P90X Day 8

Day 8:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

I can already see minor improvements. :D I can do more push-ups than I could last time. Pull-ups are still needing work, but I'm getting there. I'm just excited that I'm only on Day 8 and I can already see improvements in performance. I'm not even dreading the exercises (except Plyometrics..ugh.) And I can tell a difference in how I feel. I'm generally calmer, more motivated, and happier.

P90X Day 7

Day 7:  Rest or Stretch X

I chose to rest..not much to report. I also chose for Fridays to be my "cheat days," where I can eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. However today I didn't just cheat, I completely failed. Nothing I ate was even remotely healthy. I'm probably going to discontinue this practice..

P90X Day 6

Day 6:  Kenpo X

Oh my goodness. I LOVE KENPO! The other workouts are all right, but they're not fun necessarily. Kenpo is a blast! Plus, it helps blow off steam. The hour seemed to fly by. Kenpo is basically self defense workout with punching, kicking, blocking, and all three combined. Super fun! Definitely a hit with me. I may even do this again tomorrow instead of resting (since the 7th day is a rest day).

Thanks for reading. :D

P90X Day 5

Day 5:  Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

This Ab Ripper X is killer! Ugh! And doing it three times a week is absolutely crazy. But I like it somehow. I can feel my core tightening up. Now if only I could lose the layer of fat covering my new ab muscles...
The Legs & Back video consists of hundreds (or at least one hundred) of squats, lunges, and toe raises for leg muscle, and pull-ups for the back. I extremely dislike my legs, so I'm glad this workout is included. It's certainly extreme, and I'm not doing the same reps they're doing and I'm modifying a lot. But hey, I'm doing my best.

I don't seem to be losing weight yet. Losing weight isn't necessarily my overall goal, but it would be nice. Losing fat and gaining lean muscle is my goal. I'm trying my hardest to eat well, and I'm doing a good job, I think. I can feel the difference already. I used to feel sick all the time, but now I feel healthy (other than the sometimes extreme fatigue from working out and lack of adequate sleep.) I just can't wait for the results to be visible!

Thanks as always for reading! :}D

P90X Day 4

Day 4: Yoga X

I was extremely excited for this day, because I LOVE YOGA. (Of course, shouting is necessary.) It's a nice break from the extreme and constant action of the other days. However, this yoga routine is rather repetitive, not in a good way. I woke up to do it at 4:30 AM, because with school until three and work at four I didn't have any other time to do it since this routine is 92 minutes long. Needless to say, I had almost no motivation to do anything other than sleep. So after twenty minutes of the boring upward-facing-dog--plank--downward-facing-dog--some-variation-of-a-warrior-pose routine, I called it quits and went back to bed. Seriously, those moves are not "extreme." At all. I was craving variation, and apparently at 4:30 AM I easily succumb to boredom. There were a few key poses in there that I did enjoy though. Well, that's all..

Thanks for reading! XD

P90X Day 3

Day 3:  Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

My arms feel like they're going to fall off. This was an hour of shoulders, biceps, triceps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, on and on. Very tough, but it's a good pain. Ab Ripper X is not yet getting easier. I was still sore from last time today, so I think I actually did a little less. But...I'm determined in this area. I want a beastly abdominal region, and a little pain and slow progress won't stop me! It just makes me want it more! Nothing worth having is easily obtained.

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 2

Day 2:  Plyometrics

This is certainly the hardest thing I've had to do for a very long time. It would have definitely came in handy for my cheer leading days. It was all various jumps. I'm going to be completely honest here:  I stopped twenty minutes into the workout. I literally maxed out at twenty minutes of this. I watched a little then fast-forwarded to the cool down. Hopefully I'll improve next time! But, hey, I'm just proud of myself for getting up and doing it instead of sitting on the couch all day, which is what I would have been doing otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

P90X Day 1

Day 1:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X

Well, this is the start of things. I have just completed Day 1 of P90X. I'm sore, in pain, and downing a protein shake. The majority of this chest and back workout consisted of various styles of push-ups and pull-ups (not my strong suit). I can't keep up-- yet. I actually started to see stars, so I took a water break of course. But I did it. Abdominal workouts are definitely my strong suit, and I kept up with Tony until halfway through, then I paced myself and did half or less of the reps they were doing.

One word to sum up Day 1:  Intense!

Tomorrow is Plyometrics, and I'm not looking forward to that at all. I'm not exactly sure what the word "plyometrics" means, but I understand that it's a lot of jumping. So, cardio. Cardio is the worst. I tire out and feel nauseous quickly. Ugh. Well, I'd better not knock it before I try it, and we'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Thanks for reading! :D

P90X Fitness Test

Today I took the fitness test to see if I am "ready" for P90X. Guess what..I FAILED  two of the tests. I can't do one full wide-grip pull-up or complete two minutes of jumping jacks. But I did pass every other test. You know what else? I'm going to push through it anyway. I made a decision to commit to this program, and there is no shame in modifying the fitness routines. NONE. I will be more proud of myself for doing my best-- even if my best is 3/4 of a pull up-- than I would be if I didn't try at all.  I don't believe being ready for this program is purely physical. In fact, the majority of the preparation for it is mental. All you need to have starting this program is the motivation to do so and to keep trying every day. (This is much easier said than done, of course!)

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." (Radmacher)

Thank you for reading! :)

Pre-P90X

I have ordered P90X and have been waiting for it since last Wednesday. It's Sunday. I AM FEELING THE ANTICIPATION! Every day I check the shipping progress, getting a little more anxious. I'm probably more excited than I should be considering how much pain I'm going to put myself through, but I'm ready! I'm ready to transform myself from this weak, sluggish person into a healthy, energetic woman.

I've always been skinny. When I was young I was lanky and awkward, and going through puberty filled me out a bit, but not much. Now that I'm 18 and a senior in high school, I find myself unhealthily losing then gaining large amounts of weight without meaning to (as in fifteen pounds within two weeks.) My goal is not to lose much weight, but to get healthy, tone up, and build muscle. I completely trust P90X to help me accomplish these goals.

You can also find me on www.teambeachbody.com if you're interested in my progress and I stop posting on here.