P90x Update!

So I’ve completed a little over a week of the program and today, my muscles are aching! I love the burn, so to me it’s just a sign that my body is actually getting something out of this whole thing.

Now I’ve been loosely following the diet. Mainly, I use the breakfast and dinner recipes and try to avoid as much junk food as possible.

All the hard work is paying off! I have some abs going. I’ve lost a healthy 2.5 pounds (which is great for me because I’m already at a healthy weight). My back is super strong, but not manly looking. All in all, I’m enjoying the program. The hardest part is the time commitment and dragging my butt out of bed early enough to fit in the workout.

I like Tony’s instruction and his tips that he gives. He clarifies proper form very well and it comes at just the right moment when I’m about to make a mistake.

The recipes taste great! My husband was afraid to try the Island Pork Tenderloin. He was seriously planning on getting take out if it was a dud. It ended up being his favorite meal that I’ve cooked lately! It was super easy to throw together too.

All in all, I’m loving it and looking forward to pressing play and bringing it some more!

Plyometrics: Jump Into A Better Body

Burn Serious Calories Fast

I never was involved in sports at the high school level.  I didn’t understand what it meant to train for anything.  When I finally wanted to get into working out, I had no idea where to begin.  I would get on the treadmill or the eliptical and would go for quite a while, but never saw any real results.  These days, I know what my body feels like when it’s actually doing work.  I can tell when I’m getting my heart rate up and my muscles are starting to burn slightly, that the exercises are actually doing something.  With Plyometrics, there will never be any doubt that your body is indeed working and changing for the better.

Plyometrics is also referred to as jump training.  It is a series of explosive movements, such as jump squats, which not only gets your heart rate up (and keeps it there) but also builds muscle.  These exercises are designed to improve endurance, strength and agility all at the same time. 

Plyometrics allows for some serious calorie burning as well.  I do the P90x plyometrics video and people have reported burning as many as 895 calories during that one hour video.  Granted calories burned will vary depending on each individual’s weight, age and current fitness level.  Still, it can’t be denied that you have the potential to get a great workout in a short amount of time.  According to Runner’s World, runners who included plyometrics into their workout schedule improved the amount of oxygen they use while running, as well as their overall stride, range of motion and fitness level in just 6 weeks.

Speaking from personal experience, I love this type of workout.  I hate spending time at the gym, only to feel like I didn’t do enough or that I wasted my time doing exercises that aren’t effective.  With Plyometrics, I never feel cheated out of my time.  I get done and I am sweating and exhausted and out of breath, but deep down I feel fantastic. 

Just be aware that you may need to adjust exercises if you have knee or joint problems because they are high impact.  That doesn’t mean you have to necessarily avoid them like the plague, just make adjustments to fit you needs.  And be sure to do the exercises properly and in good form to avoid injury.

Here is a sample Plyometrics workout video

For more info and workouts, check out the links below. 

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/jumping-workout

http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2007/12/plyometric-jumping-slideshow#slide=1

Shopping for P90x

I came across another blogger who had posted this extremely helpful grocery list.  I printed it out and took it to the store with me which made shopping for the diet VERY easy.  The hardest part was battling with the shoppers for the isle space to get the cart through!  If you’d like to see for yourself click on the link below and hopefully you’ll find it as useful as I did!

http://p90xfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/p90x-grocery-lists.html

the p90x project

So this is my first real post for my new blog.  I’ve decided to track my P90x progress and share it with the world, along with any tips or tricks I pick up along the way.  Today is actually day 2 of the adventure.  For anyone who isn’t already familiar with P90x, it’s a workout system with about 13 dvds.  Every day is a different video which helps for people who are ADD when it comes to their workouts (like myself).  The workouts vary from Plyometrics (jump training) to old school push-ups and pull-ups to yoga.  There is a diet that you are advised to follow, mainly because you burn so many calories and work your muscles so intensely that it is smart to eat properly as well and get enough calories, etc.  I am not following the diet too closely, but I am making many of the recipes.  They aren’t difficult and taste pretty good!  I was surprised that I’ve been going through full days without my stomach growling while in class.  I’m not working out because I need to lose a lot of weight.  Mainly, I enjoy being active.  I was never a sports girl, but I enjoy the feeling I get after working hard.  I like to see what my body can handle and it makes me feel good the rest of the day.  Plus I like food and eating and this is my way of not feeling guilty for chowing down on the occasional ice cream sundae.  Anyways, follow along and feel free to give tips or ask for them as well.  I’ll try to help.