P90X - Round 3 - Repeating Week 4

I'm well on schedule now, and making good progress.  I've decided to repeat Week 4 and benefit from the cardio to shed some extra fat to start seeing the definitions.  Exactly one month till Summer.

P90X - Round 3 - Week 4 completed

I've completed week 4, fine tuned my diet, and followed it to the tee.  Finally!

Here's a progress picture, and also a comparison of my Day 1, back almost two years ago.  I'm still stuggling, but making progress.

Week 4

Day 1 vs. Current Day



P90X - Round 3 - Completing Week 3

Been busting chops and hustling this week.

And yes, struggling with keeping a clean diet.

It's a challenge, and I'm trying. 

I'm beginning to see some real abs.

P90X - Round 3 - Week 2

I've completed week 1, and began week 2, and although I didn't keep up with clean nutrition over the weekend, I'm motivated with what I'm seeing in the mirror.

Of course I'm pumping my abs in this picture to see them.  I really need to mind my food intake on weekends, and follow my plan.

Bring It!



P90X - Round 3 Started - Week 1

This is my day 1 of my latest round of P90X.  I'm on day 3 as of today.

Current Stats

Weight: 166 lbs

Body Fat: 7.0%

Body Fat goal: 5.0%

P90X2 - Completed

I've completed P90X2.

Still not where I want to be, but inching to it little by little.  It's been a good journey, and I still have a long way to go; however, I'm enjoying every second of it.  Bring It!

Diet Plan

Here's my diet plan to drop down to 155 lbs, and show all of my hard work.

Broken down by nutrients

Struggling but Making Progress

I've read this often, "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym."

Front view my abs are showing already, and sideways too.  However, on this side view one can see the big chunk that needs to go.

I'm struggling with my diet, but tweaking it as I go along.  I've been fortunate to hook up with an older guy who is much into fitness, and knows a lot about nutrition.

P90X2 - Day 45 - Halfway Home

So I've been pounding on the newest beachbody product, P90X2.  It's a spinnoff of the famous P90X, which is recommended (marketed) to individuals who have completed P90X, at least once.

I've reached my day 45, and am pretty happy with the results of my hard work.

P90X - Doubles -Day 5

I don't know what I've gotten myself into, but now I'm in it, and I just gotta bite the bullet and do what I've set out to do.  I've completed 4 full days of doubles; that means doing P90X twice a day.  I am sore, and tired.

My current, premature, progress.

P90X - Doubles

I've been inactive for a couple of weeks due to a stubborn cold.  I miss working out hard, so I've decided to start a new round of P90X; however, I've decided to do the Doubles this time.  This means I will be doing the same thing twice a day.

These are the coldest months in Los Angeles, just getting out of bed is a challenge for me these days.  We'll see how long I can keep it up for, but given my persistance in the past, I'm sure I will finish it.

Come on 8pack! where are you?

INSANITY - Week 9 - Completed.

What would you do if one day you went to see your doctor, and he told you: “you have to change your life style, and exercise, or be dead in a couple of years from a heart attack, or a stroke.”?  Needless to say I started researching exercise routines, trying them out at the gym, etc, but nothing was going too well.  Then one day I saw a buddy who had lost a lot of weight, and asked him what he had done.  He pointed me to P90X.  I did two rounds of P90X, and now I’ve just finished INSANITY (my first round.)  Early March I went in for my annual physical, and all is back to normal, or better.  It has not been an easy mission, but I’ve gotten a new lease on life.

My Details:

Age: 43

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 164

Body Mass Index: 24.9

Body Fat:  6.2 %

Mood:  Happy!

I did not lose any weight, but lots of fat.  My goal is to be defined, and muscular, so weight loss is not an issue for me any more.  I reached this goal by burning all the extra fat, and replacing it with muscle.  I started at 164 pounds, and ended at the same; however, my BF% went from 12.6% to 6.2%.  Not too bad for an old dude.

My Experience: The first week was brutal, no doubt about it, but I overcame it. Every workout has been intense, but as fearful as they made me, I always looked forward to the next day.  Everyone’s level of comfort will vary, some will find it difficult (that’s me), and others will not be too impressed.  So far I’ve only read of one person with this perspective (I wonder if she’s taking Pollo Loco Pills.)

My Workout Time: Working-out, and staying with the diet schedules can be tricky, but with some ingenuity, not impossible.  After some research, and consideration for the best time to do my INSANITY workouts, I decided that the best time would be best first thing in the morning.  Every morning I rose at 4:45 a.m., drove to a gym close to my work, and hit Play at 5:30 a.m., sharp! 

My Diet:  I did not follow the recipes from the book verbatim, but did try to stay within the 300 calories per meal with similar foods from the menu.  This seemed to be working for me, as well as giving me the flexibility to not worry about preparing food for the day.  Note that the first month I did not follow this diet, and ate pretty much what I wanted with moderation.  This was a costly mistake, and you’ll find out why down below.

My Drinks: 

Water:  I drank buckets of water, easy 64oz daily, but I’m sure it was more than that. 

Coffee: Unfortunately, I refuse to give up my coffee.  I checked with my doctor, and he said it was fine as long as I drank plenty of water.  Coffee is a diuretic so it will dry anyone’s system up.

Booze:  Another of my indulgences is wine.  I love my reds.  I’m not a big drinker so it wasn’t a problem.  I did drink at least 1 glass a week, or a maximum of 2.  I don’t drink any other kind of alcohol.  Red wines are believed to be good for blood circulation/pressure, and 1 glass daily is recommended in some countries like France.  I’m not recommending it, so if you don’t drink, don’t start.

Energy/Electrolites:  I drank Gatorade at the beginning because I thought it was the right thing to do, but later found out that drinking lots of water was better. 

My Supplements & Vitamins: 

Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements are imperative for a healthy living.  Some people do well by taking a multivitamin pill, and others need a little more.  Personally, I twicked my vitamins to fit my needs, and aid me to reach my goals.  Here’s a listing of all the vitamins & supplements I’ve taken on these last 63 days.

Glutamine:  Glutamine plays key roles in protein metabolism, cell volumizing, and anti-catabolism. Glutamine also increases your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps metabolize body fat and support new muscle growth. Glutamine's anti-catabolism ability prevents the breakdown of your muscles.

This is especially useful for people 'cutting down'. Especially during summer when you're trying to get rid of some body fat without losing any muscle. Glutamine is needed throughout your body for optimal performance. Your small intestines requires the most Glutamine in your body, and your immune system also needs Glutamine because Glutamine levels deplete during workouts, bodybuilders are more susceptible to illnesses - this is why L-Glutamine supplementation is so important, not necessarily to gain more muscle, but for the 'maintenance' effects of L-Glutamine. 1

Glucosamine/Chondroitin: Helps with joints cartilageGlucosamine is an amino sugar derived from the chitin of shellfish and is used by the body to support healthy joint structures. Glucosamine is composed of glucose and glutamine (an amino acid). It is utilized by chondrocytes to form glycosaminoglycans (GSG´s) and proteoglycans. Both of these constituents attract and bind water into cartilage, increasing resiliency.  These two are what make it possible for me to move through the pain on my knees due to bone decay, fractures, and old age. 1

Flaxseed Oil: Lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease and control high blood pressure. 3

Vitamins: 

A: also called retinol, helps your eyes adjust to light changes when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A mostly comes from animal foods, but some plant-based foods supply beta-carotene, which your body then converts into Vitamin A. It also has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage. 2

C:  also known as ascorbic acid, helps to heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy gums and teeth, and strengthen the immune system. It also helps the body absorb iron. Recent research has indicated that vitamin C may be associated with delayed aging and disease prevention by destroying 'free radicals'-the molecules associated with aging and cell damage. 2

D: Vitamin D is important in helping the body absorb and use calcium from food and supplements. It aids in bone and tooth formation and supports muscle and nerve function, and studies have shown that vitamin D helps to prevent osteoporosis. 2

E:  Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage. Vitamin E also contributes to a healthy circulatory system and aids in proper blood clotting and improves wound healing. Some studies have shown that vitamin E decreases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and certain types of breast disease. 2

B12:  Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, works with folic acid to produce healthy red blood cells. Vitamin B12 also keeps your central nervous system healthy. The only natural sources of Vitamin B12 are animal products. 2

Whey Protein: 

References:

1. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/glutamine.htm

2. http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/vitamin-intro.asp

3. http://www.healingdaily.com/

My Rest:

It’s imperative to get as much rest as possible with these kind of exercises.  A lot of the movements require jumping, running in place, pushing, moving while in a push up position; in other words, there’s a lot of pounding on the body.  I ensured to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.  I know that for most people this is a luxury, but it’s a necessity.  This is where the real growth, and recovery takes place, while at rest.  Sleep well every night.

My Lessons Learned: 

I had bad knees from the beginning so I knew it was important to protect myself from further damage.  To avoid further damage I wrapped my knees during the workouts, and used ice, every now and then, afterwards.  Besides that, I didn’t really experience much of injuries.  I did hurt myself though, but totally unrelated. I went running with a 20 pound vest on a couple of days one week.  I did some Yoga, and took off the vest for the next runs, problem fixed.

This is a 63 day program, not a 30 minute microwave to a better body.  I had to learn to be patient, both on gaining endurance, and seeing improvements.  At the beginning I was a bit disappointed at myself that I couldn’t go through the whole DVD without taking longer breaks than allotted, or not finishing up circuits.  However, as the weeks went by I learned that it’s all matter of time for the body to get strong, and learn how to shut off that little voice inside my head telling me that it was OK to stop.  After 2 weeks I wanted to see changes faster than they were happening, but they weren’t showing up.  This can be disappointing, and discouraging as one is leaving everything on the floor.  Don’t get me wrong, I did see changes after 1 week, but It wasn’t until after month 1 that I started noticing more of the changes that I’m after.

One phrase I’ve been reading a lot is that “abs are not made in the gym; they’re made in the kitchen.”  There’s about a 99% truth on this.  For the first month I didn’t really follow much of a diet, and succumbed to eating whatever I wanted, of course all with the excuse that I was working so hard that it didn’t matter.  FALSE.  In retrospective, now I can definitely see why I wasn’t seeing changes faster.  Once I was stricter with my diet, the changes began to show.

My Final Thoughts:  INSANITY is a tough workout, and it never got easy, nor boring for me.  It will test anyone’s character, commitment, and dedication. I’ve learned to embrace it, and love it.  I love to press Play, I love the pain, I love the struggle, I love the sweat, but most of all I love pressing Stop at the end of the DVD, and the feeling of accomplishment.

At the beginning of my endeavor it was all due to health issues, now that I’ve improved that, and I’m living a healthier life, it’s time to bank on my hard work, and go for a little vanity.  I want an 8 pack in this lifetime.  I’m still not satisfied with my progress so far, as I don’t see the results that I seek.  Therefore, I will be starting another round of INSANITY on April 4, 2011.  June 8^th will be my 1 year anniversary since I’ve embarked in this Fitness/Health lifestyle, and until then I will give it my all to mark this event with a sweet celebration.

Ab Ripper X, and Whatever I can think of X

My goal is to attain that mythological 6-pack that only a few people can achieve.  To supplement my INSANITY (for fat burning), I've also incorporated the Ab Ripper X routine from P90X, and added a few other abs workouts to make those puppies come out their cave.

I've finally mastered Mason Twist, which is one of the hardest ab exercises to do.

Check it out:

also Hanging Knees raises