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[Battersea Power Station]

And of course they think I'm the crazy one for not wanting cookie, but they don't see me forcing them to eat kale. Stop taking out your insecurities on me, !!!!!!

Yeah, it's an annoying dynamic. My previous office overdid the cake thing. I'm not joking: they celebrated a "half-birthday" six months after a birthday. It felt like that Seinfeld episode where Elaine was eating sweets every day.

To top it off, my in-laws are Filipino, so I frequently am the only one not eating dessert, which must be part of every single meal, it seems. With the amount of ice cream they eat, I have no idea how they're not 300lbs each. Different genes, I guess. I can't afford to eat how they eat.

Anyway, it's annoying because it can make you seem like, at best, a weirdo who is "obsessed about calories" or, at worst, condescending. So I have to make humorous or folksy comments every time I refuse dessert, like "I gotta keep up with you -- I can't be eating stuff like that" and stuff that makes me groan on the inside.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Obsessed is the exact word they used. They didn't believe me when I told them I have little use for cheat meal. Besides, maybe I should have told them this, if I were to cheat itd be with fries and not cake

Haha, that's awesome. This also hapenned to me a few times. I told some people that I was on a diet and they laughed at me. Then I proceeded to touch the floor with the palms of my hands and their fat asses completely shut up*

What I'm worried is they will actually be offended because of the birthday social context. Those are friends too

Seriously it's like I can't win

Exercise - "so when are you quitting?"

Diet - "you need to relax"

Appearance - " you are too skinny!" or "why you showing off muscles?"

FFS

 

[FOOTE]

happens at my office too.. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I've gotten used to it.

 

[criesofthepast]

Round 2 began today after two weeks off from when I finished round 1. Unfortunate I had to take that much time off but my foot needed healing. Chest and Back hurt so bad today but I brought it so hard compared to my first round so it's going to take a while to get used to this intensity level. I found that I skipped ab ripper x sometimes during my first round because I did it after my workouts and I was too tired to finish so I am doing it before my workout and it seemed to work well today. Feels good to be working out again. I felt miserable and gross during this downtime.

 

[FOOTE]

Round 2 began today after two weeks off from when I finished round 1. Unfortunate I had to take that much time off but my foot needed healing. Chest and Back hurt so bad today but I brought it so hard compared to my first round so it's going to take a while to get used to this intensity level. I found that I skipped ab ripper x sometimes during my first round because I did it after my workouts and I was too tired to finish so I am doing it before my workout and it seemed to work well today. Feels good to be working out again. I felt miserable and gross during this downtime.

Welcome back to the grind.. I mean fun.

 

[criesofthepast]

Thanks dood. This thread is so damn alive now. When I started P90X just over 3 months ago it was kind of dead. I take full credit for resurrecting it.

 

[vatstep]

I've been struggling trying to come up with ways to add more cardio to my next P90X round, and also contemplating dropping yoga, but I've think I've come up with a balance. I'm just gonna do Cardio X and the first half of Yoga X on the same day. Since I like the first half of Yoga X, I really didn't feel comfortable cutting it out entirely — it's the overall length and content of the second half that bores me. I'll still do the full 92 minutes twice during recovery weeks. Adding in Cardio X probably isn't going to make a groundbreaking difference, of course, but I kind of just wanted another short burst of aerobics mid-week. I already walk everywhere, and often do cardio stuff on my rest day, so this should suit me fine. I've done cardio + yoga on the same day before and it ain't bad.

I'm also just going to continue using the weights that I have (10 and 20 pounds) because they generally work fine for me, as I am still an utter weakling when it comes to my upper body. If I can progress further in this second go-round, I might treat myself to some adjustable weights in a few months for my birthday. Power Blocks and the like are way too expensive for my situation right now, but I've found some others that look passable.

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

I've been struggling trying to come up with ways to add more cardio to my next P90X round, and also contemplating dropping yoga, but I've think I've come up with a balance. I'm just gonna do Cardio X and the first half of Yoga X on the same day. Since I like the first half of Yoga X, I really didn't feel comfortable cutting it out entirely — it's the overall length and content of the second half that bores me. I'll still do the full 92 minutes twice during recovery weeks. Adding in Cardio X probably isn't going to make a groundbreaking difference, of course, but I kind of just wanted another short burst of aerobics mid-week. I already walk everywhere, and often do cardio stuff on my rest day, so this should suit me fine. I've done cardio + yoga on the same day before and it ain't bad.

I'm also just going to continue using the weights that I have (10 and 20 pounds) because they generally work fine for me, as I am still an utter weakling when it comes to my upper body. If I can progress further in this second go-round, I might treat myself to some adjustable weights in a few months for my birthday. Power Blocks and the like are way too expensive for my situation right now, but I've found some others that look passable.

You don't really need power blocks. Also, you're taking upon something many others would simply not do. Congratulations on moving up with rest of us and it doesn't matter whether you can or cannot lift a certain number.

Do your best and forget the rest!

 

[OchreHand]

Just did my first day of Back and Biceps (Phase2) Whewww I think my arms are gonna fall off. I love the Strip Set at the end.

 

[vatstep]

You don't really need power blocks. Also, you're taking upon something many others would simply not do. Congratulations on moving up with rest of us and it doesn't matter whether you can or cannot lift a certain number.

Do your best and forget the rest!

Thanks my brutha. It can be kind of discouraging to not see the same progress others have (even though I BRING IT almost every day), but I know I'm in much better shape overall than I was three months ago, so that's enough for me.

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

Thanks my brutha. It can be kind of discouraging to not see the same progress others have (even though I BRING IT almost every day), but I know I'm in much better shape overall than I was three months ago, so that's enough for me.

Have you taken a before and after picture? I mean look at Hawkian and LaneDS chatting up the thread and I'm sure those two took a bit before seeing results.

As I'm a fat guy, the first things I noticed were my arms getting skinnier and in have shaped up very well. I even noticed my back muscles are even hardened then before though semi-invisible still.

Don't be discouraged, it only takes that kind of excuse before you fall off the boat. I could barely lift 15 lb dumbbells a long time ago, but persistence kept up and I'm finally cranking out 40s after about 7 months.

Final note: As everyone says and I will repeat it again, watch your diet. Don't eat the crap foods obviously, and up those veggies and fruits whenever. Hell I don't follow the P90X nutrition plan, I just eat clean and give up on any junk food.

After a few more responses, I will structure out my example diet during the week.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I'm also doing the P90X mass schedule. Check it out straight from BeachBody's Steve Edwards:

http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90xnl_011.do#

Okay, this definitely interests me.

 

[LaneDS]

Thanks my brutha. It can be kind of discouraging to not see the same progress others have (even though I BRING IT almost every day), but I know I'm in much better shape overall than I was three months ago, so that's enough for me.

You know, when I look in the mirror I feel somedays like there hasn't been much progress, but then I talk to others who occasionally will say something along the lines of "you look so different!" so maybe you're being your harshest critic? I need to remind myself that I haven't even been doing this for four months, which in the grand scheme of things feels like so little time, so I am sure you've also made all sorts of changes that you might not notice as well since you see yourself daily, but you're probably making great strides at the same time.

Basically, after all that rambling above, my point is to stay the course man... I'm sure if you're working hard and eating right your body is grateful for the decisions you're making and it'll pay off before you know it.

 

[SteveMeister]

Just did my first day of Back and Biceps (Phase2) Whewww I think my arms are gonna fall off. I love the Strip Set at the end.

Yeah I did that on Wednesday. My arms are sore today, but didn't impede today's Yoga.

Also drank some Pharm Assault before Yoga this morning. I was definitely wired. Did pushups before every downward dog. Picked up a yoga block and used it for the half-moon poses, it helped. Crane is still jimcarreyface.gif, but I did try it with my forehead on the yoga block. I don't want to use it as too much of a crutch, though. 874 calories burned in today's Yoga (894 last time).

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Yeah I did that on Wednesday. My arms are sore today, but didn't impede today's Yoga.

Also drank some Pharm Assault before Yoga this morning. I was definitely wired. Did pushups before every downward dog. Picked up a yoga block and used it for the half-moon poses, it helped. Crane is still jimcarreyface.gif, but I did try it with my forehead on the yoga block. I don't want to use it as too much of a crutch, though. 874 calories burned in today's Yoga (894 last time).

How are you tracking calories? That seems like a ton for a Yoga workout.

 

[SteveMeister]

How are you tracking calories? That seems like a ton for a Yoga workout.

I use my HRM with the Digifit iOS app. It's using a standard calculation involving age, gender, weight, average HRM, duration and VO2 Max (mine is roughly 44, there are a number of ways to calculate it).

This calculator uses the same formula as the Digifit app.

I haven't calculated my VO2 Max in a while. I doubt it's changed much since I did, but it's possible. A higher number would mean a higher calorie burn.

 

[KlotePino]

Did Shoulders & Arms yesterday and although my triceps are nice and sore I feel like I didn't really push my Biceps enough. Does anyone else feel that way with that workout or am I just not bringing it enough? I should probably up the weight or lower the weight on some but I hate breaking the flow of a workout switching out those damn weights. I did definitely struggle on the last curl up hammer down exercise but apart from that I don't really feel my biceps at all right now. Although I guess that means I might be able to push myself harder on friday with Legs & Back which I remember being pretty have on the arms for some reason.

PS I can't get the image of Moraine being in a porn shoot out of my head. Back when I was still a lurker someone in this thread discovered she was in some porn and I clicked it. GOD WHYYYY.

 

[LaneDS]

Did Shoulders & Arms yesterday and although my triceps are nice and sore I feel like I didn't really push my Biceps enough. Does anyone else feel that way with that workout or am I just not bringing it enough? I should probably up the weight or lower the weight on some but I hate breaking the flow of a workout switching out those damn weights. I did definitely struggle on the last curl up hammer down exercise but apart from that I don't really feel my biceps at all right now. Although I guess that means I might be able to push myself harder on friday with Legs & Back which I remember being pretty have on the arms for some reason.

PS I can't get the image of Moraine being in a porn shoot out of my head. Back when I was still a lurker someone in this thread discovered she was in some porn and I clicked it. GOD WHYYYY.

Absolutely switch out the weights to get the proper resistance for each exercise. Are you using standard dumbbells or something like Powerblocks? Either way, try to do what the video suggests for reps, or at least leave yourself working very hard (but keeping form) on the last three reps.

All that said, if you're struggling on stuff, that sounds like you're bringing it to me. You'll get the appropriate bicep burn in time I'm sure.

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

Go heavy on static curls...mmmm.

 

[KlotePino]

Absolutely switch out the weights to get the proper resistance for each exercise. Are you using standard dumbbells or something like Powerblocks? Either way, try to do what the video suggests for reps, or at least leave yourself working very hard (but keeping form) on the last three reps.

All that said, if you're struggling on stuff, that sounds like you're bringing it to me. You'll get the appropriate bicep burn in time I'm sure.

I'm using standard dumbells and when I see Tony's twin brother struggling on those last reps of the "hands in between knees crouching curls" (forgot the name) I probably should've switched them out since I definitely had weights that were too light at that point. I want to get two more dumbbell bars to not have to break the flow of the workout but that's like 40 bucks just for convenience so I'll probably just switch them out from now on.

Go heavy on static curls...mmmm.

Oh I just remembered I definitely felt those too, had to pick way weights for that exercise the second time around. I'm definitely going for lean over mass so I do want to be struggling on 6-8, 8-10. Do you guys think 8 is the minimum to do a good workout or is it ok too be struggling at 5-6-7 too with heavy weights?

 

[LaneDS]

Obsessed is the exact word they used. They didn't believe me when I told them I have little use for cheat meal. Besides, maybe I should have told them this, if I were to cheat itd be with fries and not cake




What I'm worried is they will actually be offended because of the birthday social context. Those are friends too

Seriously it's like I can't win

Exercise - "so when are you quitting?"

Diet - "you need to relax"

Appearance - " you are too skinny!" or "why you showing off muscles?"

FFS

I'm sure you know deep down you're making the right choice(s) for yourself, so I hope you don't let people like that impede your progress. I've started to get "you work out too much!" from some people I know, and while they might be a little right (I'll be late to social engagements because generally I won't let myself skip the day's workout) it's important to keep your focus in the face of pressure to eat less than ideal or not work as hard. Preaching to the choir, but maybe it helps hearing the reinforcement anyway.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

Did Shoulders & Arms yesterday and although my triceps are nice and sore I feel like I didn't really push my Biceps enough. Does anyone else feel that way with that workout or am I just not bringing it enough? I should probably up the weight or lower the weight on some but I hate breaking the flow of a workout switching out those damn weights. I did definitely struggle on the last curl up hammer down exercise but apart from that I don't really feel my biceps at all right now. Although I guess that means I might be able to push myself harder on friday with Legs & Back which I remember being pretty have on the arms for some reason.

PS I can't get the image of Moraine being in a porn shoot out of my head. Back when I was still a lurker someone in this thread discovered she was in some porn and I clicked it. GOD WHYYYY.

Remember that Shoulder And Arms is not focused on Biceps. I'd say it focuses on Shoulders and Triceps more.

When you get to Back and Biceps, then you'll feel an insane burn.

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

I'm using standard dumbells and when I see Tony's twin brother struggling on those last reps of the "hands in between knees crouching curls" (forgot the name) I probably should've switched them out since I definitely had weights that were too light at that point. I want to get two more dumbbell bars to not have to break the flow of the workout but that's like 40 bucks just for convenience so I'll probably just switch them out from now on.

Cohen curls? Keep your back straight during that part while bent over a bit, and you'll really feel the burn in a few reps.

 

[LaneDS]

I'm using standard dumbells and when I see Tony's twin brother struggling on those last reps of the "hands in between knees crouching curls" (forgot the name) I probably should've switched them out since I definitely had weights that were too light at that point. I want to get two more dumbbell bars to not have to break the flow of the workout but that's like 40 bucks just for convenience so I'll probably just switch them out from now on.

Congdon curls, I think? Or crouching cohen curls? I get them confused. I did those with 15-20 lbs my first run through of P90X and they were indeed very taxing. Do you have a wide range of dumbbells to choose from for your workouts?

If you can swing it, I highly recommend looking at the Powerblocks or one of the competing products. They're expensive, but it's a one-time investment in your health and will give you quick access to anywhere between 5 and 50 lbs per hand, which is very, very useful.

 

[Harry Potter]

Delicious Strawberry by Optimum Nutrition...I've made a huge mistake.

 

[LaneDS]

Delicious Strawberry by Optimum Nutrition...I've made a huge mistake.

Kinda subpar on its own, but if you blend up some frozen berries (unsweetened, of course) and add it to the mix it's pretty rad.

Edit: I am less productive today at work, unless my boss is measuring my P90X thread helpfulness.

 

[Harry Potter]

Kinda subpar on its own, but if you blend up some frozen berries (unsweetened, of course) and add it to the mix it's pretty rad.

Edit: I am less productive today at work, unless my boss is measuring my P90X thread helpfulness.

What I liked about the other flavors that I've had was that I never had to mix anything else with them. Made it easy for having a shake at work. I just need to plow through it and go back to a flavor I like.

 

[LaneDS]

What I liked about the other flavors that I've had was that I never had to mix anything else with them. Made it easy for having a shake at work. I just need to plow through it and go back to a flavor I like.

I wish there was a way to sample the flavors easily... protein powder is a crap shot. Just rolled the die on a 5 lb container of Syntha-6 chocolate peanut butter since it was $10 cheaper than the ON stuff... here's hoping that isn't also a mistake.

 

[Harry Potter]

I wish there was a way to sample the flavors easily... protein powder is a crap shot. Just rolled the die on a 5 lb container of Syntha-6 chocolate peanut butter since it was $10 cheaper than the ON stuff... here's hoping that isn't also a mistake.

Let me know what you think of it. I've been considering switching to Syntha-6. $52.99 for a tub of ON is getting ridiculous.

 

[LaneDS]

Will do. This will be my first time trying the brand, but I've seen it recommended enough where I felt comfortable trying it (and the price was right).

 

[KlotePino]

Congdon curls, I think? Or crouching cohen curls? I get them confused. I did those with 15-20 lbs my first run through of P90X and they were indeed very taxing. Do you have a wide range of dumbbells to choose from for your workouts?

If you can swing it, I highly recommend looking at the Powerblocks or one of the competing products. They're expensive, but it's a one-time investment in your health and will give you quick access to anywhere between 5 and 50 lbs per hand, which is very, very useful.

I remember looking at the powerblocks early on and although they look extremely useful they are a little out of my pricerange for now. I have two dumbbell bars with 2 different weights and I can always buy some smaller and bigger weights to make necessary adjustments. I just bought some neoprene lighter weights to do the triceps exercises but I definitely don't have the correct weights down for each exercise yet. I probably need to download a PDF of the workout sheet or something since I seem to have lost it .

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

Anyone using this for their workouts? Received a sample packet in my order for protein and I cranked out way too much in 2 hours...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/xplode.html

 

[Tenacious-V]

Alright, so I finally finished round 1 of P90X. I can't complain, it did wonders. I didn't think I would drop down this much weight, but I was pushing so hard to see if I could get in to single digit BF% before trying to size up (ended up at 15%). I'm also only 5'8" with a pretty small bone structure and frame size, so I guess it's not that bad.

 

[LaneDS]

Insane results, great job man! One of the bigger transitions I've seen in one round.

 

[Warrior_Keoni]

Alright, so I finally finished round 1 of P90X. I can't complain, it did wonders. I didn't think I would drop down this much weight, but I was pushing so hard to see if I could get in to single digit BF% before trying to size up (ended up at 15%). I'm also only 5'8" with a pretty small bone structure and frame size, so I guess it's not that bad.

Damn dude...congrats!

 

[nubbe]

awesome results
enjoy all the sex

 

[KlotePino]

Holy shit at those results, that's the dream man. Any tips or details on what you did?

 

[Harry Potter]

That's some inspirational shit right there Tenacious-V. Great work. DC should put this photo in the OP.

 

[Carlisle]

Hey dudes. Saw this thread and thought I'd jump into the fray with you all. I'm in the middle of my second attempt at P90X. The first one I quit halfway through (I only half-assed the first half anyway) because I started getting annoyed with the videos. That was a year and a half ago or so. But now I'm dedicated, doing every work out, watching the carbs and calories and protein, and bringing it! (ha)

Doing the lean routine as I'm mostly aiming to shed off this last bit of tummy and tone up for a strong healthy look. Just finished Day 4 of Week 5 this morning, and feeling great.

I always figured that the more you do, the stronger you get, and the easier it goes. But as it turns out, when you're starting you're weaker and your form is off, so you're not getting the full effect of the work out. So the more you do, the stronger you get, the more correctly you do the moves, and that makes it even harder, not easier. The soreness slowly fades but I'm sweating out more now than I did on day 1. It's a continually inclining uphill climb. The perfect workout.

It's crazy, it hurts, but I've never felt better.

Edit: Jesus H Christ Tenacious.

 

[criesofthepast]

Holy shit Tenacious that is insane. Nicely done.

 

[obijkenobi]

Alright, so I finally finished round 1 of P90X. I can't complain, it did wonders. I didn't think I would drop down this much weight, but I was pushing so hard to see if I could get in to single digit BF% before trying to size up (ended up at 15%). I'm also only 5'8" with a pretty small bone structure and frame size, so I guess it's not that bad.

I'm at 11.7% bf and I'm nowhere near that cut. You sure you're at 15%?

 

[Harry Potter]

I'm at 11.7% bf and I'm nowhere near that cut. You sure you're at 15%?

Body fat % looks different for everyone but I too was surprised by that number.

 

[InsaneZero]

Everything was going all fine and dandy until the halfway point for ARX, where my leg calves started to cramp pretty badly. After that my form started to turn bad, until it got to the point where I basically had to stop to do leg stretches. I did manage to finish the damn thing in the end, but man that wasn't a pleasurable experience.

Also, I think I also fucked up my neck and back from bad sleeping posture two days back, so I'm actually looking forward to Yoga X today to work on all these issues.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

Fucking fantastic results Tenacious-V. Seems like you have great genes, but it also shows you brought it.

Can you share a little more info about your diet, the amount of weight you used, supplements and other similar stuff?

 

[Tenacious-V]

Thanks guys, it was mostly the diet. I really micromanaged everything, portion sizes, and upped my protein while still keeping a relatively low calorie limit.

For my size when I started, maintenance was around 2200calories if I was sedentary. I took in 1500 (net) calories a day. Cut out all fried food, no salt, and no sugar except for what was in the fruit I mixed in my smoothies. I had Sunday as my cheat day, where I could eat whatever I liked, but still stuck to 1500 (net).

As for the BF%, from what I hear it depends on the person and usually it's hard to tell between 16% - 11%. Once you hit 10 and under, you really start to look crazy cut.

 

[embalm]

My Recovery week was rudely interrupted by a massive cold that felt more like the flu. Now I feel good, but I'm still hacking and coughing.

Any suggestions for jumping back in? Wait or go for it?

 

[SteeloDMZ]

My Recovery week was rudely interrupted by a massive cold that felt more like the flu. Now I feel good, but I'm still hacking and coughing.

Any suggestions for jumping back in? Wait or go for it?

It hapenned to me too during my only X2 Recovery Week.

The best thing to do is let your body heal completely. Drink lots of Vitamin C juices and stuff, then comeback strong after the cold is gone.

 

[PKrockin]

Alright, so I finally finished round 1 of P90X. I can't complain, it did wonders. I didn't think I would drop down this much weight, but I was pushing so hard to see if I could get in to single digit BF% before trying to size up (ended up at 15%). I'm also only 5'8" with a pretty small bone structure and frame size, so I guess it's not that bad.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7556182682_c17e21e171_b.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/3UwKq.jpg

 

[Tenacious-V]

Fucking fantastic results Tenacious-V. Seems like you have great genes, but it also shows you brought it.

Can you share a little more info about your diet, the amount of weight you used, supplements and other similar stuff?

Lots of chicken breasts, tuna, other fishes, and the occasional steak/extra lean ground beef. I order bulk whey protein ($175 for 25lbs) and have usually 2 shakes a day in between meals.

Only whole wheat breads, and limited at that. Most of my carbs came from the veggies I ate.

The supplements I used, other than the whey were really just for general health.

I take NOW ADAM multivitamins (they're cheap and they use the better versions of certain ingredients)
Vitamin D3
Omega 3
GCM (glucosamine) for joints. Not sure if it actually works, so I may stop that one.

I tried creatine but didn't notice anything really and I felt a little off, so I stopped.

I didn't really have many weights at home, only 10, 15, 20, 25s so that's the max/min I could use for any given exercise. Sometimes it's definitely not enough, especially for things like lawnmowers. It won't be enough soon, for curls, but for now it's manageable.

 

[dab0ne]

Alright, so I finally finished round 1 of P90X. I can't complain, it did wonders. I didn't think I would drop down this much weight, but I was pushing so hard to see if I could get in to single digit BF% before trying to size up (ended up at 15%). I'm also only 5'8" with a pretty small bone structure and frame size, so I guess it's not that bad.

Great work brother. Keep on keeping on man. I just finished my week six legs and back. It's still a rocker. I've noticed the workouts get harder as you go. I thought they would get easier as I got more used to working out but the better shape you're in the more you can bring which means deeper lunges and less time to break and shake it out. All in all I'm doing pretty well. I'm roughly half way through week 6 and I've lost 15 pounds. I'm gonna keep bringing it if you guys do too. Hope I can get some results like you though dude. Excellent work.

Edit: Fish Oil is supposed to work for joints. I take them everyday because my wife recommended it (she's a family physician). I haven't had any real joint problems yet.