Gypsy's Guide Through P90X

[Builtgypsy]

Prologue:

Oh, man, am I out of shape. I've been kind of paranoid since the surgeries about jumping back into any kind of major program to fix that, but I'm more fed up with where I'm at.

I realize round is still a shape, but it's the wrong one.

In the past, I looked toward Vince Gironda (the grandfather of weight lifting as we know it today), Tom Venuto, Jon Benson, Skip Lacour, the 100 push ups challenge (this thing kicks ass) and HIIT (also kicks much ass), among so many others and other things that made it a lot of fun to get into stupidly good shape.

I've played around with P90X before, had a chance to see some of the DVDs, and I thought they had the same kind of positive, fun ambiance that I like and that keeps workouts from being boring. I also figured I'd keep myself entertained by keeping a little journal of the 90 days of P90X here. Someone may even get a laugh or two out of it.

[blurr]

Since I quit fighting weight lifting only took its place for quit awhile until I got tired of not being able to find shirts to fit my arms, so I let that slide and found the total gym, have had one for ten years now and I absolutely love it, have never got bored but with that said I have not used it as much as I should. (that would require less posting).

[Builtgypsy]

Day 1: Chest and Back

So this one's all pushing and pulling. Push ups of varying difficulties mixed with pull ups of varying difficulties with very little weights. Lasts for just under an hour. I watched it first without actually doing anything earlier in the day, so I'd know what the expect; I think I'll keep this up with all of them.

The day after, I am so sore. But it's worth the euphoria, that post-workout bliss that has you flying high on endorphins. Slept like a baby afterward. It's a good first start, but man, am I nowhere near what the people on these things can do. Used to be, I could do the 87 push ups in two minutes required to get a perfect score on the Navy PRT. Now? Not so much.

There are just some things I cannot do because of my wrist, so when those times hit I'd just hop on the stationary bike and HIIT it for a minute. By the end of that hour, I felt nauseous until I got a shower and some eggs and oatmeal. And drank like half a gallon of water.

Now that's the mark of a good workout.

[Builtgypsy]

Day 2: Plyometrics

Jump. Squat. Repeat indefinitely. Cry. You're halfway through.

If how my legs feel tonight is any indication, walking is out of the question tomorrow. If my arms are working again after the never ending push ups from Day 1, I might be able to crawl. If not, I think Hospice can come help me with a diaper.

I couldn't do about half of it, the parts that require a whole lot of jumping around; I'm not putting my downstairs neighbors through that. Not nice, being inconsiderate like that. So again, the stationary bike was my friend. I may substitute Kenpo next time, because I really don't want to worry about bothering the neighbors.

I don't think there's a better post-workout meal than eggs and oatmeal. Back on base, the gym opened up early on the weekends, so I'd be waiting for it to open, practically have the whole thing to myself for an hour for some crazy power-lifting, then go have half a dozen eggs, two peanut butter and jelly sammiches, oatmeal and a glass or two of milk. Good times.

[Whymista]

87 psh you squid!

I've considered doing this but I'm going back to my method of doing lots of reps of medium weight since I'm just trying to pick up a little weight and get definition, however I shall monitor your thread sailor.

[Builtgypsy]

Originally Posted by Whymista

87 psh you squid!

Those are the requirements for the 20-whatever age group.

Originally Posted by Whymista

I've considered doing this but I'm going back to my method of doing lots of reps of medium weight since I'm just trying to pick up a little weight and get definition, however I shall monitor your thread sailor.

That's Vince Gironda, right there. My favorites are the 6-sets-of-6-reps and the 8-sets-of-8-reps, 20 seconds rest between sets.

[Builtgypsy]

Originally Posted by blurr

Since I quit fighting weight lifting only took its place for quit awhile until I got tired of not being able to find shirts to fit my arms, so I let that slide and found the total gym, have had one for ten years now and I absolutely love it, have never got bored but with that said I have not used it as much as I should. (that would require less posting).

I was having the same problems with shirts. The chest and arms would be all stretched out, it looked really goofy after a while, and it was a pain to get really baggy shirts because they looked like mumus.

I think I've used the Total Gym before. That's the one Chuck Norris advertises for, isn't it? It was pretty cool, and the quick-change setups led me to find the equally cool PowerBlock dumbbells. I love these things to death.
PowerBlock - World's Best Dumbbell

[Whymista]

Originally Posted by Builtgypsy

Those are the requirements for the 20-whatever age group.


So typical of the underachieving squid
That's Vince Gironda, right there. My favorites are the 6-sets-of-6-reps and the 8-sets-of-8-reps, 20 seconds rest between sets.

I'll have to check him out. Thats pretty much what I did. I'd work out all day practically and when it came to abs I'd do easily over a thousand flutter kicks and hello dollies

[Whymista]

Originally Posted by Builtgypsy

I was having the same problems with shirts. The chest and arms would be all stretched out, it looked really goofy after a while, and it was a pain to get really baggy shirts because they looked like mumus.

I think I've used the Total Gym before. That's the one Chuck Norris advertises for, isn't it? It was pretty cool, and the quick-change setups led me to find the equally cool PowerBlock dumbbells. I love these things to death.
PowerBlock - World's Best Dumbbell

I had the opposite problem when I got back from Iraq and even up until I recently just flat out stopped working out at all. I generally wear a medium shirt but on short sleeved and even short sleeved my arms would be to big but the chest would be fine. If I went larger it looked baggy on me but the arms fit. I ended up looking like I was trying to show off when I really wasn't

[Builtgypsy]

Originally Posted by Whymista

...when it came to abs I'd do easily over a thousand flutter kicks and hello dollies

Repetitive ab workouts drove me up the wall, so I'd treat them like any other workout I was doing. I'd grab a 45-plate or two for regular crunches, use the pulley machine, stick my feet through the grips, whatever, just do normal sets. It wasn't about the aesthetics for me, so I didn't mind having a really thick middle.