Still Hangin' in There

I got into a routine to balance my workouts, spending time with Turner, running errands and doing other daily activities, and spending time with Catie and Chris.  Every workout is just as difficult as the next and my body has been super sore since day 1.  But, I stuck with it for the entire first week! I am very proud of myself because the workouts are extremely difficult and I have been cooking healthy and making good snack choices. 
Unfortunately I have been stopped dead in my tracks.  I am sick.  Whatever I have pretty much judo chopped me and has been kicking me while I'm down ever since!  When it first hit me I felt drained and I was running a high fever for two days, now I am coughing and having a really tough time breathing normally.  I think it is safe to say that I am going to have to wait at least one more day before I'm back on track with my workouts.  When I'm a little closer to being 100%  I'll be back on it.  Thank you for your support :-)

Workout #1 Chest and Back

Okay, so here's the deal:
There is a GOOD reason for the prerequisites they have set before attempting this workout program.  It turns out that their minimum requirements really are the minimum.  I suggest that if you are unable to perform the minimum requirements do not attempt this program.  I think it would be discouraging and you would be unable to yield the results that you may expect.  Before I go into detail on how my first workout went I'll go ahead and list the minimum requirements here, since I have already had some questions about it.

Minimum Requirements Before Starting P90X

Pull-ups: Male, 3 Female, 1

Vertical Leap: M, 5" F, 3"

Push-ups: M, 15 F, 3

Toe Touch: M & F, no more than 6" from toes

Wall Squat: M & F, hold squat for at least 1 min.

Bicep Curls: M, 10 reps @ 20lbs. F, 10 reps @8lbs.

In & Outs(seated on floor with hands at sides, knees bent with feet off the floor, bring knees toward chest, straighten legs and repeat): M&F, at least 25

Heart Rate Max(jumping jacks as fast as you can for 2 minutes sprinting during the final 30 seconds): M&F, finish standing and breathing without problems

Alrighty, now that everyone is caught up on the minimum requirements I'll go ahead with today's workout.  It started out with a warm up, a little bit of cardio and some stretches.  After that we went right into pull-ups.  Normally I can do 3 pull-ups without assisting in anyway.  I was able to do my three pull-ups before I started struggling.  I continued with assisted pull-ups for a total of 15.  At this point I was feeling pretty good, though each person on the video successfully completed at least 15 REAL pull-ups.  Push-ups were next, I was able to pump out 5 good ones before they started getting sloppy.  Normally I can do 11 before they start to get sloppy, but after the pull-ups I wasn't able to bring my 'A-game'.  Even though my abilities are no where near comprable to the super-lean and very energetic personalities on the video, I still felt that I was doing well.  As the video went on for the entire 60 minutes I performed each exercise until I could not possibly do anymore, this is what they call muscle failure.  As each new variation of a push-up was revealed to me I found myself time and time again with a face full of carpet as my entire upper body hit the floor.  For heaven's sake I had no idea there were so many kinds of push-ups, and how each one works your body different is still puzzling to me.  Along with the vast variations of push-ups, the pull-ups were sure not going to disappoint! I did my best and often found myself dangling from the bar trying my hardest to pull my chin over, but most of the time without success.

   This video also involved some weight training and/or weight training using a resistance band rather than hand weights.  I gave it my best and have found that I need some heavier weights.  I switched to the resistance band in hopes that I could control how much resistance I was pulling back on and in turn be lifting more weight.  Unfortunately a resistance band will no longer work for me, being that I 'hulked' my way right out of the nine bucks I spent on it and ripped it apart.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did with bicep exercises.  As it turns out, lifting a one year old everyday several times a day, is a good way to build upper-body strength.  After this grueling workout seemed to drain every bit of strength in my chest, back, and arms, I was ready to move on to another muscle group, or better yet to lay down with my face flat on the floor, where I had been finding myself over and over again anyway.  Though the thought was nice, it was not what P90X had ordered. Instead I proceeded to perform the same workout in reverse order, obviously with far less impressive results, and that is to say that my results were impressive to start. 

  Phew!  I am glad the first workout is complete.  I think I am ready to rest this muscle group and I am excited to see what is in store for tomorrow.  Thanks for sticking it out with me, I'll keep you updated.   



Day 1: The First Steps to a Better Me

  After waiting by the door for my package to arrive I finally received my 90 day workout plan!  It came in the mail yesterday and I am very excited to declare today as Day 1.  I read through the books and outlined a nutrition plan with the help of the books that came with the program.  It turns out there are minimum physical requirements for doing P90X. As a woman the requirements for how many of each excercise you have to do are significantly less than those for a man, lucky for me.  I am able to meet the minimum requirements so the plan is on! 

   I have weighed in, taken my measurements and uploaded a couple of "before" pictures.  Here are my measurements for Day 1:
                        Neck: 13"
                        Waist: 28"
                     Hip: 36"
                        Weight at Day 1: 127lbs
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   This morning I woke up and started my day with 5 egg whites for breakfast, unfortunately it turns out I am not a fan of plain egg whites.  I have devised a plan that will work better for me though, with lots of vegetables to mix it up.  As a snack I mixed a protein shake with some peanut butter and blended it up with ice.  It was delicious!  So far, so good.  I have not gone through with the first work out yet, but I will a little later today.  After I have completed the work out for day 1 I will report back and let you all know how it went.  Thank you for stopping by!

Ready. Set. Go!

This morning was the first of many that I will blog about in the next three months.  I woke to a call coming from 6, 918 miles away.  My husband, Mitch is in the US Army currently deployed to Afghanistan.  Being that this long awaited call came in the wee hours of the morning, I took advantage of my opportunity to catch a few more z's before getting up with my one year old.  Turner was born in August of 2009.  He is the most wonderful being I have ever known.  The simple pleasures are so much more evident when you can see someone enjoying every moment thoroughly.  After having his morning cup of Silk (he's lactose intolerant), I poured him a bowl of cereal.  He's learning to use a spoon now so watching him eat is alot like watching a dog chase his own tail.  He tries so hard to get one cheerio into his mouth, but time after time that darn spoon turns and drops the cheerio before he can get the spoon to his mouth.  Of course it would be unthinkable for someone to help this independent young explorer, so I have to sit back and watch patiently, very patiently, as he learns utencil handling techniques all on his own.  After about an hour he had managed to spoon about half of the cheerios into his mouth, that was success enough for him so I cleaned him up and he holds his head high as a big boy using a spoon. 

As a mommy and a wife we are always looking for ways to improve ourselves, right?  Well, I am dedicating myself to the P90X fitness program.  For the next three months I will be eating healthy and busting my butt every day with the goal of being the best me that I can be.  I will be completing this program just before Mitch comes home.  As all military wives know, we always strive to be better while they are gone. Whether it is through home improvement, healthy cooking, house keeping, or the always popular, wight loss and fitness, it is always important to achieve something in their absence. 

This blog will follow me through my journey to achieve something that I have wanted for a long time.  I will share my ups and downs and maybe inspire someone to try it along with me.  I plan on starting P90X in about a week, because that's when it'll arrive in the mail.  I have all of the equipment I will need and I will start cooking healthier this week in order to be fully prepared for the program.

Thanks for joining me.  Until next time,