10.2 – Rest. My Individual Challenge

Day 1 was a bootcamp that I modified on the fly to include mostly abs so I don’t have a good record of what we did. I can say it was lots of crunches, hip raises, some dog raises, flutters, standing elbow touches and boat to shoulder stand. My abs are sore today so I know it worked!

In order to see some changes, I am going to have to make some changes. This morning I hopped on the scale to see how far the last round at 51% put me back. I was relieved to see that I was up only 4 lbs weighing in at 236lbs. If I am going to get down to 220lbs I need to do the following:

Pick up with Fitday again. This will keep my diet strictly on track and maintain my focus.
Document every day, not just activity days with my weight, and occasionally my bodyfat % although the scale I use to measure fat isn’t the best.

In fact I have been toying with the idea of getting another scale that does hydration level in order to get a better idea about my fat levels. I am thinking about the Tanita 549, anyone with any experience with them is welcome to comment or fire me an email.

Watch my portion sizes a little more closely, although FitDay should keep that in check.
Sleep more. I tend to get around 5-6 hours a night, I would like to push that to 8. That means going to bed at 10pm which I am not used to by any stretch.
Drink more. I think my hydration is a little low at times, I need to pay a little more attention to that.

After all that, I have figured out what we did on Monday, and here is the run down:

D21 3.12.1 Abs Blast

1x section
20 Pulse crunch
20 In and Out
20 swing kicks
20 Crunchy Frog
20 Side Crunch each side

1x section
20 standing Knee raise
20 standing leg raise
20 swing kicks
10 vsnaps
10 roll to boat

1x section
Plank hold 30s
Plank knee to elbow
Plank knee to elbow with kick back
40 dog raise
40 dog raise back

x1 section – Feet on blocks
Hip raised hold 30s
20 Hip raise
10 hip raise crossed leg each
10 Hip raise stacked feet each
10 hip raise leg up each
20 flutter 5 position

x1 section
10 X Jacks
10 diamond jumps
10 wide knee tuck jumps
10 vsnaps
10 rollback hold to shoulder stand

x1 section
5x low jacks and pulse 4+8
10 burpee with half turn
20 knees up same elbow
20 knees up opposite elbow
40 happy dance

x2 section (actually only did 1x)
10 in and out
10 crunchy frog
10 ARX bicycle (forwards and backwards)
10 full sit up
10 side crunch
20 side to side flutter (on your back) 3 position
10 russian twists
10 rollback hold to shoulder stand

 

10.1 – The Last 10 Pounds

I have decided that this “round” should be concentrated on getting rid of my last 10 lbs of bodyfat to get me around the 220lb mark. This would signify meeting my ultimate goal weight which is a big deal among the gravitationally challenged. As mentioned yesterday I have very little in the way of actual choices, except for the bootcamp and WOD for gymnastics over which I have complete control. Having said that, I think the biggest difference is going to be frequency. For round 9 I took 175 days to do 90 workouts which averaged only 51% workout ratio. Compare that to Round 8 which was a whopping 70% ratio and a 64% ratio from back in my P90X/Insanity Hybrid days. Yes, it appears as though I am slacking off. I wanted to make it to 5 days a week which works out to 71% and for this round I think it’s critical that I try to maintain a higher work rate. I am not sure what the reason was behind the drop for round 9 other than it was the start of bootcamp which in the beginning made sure I took at least 2 days a week off to recover. Add that to occasional days off during the weekend and you are already down to 4 days a week, or 57%. Now that I have the hang of bootcamp and I am also able to train the girls again with tougher conditioning that they can do with me I am hoping upping the frequency will be a cinch.

My weeks are going to look something like this (at least until July 1st):

Monday, 06/04/2012 1 Bootcamp 3 Cardio and Abs
Tuesday, 06/05/2012 2 OFF
Wednesday, 06/06/2012 3 Bootcamp 3 Bodyweight
Thursday, 06/07/2012 4 RKC Thursday
Friday, 06/08/2012 5 WOD Friday
Saturday, 06/09/2012 6 WORKOUT CHOICE
Sunday, 06/10/2012 7 OFF
Monday, 06/11/2012 8 Bootcamp 3 Weights
Tuesday, 06/12/2012 9 OFF
Wednesday, 06/13/2012 10 Bootcamp 3 Cardio and Abs
Thursday, 06/14/2012 11 RKC Thursday
Friday, 06/15/2012 12 WOD Friday
Saturday, 06/16/2012 13 WORKOUT CHOICE
Sunday, 06/17/2012 14 OFF
Monday, 06/18/2012 15 Bootcamp 3 Bodyweight
Tuesday, 06/19/2012 16 OFF
Wednesday, 06/20/2012 17 Bootcamp 3 Weights
Thursday, 06/21/2012 18 RKC Thursday
Friday, 06/22/2012 19 Cardio Friday
Saturday, 06/23/2012 20 WORKOUT CHOICE
Sunday, 06/24/2012 21 OFF
Monday, 06/25/2012 22 Bootcamp 3 Cardio and Abs
Tuesday, 06/26/2012 23 OFF
Wednesday, 06/27/2012 24 Bootcamp 3 Bodyweight
Thursday, 06/28/2012 25 RKC Thursday
Friday, 06/29/2012 26 WOD Friday
Saturday, 06/30/2012 27 WORKOUT CHOICE

That’s 74%!!

 

 

R9D90 – The End.

I decided as a treat for ending round 9 that I would do Plyocide. I then succeeded in justifying 2 days off to “plan” my next move. To be honest, with the way my bootcamp and gymnastics are going plus the requirement for RKC every week my choices are limited. I have 3 days of gymnastics / bootcamp, 1 day of RKC and a projected 2 days rest. That means I am down to 1 day where I can do a workout of my choosing. So what are my choices? Well, I made a short list of the workouts I could do and I am thinking of putting them in a hat and pulling one every week… It seems as good a method as any.

Here are my choices from my stack of DVD workouts:

P90X

Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
Plyometrics
Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
Yoga X
Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
Kenpo X
Rest / Stretch X
Core Synergistics
Chest, Shoulders & Tris, Ab Ripper X
Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X

P90X2

X2 Core
Plyocide
Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility
X2 Total Body + X2 Ab Ripper
X2 Yoga
X2 Balance and Power
Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper
X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper
Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper
PAP Lower
PAP Upper

INSANITY

Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Cardio Power & Resistance
Cardio Recovery
Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
Core Cardio & Balance
Max Interval Circuit
Max Interval Plyo
Max Cardio Conditioning
Max Recovery

INSANTY ASYLUM

Speed and Agility
Strength
Back to Core
Vertical Plyo
Relief
Game Day
Game Day / Overtime

I then decided to isolate them to the appropriate methodology used, either strength or cardio with a separate section for recovery, yoga, stretching, abs etc.

Strength

Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
Chest, Shoulders & Tris, Ab Ripper X
Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X
X2 Total Body + X2 Ab Ripper
X2 Balance and Power
Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper
X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper
Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper
PAP Lower
PAP Upper
P90X2 Strength

Cardio

Plyometrics
Kenpo X
Plyocide
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Cardio Power & Resistance
Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
Core Cardio & Balance
Max Interval Circuit
Max Interval Plyo
Max Cardio Conditioning
Speed and Agility
Vertical Plyo
Game Day
Game Day / Overtime

Recovery / Yoga / Abs

Yoga X
Rest or X2 Recovery + Mobility
X2 Yoga
Cardio Recovery
Max Recovery
Relief
Back to Core
Ab Ripper X
X2 Ab Ripper

Of course there is also the option of picking another DVD, I have a recommendation to try Bob Harper’s DVD but I think I have a little too much on my plate for now. I may try it out as a test one week but my faith in Bob Harper extends as far as training the obese, not necessarily the Beachbodied…

R9D89 – Bootcamp Weights

It was hot, but not as bad as it has been. Couple that with weights day and we are back in the enjoyment zone of bootcamp! Although some were a little sore after Monday I think it was a well received class. The atmosphere in the gym is lightening every day, the girls have their last competition on Saturday and that means the end of monotonous routines and time for new skills. Not only that, but the bootcamp is making a difference to people and I think it is being appreciated more as an activity and less as a torture device. Summer is going to be great!

Here is what we did:

D20 3.11.2 Weights

2x section
20 squats
20 lunge walk
20 weighted MKs
10 weighted long jump
2x45lb Farmers Walk

No weight

2x section
10 super skater per
10 1 leg squat knee raise
20 MK
20 air squat

With DBs

1.
15 Double curl
15 weighted box dips
10 alt curl each
15 weighted box dips
15 double hammer curl
15 weighted box dips

2.
15 strict press
10 pushup db row
15 high pull
10 pushup db row
15 strict press

repeat 1.
repeat 2.

15 DB thruster
15 double db curl and press
10 KB swing
20 High Pull

15 DB thruster
15 hammer curl inward press
10 KB snatch
20 halo with single db

Bonus Killer Combo

5x
Plank on db
pushups with both db rows
Feet in, stand up
double curl or clean to strict press
return to plank

R9D88 – Bootcamp Bodyweight With Bonus ISO!

Today’s bootcamp had an added bonus of being the first time the boyfriend of one of our participants decided to come out. This is a big deal because since the participation is always completely female I think people get the idea it’s easy… In fact, I would challenge any male to come out and give it a shot and see how they stack up. Turns out, it was a rude awakening but to his credit he completed almost all of the work and since he seems like a nice guy I probably won’t beat him up too much next week, after all, I like someone who makes an effort!

So for his initiation into the world of bootcamp fitness, we did this, even though it was as hot as a Delhi Bikram class

Bodyweight and ISO

10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side raise
10 pullups

10 air squats reg
10 lunge no step
10 1 leg squat knee raise
10 air squats half bounce
10 pullups

20 in and out row
10 roll to boat hold
20 bicycle each
20 arms up in and out
10 pullups

10 pushup
10 clap pushup
10 plyo pushup
10 pushup side raise toe touch
10 pullups

ONTO DOUBLE BOXES AGAINST WALL

10 dips legs straight
10 hop dips legs straight
10 dips one leg raised
10 leg lifts

10 dips legs straight
10 dips legs stacked each
10 dips one leg raised each side
10 hop dips

regular pushups 10 decline 10 incline
military pushups 10 decline 10 incline
sphinx to plank step or drop 10 decline 10 incline
pushup side raise 10 decline 10 incline

20 Crunchy Frog
20 laying bicycles
20 full sitps
10 roll back hold to shoulder stand

5 Pushup hold low 10 count
4 Military pushup hold low 10 count
3 Side plank hold 10 count (2 leg up)
2 v sit hold 10
1 sphinx hold 30s

R9D87 – Limping Across The Line

Last wednesday was cardio abs and since then I have been buy with parents visiting and building a ton of Ikea furniture. During that time, the clock has expired on my current round freeing me from the PAP of the final weeks of P90X2. Friday I worked out at work, choosing to do a variation of my RKC workout that went like this:

Warmup:

Halos
Laying press
Swings
Pumps

5-5-5

Clean and Press plus 20 swings

5-5

Snatch plus 20 swings

5-5

Turkish Half Get Ups – Just don’t do the standing part…

After that since I had a very uncomfortable twinge in my lower back I decided to take off a couple of days and try to recover a little. We also were hosting a large birthday party on Sunday for my little girl which took up most of our time in preparation.  It’s now Monday and I am about to go to gym for bootcamp and I am going to try and organize my workouts for the coming weeks tomorrow while I am off work. Because I am so far off track with the daily routine of P90X2 this last few weeks have really dragged. I also realize that my workrate is a little lower than it should be but I am hoping that building a custom workout schedule for round 10 (whatever it is going to be called) my help in upping my days of activity from an average of 4 to an average of above 5.

R9D86 – Bootcamp Cardio Abs

Today was a hot one, I had planned to do a little more abs than cardio but when it came to the actual workout I realized I hadn’t really met my objective. Nevertheless it was a great workout, but with the gym being very warm it was a real challenge.

Here’s how it all went down:

2x section
20 Hit the floor
10 3 step Suicides
20 switch kicks
20 in and out abs
10 side crunch

2x section
10 Frog jumps
10 switch lunge
10 stance jacks (foot touch)
10 vsnaps
10 roll to boat

2x section
5x long jump run back – single double triple repeat
10 tuck jumps
10 river jumps
10 ski abs
10 bum lifts

x1 section
10 2 line forward and back suicides
2 lengths sprint runback switch
2 lengths long jump tuck jump
20 plank jacks
10 plank jacks with in and out

x1 section
10 X Jacks
10 diamond jumps
10 wide knee tuck jumps
10 vsnaps
10 rollback hold to shoulder stand

x1 section
5x low jacks and pulse 4+8
10 burpee with half turn
20 knees up same elbow
20 knees up opposite elbow
40 happy dance

x2 section (actually only did 1x)
10 in and out
10 crunchy frog
10 ARX bicycle (forwards and backwards)
10 full sit up
10 side crunch
20 side to side flutter (on your back) 3 position
10 russian twists
10 rollback hold to shoulder stand

R9D84/5 – Durable In The Real World

One of Tony Horton’s best quotes for me is when he talks about being more durable out in the real world. This rings true with me since that is the reason that I go started on this journey in the first place. Even though I was in the gym working hard, I could bench 400lbs and shoulder press my bodyweight (almost 300lbs), my real world applications were not being met. I was still out of breath climbing stairs, I was unsure of myself while performing simple DIY tasks around the house because my flexibility and functional strength just weren’t up to par. In recent days I have pushed my durability to the max with home workouts and work around the house including one day I traversed 3 floors of our  home more than 50 times in 3 hours (that’s almost 3000 steps! The CN Tower in Toronto has 1770!!). That day we re-purposed a room on our top floor back into a bedroom and moved all of my wife’s crafting supplies down to the basement where we will be creating a new office / crafting space for her. On the fitness side I created a workout to celebrate the good weather by installing my gymnastics rings on the deck where they were last year. The workout looked like this:

Pullups
Wall ball (26lb)
Ring Dips

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-5-4-3-2-1 = 70 movements each

It was a good workout, although I managed to break the strap on my Suunto T6d in the process. That sent me on a  quest for a new strap which I found at Walmart for $16 (it’s a Timex Ironman TX1240 and it fits perfectly!). So if you have a Suunto and you don’t want to spend $50 on a new Suunto strap, get yourself to Walmart!

Tonight is cardio abs bootcamp and back to coaching, it almost feels like I have had a rest week with being off work since my parents are in town. But it’s time to get back to work, hammer out the last few days of round 9 and decide the format of this site going forward. My inability or unwillingness to stick to P90X2 as a whole leads me to believe it’s time for a change but I am not sure how or what. Stay tuned!

R9D83 – Bootcamp Weights – Plates

D17 3.9.2 Weights

15 Plate Curls
15 Plate Press
15 Weighted Dips
15 Sumo high pull
10 chin ups

10 Squat curls
10 Squat press
10 weighted dips
10 squat sumo high pull
10 chin ups

no weight
20 in and out
20 bicycles
20 Crunch hold pulse
20 russian twist

15 Plate Tricep extension
15 Suitcase lift floor touch each side
15 Weighted Hip Lift feet on block
15 Sumo high pull
10 chin ups

with plate
20 in and out
20 bicycles
10 full situp
20 russian twist

no weight
20 air squats
10 each proposal squat
10 each lunge front no step
20 each weighted calf raise
10 pullups

20 plate air squats
10 each plate proposal squat
10 plate each lunge front no step
20 plate each weighted calf raise
10 pullups

10 Laying chest plate press
10 Laying chest plate pullover 2 way
10 Shoulder fly front to overhead
10 Shoulder fly front with high pull
10 halo

no weight
10 arms up in and out
10 arms up bicycles
10 crunchy frog
10 boat roll back to shoulder stand

10 Laying chest plate press
10 Laying chest plate pullover 2 way
10 High Pull

R9D81/2 – RKC and Bootcamp. A Tinge Of Nostalgia

Re-reading some of my posts, which I do in order to bolster my motivation at times, I couldn’t help but feel a little saddened that I have drifted far from the path of P90X2. Although I pay homage to it twice a week at bootcamp, it’s not the same as happy little Tony and his sweaty minions entertaining you, nay, mocking you (see Ab Ripper X!) while you roll around on the floor like a tasered college student or struggling to keep up with “pullup boy” only to find that the inside of your elbows are capable of producing inexplicable pain.

It’s an easy enough fix, I need to commit to spending 2 days a week with Tony on PAP for the balance of the program but since there are only 8 dys left, maybe it’s too little too late. That said, then end of the PAP section will enable me to return to the start and design a program with Original and inappropriate Tony, Tony 2 (The 50 Something) and of course not forgetting Shaun T who lurks in the background of my basement just waiting to choke my confidence to death with his bare hands.

I am kind of looking forward to it, even though 2 days of bootcamp is a lot of work, I think I am getting more used to it and should be able to balance it as a workout day, rather than a day always followed by a day of rest. The summer is always better, doing pullups on the deck out in the sunshine, Insanity with the french doors open and the summer breeze blowing through or even the short P90X2 yoga with the sun setting, bathing my workout space in a soothing orange glow.

It’s time for a shake up and I think that means it’s time to think about my future both here on my blog and with my workouts. I mean, this isn’t really a P90X blog any more, it’s far more than that and I think maybe it’s time to move it to another site, something with more of an all around fitness and nutrition feel to it.

Speaking of shaking things up, here is the bootcamp for tonight so if my participants are sneaky, they can get an idea of what pain lies ahead…

D19 2.10.1 Bodyweight

Balance and coordination

10 regular pushups with shoulder touch
10 military pushups with hip touch
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side raise
10 pullups

20 in and out row
10 roll to boat hold 3 count
20 bicycle with leg extension
20 side crunch per side
10 pullups

10 SB pushup boing
10 SB Burpee lift ball
10 SB Plank to sphinx
10 per SB elbow plank side raise

Feet on SB

10 regular pushups with shoulder touch
10 military pushups with hip touch
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side raise
10 pullups

10 SB pushup boing
10 SB Burpee lift ball
10 SB Plank to sphinx
10 per SB elbow plank side raise

20 Crunchy Frog
20 vsnap
20 laying triple bicycles
20 full situps

Arms on SB 20 360’s
Arms on SB plank to sphinx
10x feet on SB walk out and back
2x feet on SB 360 walkaround
20x laying hamstring pull

20 laying leg lifts
10 per rainbow leg lifts
10 per scissor hold on count
25 per side to side scissor rapid

BONUS ROUND!!

10 military pushup
10 diamond pushup
10 Hindu Pushup
30s crane