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[Not a Jellyfish]

Well week 7 would be beginning for me right now but week 6 never got finished because I was in a car accident. Broke my right forearm in two places. Going to have to start over when I heal now. Not fun.

 

[LM4sure]

First time doing kenpo X. Man that was a lot of fun and not nearly as grueling as everything else thus far. I still haven't managed to fit in ab ripper X though. I really gotta get better at fitting that into my schedule as my abs are easily the weakest region on me.

I'll probably do Kenpo X on rest days too as it's a pretty nice cardio workout. I felt like I was in a dojo again lol

That's the reason I didn't like Kenpo X: it wasn't nearly grueling enough. And it got boring after the second or third time of doing it. I ended up just running 5 miles the Kenpo X days as I was able to push myself a lot more than I was able to with the Kenpo routine.

 

[turnbuckle]

That's the reason I didn't like Kenpo X: it wasn't nearly grueling enough. And it got boring after the second or third time of doing it. I ended up just running 5 miles the Kenpo X days as I was able to push myself a lot more than I was able to with the Kenpo routine.

I can see it being a bit of a drag if it becomes too easy, but it still got me sweating pretty good. I just noticed it was the first workout that I didn't have to put in a couple breaks myself. There really wasn't much for breaks at all if you do the light cardio exercises (jacks, jump rope, etc) between groups of exercises. My sides are a little sore today so it must be targetting something I haven't done a good job of working out myself in the past. I go indoor rock climbing 3 times a week so I'm gonna schedule kenpo for a couple of those climbing days. Doing the shoulder and arms workout after a couple hours of climbing was a bit of a pathetic experience lol.

Well week 7 would be beginning for me right now but week 6 never got finished because I was in a car accident. Broke my right forearm in two places. Going to have to start over when I heal now. Not fun.

Ouch. Hope you have a quick and successful recovery man.

 

[qwerty2k]

Think im going to give P90 a go as i don't think im ready for P90X, just got to wait for my back/shoulder to feel better before i start. Are protein shakes/bars necessary and if so are shakes much preferred to bars?

 

[runlikehell]

First recovery week started today... Yoga X is so awesome

 

[Lionheart1827]

Just started up my 3rd week of phase 1. Progressed even further with pushups by increasing from 123 to 165 total today. Not too shabby.

 

[FOOTE]

Looks like I tweaked my shoulder a little yesterday doing the "Scare Crow" move. It is not serious by any means, but I definitely feel slightly weaker in my right shoulder. I wasn't really sure yesterday if I had hurt myself, but I did feel something happen to my shoulder and I stopped the move right away.

I'm going to work though it. I did a few small sets of push-ups and pull-ups (even though it was plyo day too) I did well enough, and I don't think I feel anything more then I did earlier. I'll probably skip the "Scare Crow" move forever now though as I already hate the straight arm moves(it's a straight arm move in my mind) . I was using 10lbs btw.

 

[LCfiner]

BACKING OUT OF TROUBLE

CAAAAAAAWWWWWW!

 

[duk]

Someone told me that my video was shared here. Yep.. that's me in the video. If you guys have any questions - I'm here to help.

I read through some of the discussion and have a few comments:

In RE: Supplements

Some have said you don't need supplements or to just buy cheap ones. To use an analogy, that's like trying to build a racecar with hyundai parts. I didn't use a lot of extreme supplements during my transformation but there's several that are key:


1) Whey Protein from Optimum Nutrition or Cytosport - essential for raising your protein intake to 40-50% of daily calories.
2) Oxy Elite pro (for 30 days) and Cellucor D4 (for 30 days) - these help to raise your metabolism.
3) Recovery Drink - I used Endurox R4 for 60 days then upgraded to P90X R&R (better now w/ fructose and artificial sweeteners removed). These rock for reducing soreness and replenishing the glycogen (energy) in your muscles.
4) Creatine from Optimum Nutrition - volumizes muscle, helps in recovery (I used this for last 30 days)
5) Shakeology meal replacement - super healthy shake that improves just about everything. Yeah it's expensive but it's worth it. Sometimes you have to pay for quality.

Anyway - I'm on round 2 now focusing purely on increasing muscle. I'm up 7 lbs (to 183) in 7 weeks , 5 of them muscle. I'm doing this for another 7 weeks (trying to reach 192) then starting Insanity Asylum to cut back up.

I'm targetting 3600 calories a day, which is about a 600 calorie surplus during the bulk phase. This comes out to 1 lb gain a week.

To all of you who are doing P90X, Hat's off to you. It's very tough but it's worth it.

Just remember, nutrition and supplements are 70% of the game.

David

Wow that's you? I saw your video before I got into P90x and I must admit it was one of the most motivational vid on P90x.

 

[alejob]

First day of week 3. Don't know whats going on but the last couple of work outs my legs have been feeling tight. Almost got cramps/ charlie horses doing the dive bombers today and same thing happened either yesterday on the stretch or maybe it was Saturday on Kempo X.

I don't feel as sore anymore. Though my back was sore from shoveling snow Saturday morning.

The other weird thing is that on pushups I can feel the pain and I get tired faster on my arms rather than my chest. That must be why some of you guys are saying that chest is the weakest part of the program. Maybe I should start doing bench presses or maybe once my arms get stronger the chest will start getting a better work out.

I've lost some weight, my pants started to fall down and now I have to use the next hole on my belt.

I'm 6'4" and started at 208lbs. I will weigh myself again at the end of the first month.

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

Just started P90X+ in place of a few weeks of normal routines during Phase 3...

Upper Body Plus is no joke. It is all endurance type stuff - pick a weight that you can use for a minute straight or 90 seconds straight. The video is only 40 minutes long, but it works you like nothing else.

Abs/Core Plus is also pretty rough. I don't think it targets the Abs as much as Ab Ripper X, but you do a ton of moves in 20 minutes. Good stuff.

 

[ArachosiA 78]

Think im going to give P90 a go as i don't think im ready for P90X, just got to wait for my back/shoulder to feel better before i start. Are protein shakes/bars necessary and if so are shakes much preferred to bars?

They aren't necessary, but if you don't incorporate them into your diet, you're gonna have to be eating a lot of meat to get your protein requirements (which can become rather expensive). I drink two protein shakes a day in order to boost my protein intake to 50% of my calories. The other 4 meals I eat have some form of lean protein like eggs, chicken, turkey or fish.

Without protein shakes, I would have to eat lean protein 6 times a day. Not only is that expensive, but I personally don't like eating a big hunk of chicken breast right before bed.

Another advantage of protein shakes or bars is that sometimes you wake up late and just don't have any time for breakfast. In these cases, it's nice to be able to grab a shake or bar instead.

Personally, I would rather have a protein shake than a protein bar. While they might exist, I have never seen a protein bar that didn't also have a ton of carbs. Protein shakes, on the other hand, are mostly pure protein, so they are very low in carbs. I don't mind a protein bar once in a while (they help with when you have a craving for sweets), but I wouldn't want to be eating one every day if I was trying to lose weight.

 

[duk]

core synergistics tonight!

 

[Talladega Knight]

just got this in the mail. what's the consensus on this? i'm pretty fucking excited to start. i plan on starting tomorrow. can this really get me ripped by summer (or by mid-summer)?

 

[rkn]

core synergistics tonight!

superman! ba-na-na

One of my favorites, really like the stacked foot/staggered hands push-up, and the prison push-ups, but hate the sphinx push-up.

 

[rkn]

just got this in the mail. what's the consensus on this? i'm pretty fucking excited to start. i plan on starting tomorrow. can this really get me ripped by summer (or by mid-summer)?

You got all the gear you need? I'm loving it, good thing to be excited, but I didn't want to believe it, it will definitely wear on you, 90 days is tough to pull through when life gets in the way, just keep going, also, don't forget the diet!

 

[Talladega Knight]

You got all the gear you need? I'm loving it, good thing to be excited, but I didn't want to believe it, it will definitely wear on you, 90 days is tough to pull through when life gets in the way, just keep going, also, don't forget the diet!

yup, i have all the stuff. all i need to do is pop in the first dvd and get started! i work 9-5, i'm single, just moved into my own condo, i have all the time in the world. i'm really stoked about seeing results.

 

[DR3AM]

are u guys working out at home or at the gym?

 

[duk]

are u guys working out at home or at the gym?

home, that's why i love it

 

[ArachosiA 78]

core synergistics tonight!

I got core today, too. I kind of dread it because of all the rolling around on the floor you gotta do. I have to workout in my garage, which is cold and wet from all the snow that has melted off my car. Not fun to roll around on...

 

[Iron_Scimitar]

are u guys working out at home or at the gym?

HOME.

No gym fees, no awkward looks, no dirty equipment, zero travel time, workout at your leisure.

 

[duk]

damnit i lost another 2lbs, was hoping to gain 2 lol

i've been upping my protein intake for a month now, i guess i gotta do more than just that

 

[Prodigal]

They aren't necessary, but if you don't incorporate them into your diet, you're gonna have to be eating a lot of meat to get your protein requirements (which can become rather expensive). I drink two protein shakes a day in order to boost my protein intake to 50% of my calories. The other 4 meals I eat have some form of lean protein like eggs, chicken, turkey or fish.

Without protein shakes, I would have to eat lean protein 6 times a day. Not only is that expensive, but I personally don't like eating a big hunk of chicken breast right before bed.

Another advantage of protein shakes or bars is that sometimes you wake up late and just don't have any time for breakfast. In these cases, it's nice to be able to grab a shake or bar instead.

Personally, I would rather have a protein shake than a protein bar. While they might exist, I have never seen a protein bar that didn't also have a ton of carbs. Protein shakes, on the other hand, are mostly pure protein, so they are very low in carbs. I don't mind a protein bar once in a while (they help with when you have a craving for sweets), but I wouldn't want to be eating one every day if I was trying to lose weight.

Any recommendation for a particular kind of protein shake?

Also if I'm trying to lose weight while doing P90x (only need to lose about 10-15 more lbs), should I still get some protein shake stuff?

 

[qwerty2k]

They aren't necessary, but if you don't incorporate them into your diet, you're gonna have to be eating a lot of meat to get your protein requirements (which can become rather expensive). I drink two protein shakes a day in order to boost my protein intake to 50% of my calories. The other 4 meals I eat have some form of lean protein like eggs, chicken, turkey or fish.

Without protein shakes, I would have to eat lean protein 6 times a day. Not only is that expensive, but I personally don't like eating a big hunk of chicken breast right before bed.

Another advantage of protein shakes or bars is that sometimes you wake up late and just don't have any time for breakfast. In these cases, it's nice to be able to grab a shake or bar instead.

Personally, I would rather have a protein shake than a protein bar. While they might exist, I have never seen a protein bar that didn't also have a ton of carbs. Protein shakes, on the other hand, are mostly pure protein, so they are very low in carbs. I don't mind a protein bar once in a while (they help with when you have a craving for sweets), but I wouldn't want to be eating one every day if I was trying to lose weight.

Thanks for the information much appreciated

 

[exarkun]

If your chest is feeling weaker, I would suggest substituting the pushups with bench. I do it, and it works well. When you do that, it really does feel like some of the older crossfit routines. Especially the chest/back and chest/shoulder workouts.

 

[ArachosiA 78]

Any recommendation for a particular kind of protein shake?

Also if I'm trying to lose weight while doing P90x (only need to lose about 10-15 more lbs), should I still get some protein shake stuff?

I use CytoSport's whey protein. I can get it for $35 at Costco, and it's high quality protein. This is a good deal...so if you're a Costco member I would recommend this.


Protein shakes are useful if you're trying to lose weight (just make sure you use a protein powder that is low in carbs...like 2-3 grams per serving). If you drink a protein shake after your workout it should help with muscle recovery.

To me, the greatest benefit of protein shakes is that they offer a relatively inexpensive alternative to lean protein. I eat 6 times a day, and eating chicken or turkey breast that many times a day gets old real fast. Also, protein shakes are super easy to make and give me a little variety in my diet. As well, they help satisfy my sweet tooth and of course help with repairing muscles. So yeah, I wouldn't want to do P90X without protein shakes.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Damn sorry to hear man. The one exercise I took it a little easy on was the three kick combo. My hamstrings, especially the left are very right in general and I had a hard time keeping balance and good form switching to the back kick. I could see the elbow combo or the block, punch,cross, cut (or however that went) causing shoulder problems too if one isn't careful. I definitely kicked my butt in the workout, but it was the least "painful" of the ones I've done thus far.

It's not too bad, I can still do pretty much everything since it's not the muscle, just the joint.

I took it pretty easy on the push-ups in the Chest & Back routine though.

 

[Rocket786]

Someone told me that my video was shared here. Yep.. that's me in the video. If you guys have any questions - I'm here to help.

I read through some of the discussion and have a few comments:

In RE: Supplements

Some have said you don't need supplements or to just buy cheap ones. To use an analogy, that's like trying to build a racecar with hyundai parts. I didn't use a lot of extreme supplements during my transformation but there's several that are key:


1) Whey Protein from Optimum Nutrition or Cytosport - essential for raising your protein intake to 40-50% of daily calories.
2) Oxy Elite pro (for 30 days) and Cellucor D4 (for 30 days) - these help to raise your metabolism.
3) Recovery Drink - I used Endurox R4 for 60 days then upgraded to P90X R&R (better now w/ fructose and artificial sweeteners removed). These rock for reducing soreness and replenishing the glycogen (energy) in your muscles.
4) Creatine from Optimum Nutrition - volumizes muscle, helps in recovery (I used this for last 30 days)
5) Shakeology meal replacement - super healthy shake that improves just about everything. Yeah it's expensive but it's worth it. Sometimes you have to pay for quality.

Anyway - I'm on round 2 now focusing purely on increasing muscle. I'm up 7 lbs (to 183) in 7 weeks , 5 of them muscle. I'm doing this for another 7 weeks (trying to reach 192) then starting Insanity Asylum to cut back up.

I'm targetting 3600 calories a day, which is about a 600 calorie surplus during the bulk phase. This comes out to 1 lb gain a week.

To all of you who are doing P90X, Hat's off to you. It's very tough but it's worth it.

Just remember, nutrition and supplements are 70% of the game.

David

That is an awesome transformation! If you get a chance, mind sharing some tips on how you are gaining weight with P90X? I've lost enough weight through a couple rounds, and now trying to gain weight, and it's just not happening so far. Taking the Optimum whey protein twice a day, Optimum Creatine once a day, protein bar once a day, and the rest with lean meats and complex carbs. I'm not taking any of the pills as my metabolism is super high right now regardless.

I am increasing my calories almost every 2-3 weeks to try to find a number that will help increase my weight. Also bought some adjustable dumbbells so I can max out at around 8 reps. Just got those last week though, so haven't had too many workouts to build muscle yet. Any tips would be appreciated!

 

[DR3AM]

if i buy the set and start working out from home, will i need any other equipemnt? any weights or a mat?

 

[duk]

if i buy the set and start working out from home, will i need any other equipemnt? any weights or a mat?

search is your friend sir or P90x.com will answer these faqs

 

[rkn]

if i buy the set and start working out from home, will i need any other equipemnt? any weights or a mat?

You definitely don't need everything they say, ie. heart rate monitor, yoga block, yoga mat. I'd say at the bare minimum you'd need a set of resistance bands. That's all I had when I started, of course now I've got all the other crap too.

 

[Lionheart1827]

Phew, finished 3rd week of Plyo in Phase 1. Really impressed by my progress. I was able to make it 3/4 through it before hitting the pause button to rest, and the reason was I got a damn cramp.

Good stuff though.

if i buy the set and start working out from home, will i need any other equipemnt? any weights or a mat?

You'll need some kind of weights to do a lot of the big muscle group exercises. You can get some cheap adjustable ones or you can get individual style hex dumbbells. You can also use resistance bands as well.

If you want the best workout, I would invest in the pull-up bar if you can put it somewhere in your house/apartment(the ones that just latch into your door frame in 1 second). You can get resistance bands but it doesn't give you the same workout as a pull-up bar(as far as some people here and at the p90x forums have said).

Other than that you don't really need to get anything else as everything else can really be substituted in your house. Example, yoga block can easily be replaced by a phone book or some kind of thick soft cover book. You may not even need a yoga block. And dont forget to bring it!

 

[Dr. Malik]

are u guys working out at home or at the gym?

At the gym for the workouts that require weights.

I did Core Synergistics today, I pretty much half-assed it since its not noob friendly.

 

[ArachosiA 78]

Ugh...core synergystics was kinda hard today. I felt like I was having trouble keeping up and had to take a couple extra short breaks. For some reason, my shoulders felt really weak, too.

On the plus side, I hit 198 lb today. I started at about 215, so...17 lbs in 7 weeks. And still have almost 6 weeks left. I'll be happy if I can get to 190 by the end of this round of P90X. After that, I'm sure I'll still have a little ways to go...probably another 10-15 lbs...so I plan on starting up another round of P90X in April.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

 

[Neki]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

muscle replacing fat.

 

[Lionheart1827]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

Eh dont be sad, I havent really lost much either and I'm on my 3rd week. Lost about 1.5 pounds and who knows it could've been water weight. However, I have noticed increased energy and performance in just about every subsequent day. Dont give up man!

 

[BertramCooper]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

P90X isn't about rapid weight loss.

Stick with it. You'll be glad you did.

 

[rkn]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

I wouldn't worry about the scale, especially at 1 week. I lost more weight with my diet than with P90X and I'm end of week 5. My weight fluctuates like crazy, my plateau was 190ish with my diet, last time I stepped on the scale I was 182, stepped on just now and was 186, the damn thing lies, LIES I tell you.

Photos! I looked at my day 30 photos and see the difference, more importantly I feel it.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Eh dont be sad, I havent really lost much either and I'm on my 3rd week. Lost about 1.5 pounds and who knows it could've been water weight. However, I have noticed increased energy and performance in just about every subsequent day. Dont give up man!

I did manage to make it through Plyo today. It's MUCH easier the second time around, although I mean "easier" from the relative standpoint of being collapsed on the ground heaving in Week 1, and just pausing for a bit between exercises and modifying a bit in Week 2.

 

[Le-mo]

I started the first day of month 2 today. I can't wait to see the changes after this month.

 

[ArachosiA 78]

Week and a half in and still haven't lost a damn pound.

Good times.

What's your diet looking like?

 

[Angry Grimace]

What's your diet looking like?

I eat pizza for every meal. Why isn't this working?

No, seriously, pretty much exactly like the one in the P90X book, although frankly, that diet is for the most part duplicative of the diets in most decent workout programs, so I'm already familiar with it.

Like a lot of people doing P90X, I used to be in shape but have gone to seed, so to speak. So diet isn't really an issue.

 

[TOM f'N CRUISE]

hahaha awesome




well guys...day 1 complete.

 

[ArachosiA 78]

I eat pizza for every meal. Why isn't this working?

No, seriously, pretty much exactly like the one in the P90X book, although frankly, that diet is for the most part duplicative of the diets in most decent workout programs, so I'm already familiar with it.

Like a lot of people doing P90X, I used to be in shape but have gone to seed, so to speak. So diet isn't really an issue.

Hmm...in that case, I would say just stick with the program. The weight will come off. But I know it's incredibly frustrating when you work so damn hard and don't see any results. Weight loss doesn't make any sense sometimes. In the second week of this, I didn't lose any weight, and on the third week I actually gained a pound. Then on the 4th week I lost, like, 4 lbs. Then it pretty much leveled out to 2 lbs per week.

 

[duk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxMwrcey5GA

lindsay issss sooo fine!

 

[Dr. Malik]

Anybody recommend some good Resistance Bands from Amazon. Just know my greatest fear is for them to rip and hit me in the eye

 

[exarkun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxMwrcey5GA

lindsay issss sooo fine!

damn.

probably some dude made that. found the pictures on line.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Anybody recommend some good Resistance Bands from Amazon. Just know my greatest fear is for them to rip and hit me in the eye

That can't really happen other than with pull up substitutes.

I just look down :lol

 

[alejob]

So Monday I start the first recovery week. I'm thinking of riding the bike in the mornings for that week so I can burn a few more calories. Is it a bad idea?