Make sure your weights are heavy enough where you should top out around 6-8 reps instead of 10-15. Also eat more protein.
Yea, that is what I would like to do. Unfortunately I've maxed out with the resistance bands, and I can't increase my weights without actually getting a set of free weights. Those Bowflex Selecttech adjustable weights have been tempting me over the past few weeks. My brother got them and they work great! It's just the little issue of the price now...
Not as fancy but how about these: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11089974&findingMethod=rr
Finalsbound, After reading your blog i'm not sure starting a workout like this is a great idea....torn rotator cuff, tissue adhesions, weak upper body, posture issues, etc.. just screams muscle imbalances...maybe upper-crossed syndrome. P90x moves fairly quickly, so its tough to make sure you're using proper form/posture every time and that's really what you need. Working out at this speed may just keep the imbalances going, since you'll keep favoring certain movements/muscles and that can lock up certain areas, which will keep you from using good form. It's a nasty cycle. However, i think you're already gaining momentum here, so if you're going to do this focus on form and not speed. Don't worry about keeping up with the video. Pause it, if you have to. Really pay attention to your body. Are your arms pushing evenly? Is your body rotating more to one side? Is your elbow flaring out on one side more? Things like that, which may signal uneven movement. Try to correct it. If it seems like you can't or you're trying too hard, then that may mean there's an adhesion or locked up muscle somewhere. I would recommend you invest in a foam roller and roll out everything. You probably have adhesions in other areas as well, and even one in your leg can affect your upper body. That's the first step in getting back in balance. Stretching the area after rolling out is also key. Also, you should replace certain compound movements like pushups with something more simple, like resistance band presses. It's easier, so you'll be able to use better form, but it'll still help you build strength and you should eventually be able to move up to actual push ups. Same goes for pull ups, use a band instead. Apply this with the other moves as well. If they're too difficult, think about how you can make them easier, so that you can get the full reps in and work your way up eventually. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o4Fq-47OiOs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> or <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uA6IqLNEKPw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Instead of pull ups: <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FQUGnF-5PHM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Try out Terrell Owen's bands...they provide a lot more resistance than the basic bands you may find at walmart or academy. Bodylastics, is what it's called. I prefer using the bands that look like huge rubber bands though. I don't like the handle attachments on the traditional bands because the resistance doesn't feel as fluid. I got a good deal on ebay a while back for a set of irregular ones, about $25 bucks for 4 different ones. They look like this: You'll still need a door anchor though. You can probably use the same one that comes with the other bands or buy one on ebay for 10 bucks or less.
wow, thanks for the info RV6. I've been told multiple times that I probably have upper crossed syndrome...it just seems impossible to get rid of the really deep knots in my neck, shoulders, and upper back. and I know a lot of it is because of my posture, which is awful. I definitely won't push myself more than I should. I mean, right now my arm strength is so poor that I can barely push myself off the ground for one pushup...
Over time the imbalances cause compensation in other parts of your body, so fixing one area won't solve the issue......Im not sure if you're familiar with fascia, but it runs all over your body and in different patterns. It's wrapped around and within your muscles, so it can connect muscles in various ways. Here's an example of one pattern: In this pattern there's a connection between a leg and the opposite ribcage area. If your leg gets stuck rotated out it'll probably pull on that ribcage and bring it forward. After a while that ribcage area will lock in that forward position, so you need to correct both to fix the issue. Fixing either one will just be a temporary thing, since the knot in the other area will just cause it again because they're connected. I'm not sure if your therapist has addressed this already or if they're not familiar with it, but if they're not, consider finding one that is. Myofascial release is the technique used to get rid of the knots, but also look into "rolfing", which is a technique that deals more with the body as a whole and getting it back in sync, rather than just working on certain areas.
I'm a P90x grad but started a new round tonight. Gotta get rid of that beer weight I picked up during football season.
The guy that created P90X actually lives in Pearland and comes into my work frequently, he says that he is working and a new DVD series that is a notch above Insanity!!!
Same idea, much cheaper: http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...ight_sets&start=0&selectedSKU=0422-41168-3000 They also have a 55-pound version that's $200 for a pair. I haven't used these, but I've used Reebok-branded version from Target that were pretty good. (I just have a set similar to the ones CXbby linked, though.)
Is that price per dumbbell, or per pair? here's the 55ers... http://www.walmart.com/ip/LifeSMART-118-lb.-Adjustable-Dumbbell-Set/12080237
Kind of a dumb question, but, if I'm trying to drop weight, should I still be eating a lot of protein?
