I Rock Cement Boots

Well, I stepped away for a few days but luckily it was just for blogging versus the program.

Day 4 yoga ended up being Day 6 Yoga. I wasn’t able to finish it on the proper day because of time constraints so I deemed day 4 the rest day for the week.

Day 5 was Legs and Back.
Oh.
My.
God.
That damn workout killed me! I wasn’t sweating nearly as much as the other workouts but my poor legs was hurting the ENTIRE time. It was just insane on my legs. I would have thought they could handle it a bit better lugging my heavy ass around…but obviously they are more used to sitting on a sofa.

Day 6 was the Yoga again. It was pretty relaxing…but also tiring. How could I be drained and energized at the same time?? (Seems to happen after everyone of these exercises!) I obviously have some major flexibility issues and I can’t wait to make strides in correcting it. Women think flexible guys are sexy right??

I saved Kenpo X for Day 7. Fun stuff. Had me just as sweaty as Plyo (ok…almost as sweaty) but I was able to do it with much less pauses. Actually just one pause. Some of those back kicks had my ass quite drained. I kind of want to try those moves on a baddie now.
High punch!
Low punch!
Drag back!

I feel really good to complete a full week of P90x for the first time. Now that I’ve done it…I’m not exactly sure why I wasn’t able to do it the first few times. Maybe because my head was so fixated in the negativity of everything surrounding me. I was probably just ‘expecting’ myself to fail at something else.
But nuh uh! Not this time!
I’m bringing you down and getting in shape while doing it!

I’m also anxious to hop on the scale. I’m not sure how much I may have lost (mainly because my diet still isn’t as clean as it really needs to be.) but I sure as heck feel much better than this point last week.
The mental effects of actually being on the road to accomplish something is worth it all on its own.

Oh and big shout out to my team, the Detroit Lions for finally breaking that losing streak that was crafted by the Mighty Millen eras. It is just one win…but unless you’re a Lions fan and went through the multiple heartaches we in the Detroit region have gone through, its going to be hard to understand. Many people can view this Detroit team on a path to recovery and give us hope as a region to grow better than ever.

Well, Day 3 is in the books. Shoulders and Arms has been…shouldered.
Wait, is that linguistically legal?

*shrugs*

Doing this workout made me really how flabby my arms really are. I swear I was sweating and grunting like nobody’s business. On those sets where Tony was saying, “Everybody does 16, no excuses!” Well, I had excuses.

I know I was saying that those ‘jump knee tucks’ were from Hades; but I think the ‘Flip grip twist tricep kickbacks’ has been deemed the new ‘Prince of Darkness’. That was some PAINFULL stuff. I’m sure my form was all off…but I think I cranked out a couple good reps somewhere in that mess I was doing. Lighter weights are a must next time…or at least use my band. But hey, if I want to get some muscles (I do, I do!) then I have to keep my reps low!

Of course, Ab Ripper X ripped my guts. I did get excited for keeping up with them a lot better this time. I seemed insanely off balance the last time. So for the 3rd day to see improvements got me quite excited.

With the diet, making improvements once more. Striving for that 40/40/20 (protein/carb/fat) ratio in my diet. Getting closer to that, I just need to get more lean meats or some powder to get my protein balanced. I see it takes no problem getting the fat at 20%!

Lets bring it for day 4 Yoga!

Wow!

Pylometrics is one hell of a workout.
Seriously.
I think either I was bullshitting in the previous attempts or I just slipped into horrific shape…but this workout pushed me to the edge and back a few times.

I have never sweated this much in my life(had a thought but decided not to go there)! I had a sweatshirt on over a t-shirt, as usual. It was a rather thick sweatshirt and it was possibly the first time I created a sweat stain on the back of that thing. Of course my heather grey shirt underneath was now turned into an aquatic charcoal grey.

But enough about my bodily fluids…

I actually enjoyed today’s workout. I went into the day with a new attitude and an image of myself. An image of myself of how I want to be in the future. I had also taken before pics earlier in the day and was just…kind of appalled about how out of shape I appear/am. It’s like looking at a partially deflated balloon with chest hair.

I started the dvd…put on some music (decided to go with Digable Planets + A Tribe Called Quest for the background music) and went to work.

Plyometrics is basically a cardio intensive jump training.
I jumped, I leaped, I squatted, I did 180s and I was exhausted. Of course I did the same last time…but it was different. I was putting in a real effort in doing the moves as clean as Tony + friends. Even though I wasn’t able to do as many ‘jump knee tucks’ (which are sent straight from Hell) as them…the ones I was able to crank out was done pretty damn well. I think the most surprising exercise was the ‘Military March’. I had no idea that damn move would tire me out as much as that. Goodness! I mean I’m just basically walking in place! My favorite moves are those leapfrogs and the football inspired tire moves. Fun stuff.

Well, I completed the DVD and felt great. A feeling that I’m actually making strides in my health.

Thats a good thing.

Also, I’m logging my diet. Not really clean. But I’m noticing how much of a change minor adjustments are making. Such as eliminating cheese. The amount of fat% dropped from day 1 to day 2 just because there was no cheese is amazing.

Ok…I have no idea what happened last week.

I was pumped.
I was excited.
I ate…not so well but made strides.
I did the workouts for a grand total of….2 days.

*sigh*
*slump*
*hmph*

I was almost ashamed to come back and post here (not that I have any readers) because I knew as soon as I log in, my failure will be facing me.

Waiting to taunt me once more.

Well anyways. I’m bigger than i’ve been in a little while. From being at my adult lowest just fairly recently…to being at my largest in a couple years is heartbreaking.

I been having major stress issues as of late(none that cannot be solved if I buckle down and put forth the effort) which I let get me down. I felt it made me lazy, uninspired and willing to give in all too often.

I would eat and eat junk consistently…and then stop for a few days hardly eating at all. Which I’m sure was horrible for my metabolism.
I seem to take the lazy route and just expect things to change on its own. Hoping the universe align itself perfectly and I would be in a better financial situation, become a better mate, become ultra fit, become more creative and change my hometown all while sitting on my ass dreaming.

Yeah, I needed a serious wake up call. I dream big, stumble a bit…and fall all the way back to the ground. Seems that most successful people would just stubble…get back up and continue where they left off. I would stumble and think I’m just not right for that type of activity.

But alas, everyone has a breaking point…and it felt like I lacked one. It felt like I would just let myself fall and fall with no bottom in sight.

Well, that can’t happen any longer. I forced myself to have a breaking point.  That point was yesterday. We are only going forward now.

During the workout (Chest and Back + Ab Ripper X) I put in an enormous amount of effort. I felt discouraged that I couldn’t do as many pushups that I was able to do earlier this year. I would get frustrated that I would give effort and just fall back on my chest again. I was very, very close to quitting and was thinking about other workouts I could try instead.

I then paused the DVD and layed on the ground with my eyes facing the ceiling. I had to remind myself that only I can change my destiny. If I want to truly get in shape, I must remain determined and fight through this. If this was easy, nobody would get true results. Everything worth having truly takes effort.

So, I got myself off that ground. Took a sip of water. Grinded my teeth and finished that DVD. I felt GREAT. I felt like I FINALLY accomplished something. Even though I did this DVD probably 5 times now from other attempts, I felt like I finally went over a personal hurdle. I felt so good, I even went outside and rode my bike in the rain.

I’m striving to feel like that everyday.

But my GOD, that Ab Ripper X is no JOKE. Talk about a true killer.

Here we go again!
Yes, I’m restarting P90x for possibly the billionth time (I like when people say ‘fifty-eleventh’ time). I have been battling with this program since Feb 09!

Yes, I’ve been trying to complete this when the trees was dormant.

No leaves.

No grass.

Step outside and your nips go ‘ting’.

So after this complete cycle of life within nature, I have a new reborn amount of dedication to getting cut (or less flab) and sexy (half for me…half for seducing my girlfriend. *roar*). Maybe its just the effect Autumn has on me, which is my number one season. Its a beautiful time, crisp air and less evil mosquitoes.

Well lets just cut to the chase.
Day one consisted of the Chest and Back dvd followed up with Ab Ripper X.

C&B is a full barrage of push-ups and pull ups.
For the pull ups I use an elastic band over a door instead of the pull up/chin up bar. Not because I don’t have one (I have an over the door one) but because I’m an out of shape blob that can only barely do one! Luckily they have a person on the dvd that uses nothing but bands.

I think it was an enjoyable hour. I was covered in sweat, felt I pushed myself hard and wasn’t dead tired at the end. Granted my arms are like flesh flavored jello and was more wobbly than most people’s tires after a Michigan winter. But one day…one day I’m going do just as many as Tony Horton. Without pausing.

Now its time for Ab Ripper X.
My God.
I saw that it was only 20 minutes and sort of said…
“You know what? This won’t be that bad!”
Wrong.

I forgot how much it hurts. I could only stand to do a fraction of what they do. I was on the floor whimpering.
Panting.
Sweating.
And no, there was no moaning.
I swear.

Tomorrow is good ol’ Plyometrics. Jump training. Its a pain unless you’re a cardio junky. But I felt great completing it the first time around.

See ya tomorrow.