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Thursday, April 24, 2014

P90X3 - Day 16

The last few days have been tough.  I haven't wanted to get up early. I haven't wanted to eat well. I haven't wanted to really do much of anything to be honest.  My body is tired and I have felt like I needed a break from a lot of things.  My workouts the last couple of days have been kind of half-assed and today was no different.  I felt a little better than the day prior but not by much.

The workout was yoga and as I've said before, I'm not that flexible.  And because it's only 30 minutes I don't really feel like I'm in each position long enough for it to be doing me any good.  It's a decent stretch, but I don't feel like its really benefiting me much other than that.  At least it's not 90 minutes long like in P90X.  That I felt like was too long, but only because of the time factor.  It was hard to fit it in the day.  Other than that I like it better than P90X3 yoga.

I am still eating fairly well and am feeling better because of it.  I like not feeling like I am going to fall asleep after each meal.  I like feeling satisfied and not terribly full.  And I am losing weight so that's a good thing.  I think drinking as much water as I have lately has helped me feel full and has kind of detoxed me from a lot of the garbage that stays in your body after junk food.

Tomorrow is Two-A-Day Thursday with pushups and pullups in the morning and climbing in the evening.  Hopefully I feel a bit stronger and can keep up with the climbing in the evening.  My goal is 50 pullups and 100 pushups for my morning workout.  Last week I got close, but this week I want to get it.  It's been a while since I was able to push and pull like that so seeing myself improve here would be a big win for me.  Plus it'll help me with my climbing as well.  Wish me luck!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

P90X3 - Day 15

Well today sucked big time.  I stayed up too late on Monday night and when it came time to get up today I really didn't want to, nor did I have the energy to.  I got up anyway and half-assed my workout.  I felt terrible all the way around.  My knees hurt a bit with all the jumping of the workout and every other excuse I could find, I used too.  That feeling carried with me through the whole day.  I didn't eat too terribly bad, but not good by any means.  I only got through 2/3 of the water I wanted to mostly because I just wanted to be lazy.

I am recognizing that however my morning goes, so the rest of my day also goes.  I need to be diligent about going to bed at a reasonable time and getting up and working out with a positive attitude.  I know I'll have an off day here and there, but I need to do what I can on the off days to stay as positive as possible.

I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

P90X3 - Day 14

Monday mornings are typically hated by all.  Yesterday, though, I was ready for a workout.  I felt terrible after eating like garbage on Easter and was ready to get back on track.  6 a.m. came around and I practically jumped out of bed for the workout.  My wife, however, not so much.  She hurt her back the day before so she was gonna have to lie low.  At least she came downstairs to keep me company.

I definitely killed the workout.  I pushed it probably as hard I could and felt good doing it.  Some of the exercises are hard to keep up with, but I felt better doing them than I have the last two weeks.  Its was good for me to feel a bit stronger.  I expected to be a bit more tired than normal with how hard I worked in the morning, but that feeling stayed with me the rest of the day and I felt pretty good.

I ate fairly well all day and had all of the water I was supposed to.  Probably more if I really counted every sip I had throughout the day.  We had a sugary dessert at bible study in the evening, but I had only one bite and a small one at that.  I did crave quite a bit more, but I am trying to change my habits and I know that keeping myself in check will go a long way toward achieving my goals.  I'm almost halfway through the first 30 days and while my weight keeps bouncing up and down, I do feel a bit stronger and feel like I look a little bit more defined so I can tell its not all for nothing.  The weight will come off as I continue to make changes to my diet.  I am looking forward seeing the changes in my 30 day photos and measurements.

It is by far one of the most fun programs that I have been through.  I love that it's only 30 minutes a day and that it is a good balance of weight and cardio.  I just have to keep up my motivation and effort level.


Monday, April 21, 2014

P90X3 - Day 13

REST DAY!!!!  and thank goodness too.  Easter festivities are in full swing and there is literally no time to workout today.  The hardest part is going to be keeping right on the diet.  My mom loves to cook and I love her food so it's definitely going to be a challenge.  At the same time.... I'm going to treat it like a cheat day and eat a little more than I have lately.  I'm sure it'll be a setback, but my plan is to not let it set me back too much.

P90X3 - Day 12

Saturday workouts are hard.  I want to get up early and get my workout in like the rest of the week, but I also want to sleep in just a little bit because I don't HAVE to get up early.  I don't really mind working out later in the day, but I find that if I get too deep into my day, I find all kinds of excuses not to workout.  It's kind of a Catch-22.

Anyway, we slept in just a little bit and around 9 a.m. started in on our workout.  30 minutes went by so fast!  But the workout was still fantastic.  I felt a little stronger this week than the week prior, but my heart rate was through the roof! I had to take a break here and there too keep it under control.  I think it partly had something to do with me going out for a few beers with a friend the night before.  I think my body was busy processing the alcohol and sugar while I was working out and increased my heart rate.  Definitely something to remember.

I am so thankful for a day that I can rest for a while.  After the workout in the morning, I was able to keep things low key around the house and just do a few honey-do's and watch a TV show while the kiddo took a nap.  We still had fun hanging out with each other, but we didn't really do a heck of a lot.  I needed the rest day for sure!

I was able to keep up with my water intake and am actually finding that my body craves the water when I'm not drinking it.  I don't really find it all that difficult to do anymore and as long as I keep my water bottle nearby it's pretty easy to keep track of and make sure I reach my goal.  I have to say that the longer I do this, the easier it seems to get and the better I feel.   I practically enjoy getting up earlier each day and going to bed a little earlier each night.  And on top of it all.... I feel stronger, my clothes are fitting differently, and I feel like I am starting to look a little different.  It's pretty amazing how it all fits together.

Friday, April 18, 2014

P90X3 - Day 11

Two-a-day-Thursday was brutal!  The early morning workout went well.  It was back-to-back pull-ups and push-ups which is something I feel like, if I can get better at, will definitely help me with my climbing.  The final two minutes of the workout is what Tony calls "Burnout".  It is non-stop 1 pull-up, 3 push-ups, over and over again.  I was able to do 5 rounds even though the last two rounds I was only able to muster 2 push-ups each time.

The rest of the day my upper body was TIRED.  I calculated that during the 30 minute workout in the morning I did a collective 43 pull-ups and 93 push-ups, so it was a bit warranted that I was tired.  I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to climb as well, but I tried to drink as much water as I could to help my body recover a bit before breaking it down again.

I've been doing pretty well eating lately.  Nothing two out of the ordinary, shakeology for breakfast, mostly street taco's or salads for lunch, and a good healthy dinner (chicken and veggies).  I've refrained completely from soda's and sugary drinks.  In fact, I really haven't had much sugar at all.  Although, I did have a few bites of my daughters ice cream cone the other day.  I had to prevent it from dripping all over the place.  I've seriously never seen anyone eat ice cream so slowly in my whole life.  It's pretty darn cute though.

Climbing went okay.  My finger still hurts and having to tape it up to climb doesn't allow me to feel or grip quite as well, so that's a negative.  The morning workout definitely wore me out.  I was able to climb pretty well, but I would get so tired toward the top of any problem that it made it difficult to commit to the moves, so I would typically jump down.  But at least I was up there having fun and working hard.

It was a late night with the climbing and the neighbor kid was up screaming again last night.  I really need to talk to them and ask them to shut their window when that happens.  That's a tough conversation to have. My daughter also woke up in the middle of the night.  I think she had a bad dream so my wife and I didn't sleep well at all.  When 6 a.m. came around neither one of us had the energy to get up and workout.  Unfortunately, I don't have another time today to work out so I will have to double up tomorrow and take Sunday as a rest day.  It'll be okay.

Overall I feel like my body is changing.  I feel like I see a difference in the mirror and feel like my clothes fit slightly different.  I'll be excited to take the 30 day measurements and pictures to see if I have actually changed or if it's just my own perception.  The first two weeks have gone by pretty quickly and I have really enjoyed the workouts so I am hoping it continues.

EDIT:

WE SQUEEZED IN THE WORKOUT!!!  I took off work a little early and we were able to squeeze in our workout between work and church.  I am so glad we did that.  I really didn't want to double-up my workout on Saturday.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

P90X3 - Day 10

Yoga!!  Another rough morning getting out of bed, but we did it.  Better late than never, so the saying goes.  I did/attempted practically all the movements in the workout, but boy am I tight.  Yesterday I was able to touch the ground during the cooldown portion of the workout and thought that meant that I would be able to do it again today.  Not so much.  Probably because it was so early in the morning, but I was tighter than I expected.  All the stretching was good though.  It felt good to be up working out and felt even better to be able to do more of the workout than I could last week.  There is a part of me that thinks I would benefit from doing the original P90X yoga, though.  Just because it is longer and by the end of the first half I am drenched in sweat.  Maybe I'll try doing that one after the first 90 days.

It was nice to go through the day without a workout looming overhead.  It made my evening so much easier to think about and enjoyable knowing that I didn't have that still needing to be done.

I totally left the house without my water bottle again today and because I had quite a few meetings I totally failed on my water intake for the day.  I am noticeably hungrier and more tired because of it.  My body has somewhat become dependent on drinking so much water.  I know I have said this a TON, but I am really enjoying the changes I am making right now.  I feel like I am actually doing things with a purpose rather than just to satisfy a desire.

Tomorrow I will get back on track with the water.  Tomorrow is also two-a-day-thursday!  I will get together with a few pals and go rock climbing for a couple of hours tomorrow night.  I am really looking forward to it.  I went climbing twice last week and my finger felt pretty good, and I was able to climb really hard.  I am looking forward to getting back in the gym and send a couple of problems that I wasn't able to the other day.  I just hope the push-ups and pull-ups tomorrow don't wear me out too much!

P90X3 - Day 9

So it's been a bit warm out at night lately so we decided to sleep with our master bedroom slider open to catch a cool breeze.  Unfortunately for us our neighbors, whose house faces and mirrors ours, also slept with their slider open as well.  The only difference being they have an almost 2 year old child who doesn't go to bed until really late (like 10:30 or 11) and then wakes up in the middle of the night crying inconsolably.  For what seems like hours.  I eventually got up to close the slider after I realized they weren't going to close theirs.  We didn't get a whole lot of good sleep so we decided to postpone our workout until the evening.

I ate pretty well throughout the day knowing I would need the energy for my workout and I drank close to a whole gallon of water throughout the day.  As soon as I got home from work, we jumped right into our workout.  It was a lot of jumping and lunges. Neither of which are something I enjoy doing, but it was still fun and I got through it enjoyably.  It was a little tough to concentrate since our 2 year old was constantly asking if we were done yet.  Adorable, but still distracting.

The workout overall wasn't as tough as it was the week prior so I felt like I was able to keep up a little better and bring some intensity to the workout.  By the end of it I was sweating pretty good and thankful that I had done it.

My body is feeling tired still, but it is also craving a workout every day.  It's a good feeling for sure.  Day 10 is Yoga, which is something I need desperately so I am kind of looking forward to it and ready to push it a little bit.  Flexibility is definitely not my strong suit and something I really need to work on.  Wish me luck!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

P90X3 - Day 8

Six A.M. came around and I was awake and ready for a workout and I rocked it big time.  Lots of squats and a few pull-ups.  By the end of the 30 minutes I was dripping sweat and feeling pretty good.  My wife even commented that I went hard so I know I was kicking it up a bit from the previous week.

The one thing I need to watch out for is the pull-ups.  The bar is a bit thinner than most climbing holds I am used to.  All the pulling I do in climbing is assisted by my fingers so standard pull-ups are a bit challenging for me.  The standard bar presses on my finger right where the pain point is so I need to keep an eye out for pulling too hard and in the wrong spot so I don't injure my finger differently while it's already weak.

I ate well throughout the day and fought off cravings of ice cream for dessert after dinner.  I had all the water I needed to have and felt really good about this change I am making in my life. It was a good day overall.

At bible study in the evening some dear friends of ours that have been struggling with conceiving announced that they are officially pregnant!  It was so awesome to see the joy in their faces as we celebrated God's miracle.  I can't wait to go on this journey with them and meet the little one when he or she or they arrive.  It's still early in the pregnancy so they aren't totally out of the woods yet, but it's exciting to see what God can do in someone's life.

In celebration of the pregnancy they handed out sticky buns! (They have a bun stuck in the oven... get it?) So I couldn't turn that down.  I've got some work to do to work that off for sure. But it took my craving away and I think it'll last a while before the cravings come back because of it.

I'm looking forward to day 9 and beyond!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

P90X3 - Day 7

Rest day!  Today I have been looking forward to not doing a P90X3 workout. I enjoyed a day off with my family as we went to church and just hung out played around for a while.   I did end up going rock climbing for about 2 hours in the middle of the day so I'm sure that will take it's toll on me. But it was totally worth it.

Climbing was kind of odd. Since my injury I haven't been going as much to give my finger a rest (it seems to be healing nicely, though I still have some time before it's back to normal.) so I'm not quite as strong as I was before the injury. After a week of working out with Tony Horton though I feel stronger so I expected a bit more in the gym. The thing I forgot though is that I am still tired from all the working out!  I still lasted quite a long time and climbed pretty hard, but I did get tired pretty quickly during each problem. I have a feeling that my endurance will improve the more I keep working out. 

I are really well today. Even though we went out for lunch at Veggie Grill I tried to keep my calories low and my protein high. The Shakeology I had for breakfast was good and the turkey burger patties with sweet potatoes we grilled up for dinner were delicious. 

Now it's time to wind down a bit, and I think that I am going to do today's P90X3 workout after all. I read up a little about it and it is designed to improve flexibility and give a good stretch. I definitely need that! 

1 week in the bag!  I'm ready for week 2! Bring it!

P90X3 - Day 6

I slept in today!  It was such a nice feeling to wakeup, hang out with my wife and daughter for a while, and not have an agenda right away.  The hard part was making time for my workout.  We had an appointment we needed to be on time for and tried to squeeze a workout in just before we left.  We got about halfway through it and my daughter chose that time to want to go #2 on the potty (she's 3 and #2's are a big deal right now.)  My wife and I both stopped working out to encourage her and before we knew it, it was time to jump in the car to head to our appointment.  But as soon as we got back, BAM!, we warmed up and jumped right back into it.  The last half of that workout was killer!  I was almost glad we took a break.  Next week though I am looking forward to getting through the whole thing.

The eating thing wasn't as difficult as I expected, but then again we stayed home and cooked our meals all day too.  I didn't do so well at drinking water and while I was setting up the grill I found a beer I forgot about in the refrigerator so I had that.  (What?  I had to get rid of it!)

Tomorrow I am planning to take a rest day from P90X, but I am planning to go climbing with a friend.  I am hoping that all of this leads to better climbing so that I can compete again next season.  We'll see how all of that goes with a crazy work schedule to boot.  Pray for me!

P90X3 - Day 5

Day 5 and I feel good!  I really am settling into the new schedule and workout routines.  It was tough getting up in the morning because of my double workout the day before but I did get up and do it.  Since I was a bit sore from an evening of rock climbing some of the exercises were a bit more uncomfortable, but I think that will go away the more my body becomes accustomed to all the new activity.

I did okay eating throughout most of the day.  I went to work with some coworkers and had sushi, even though I knew I was going to sushi for my brother in law's birthday that evening.  What I didn't count on was the third of a bottle of sake, half a beer, and 2 slices of cake that I had as well.  (Don't judge me! It was a celebration!)  I'm sure I can work it off over the next few days, but I am sure it will set me back a little bit.

I stepped on the scale in the morning and I lost 4 pounds this week!  I didn't expect to see results so quickly, but I won't complain about that at all!  I know I probably put some of that back on with the alcohol and cake, and I know this weekend will be tough since I will want to go out to eat, but I have to let myself enjoy some of that stuff from time to time as well.

I am having a blast with this workout so far and am looking forward to finishing the week strong and beginning week two!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

P90X3 - Day 4

Day 4!  Today's workout was all push-ups and pull-ups for 30 minutes straight.  It was pretty tough.  I thought I was getting back into pull-up shape by climbing as much I have been lately, but I was clearly wrong.  Gone are the days that I could do these exercises for what seemed like forever.  Now I am forced to suffer through them like everyone else.  I thought my arms were going to fall off by the end of the workout.  But I loved it.  Getting better at pull-ups and push-ups will definitely help my climbing and I am looking forward to that.

The rest of the day went better as well.  I still wasn't super tired at work so that tells me that I am settling into the workouts and my body is getting the rest it needs between them.  Let's hope I can keep up the energy!

I did pretty well eating today and had all of the necessary water... and then some.  It's actually getting a little easier to drink all the water.  Kind of crazy that you are actually supposed to drink that much water.

Today is Thursday and that means I am supposed to get together with some friends and head to the climbing gym.  I wasn't going to be able to go today because of some schedule issues, but it ended up working out that I could so it was my first two-a-day in about 25 years.  It actually went better than expected though.  I wasn't as tired as I expected, but I did tire out a bit earlier than normal.

My finger held up pretty well also.  There was relatively little pain even though I was climbing pretty hard.  I am hoping that I can sleep well enough tonight that tomorrow's workout isn't too awful being overly sore from the two workouts.

I am liking this working out thing.  I always do, but it always takes some effort to get my fat ass off the sofa at first.  Hopefully this time I can get in the habit of doing the right things and staying in shape so it's a lot longer before my fat ass sits on the sofa again.

P90X3 - Day 3

Day 3 was a pretty good day.  I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning but after the workout I was glad I did.  The P90X3 yoga was tough but I actually liked it a little better than the P90X yoga.  I liked that the pace was faster and there wasn't much wasted time.  I definitely needed the stretch and need a lot more of it.

The rest of the day went pretty well since I wasn't absolutely exhausted the rest of the day.  I ate pretty well at lunch and snacks, but for dinner I took my daughter to Chik-fil-A and fell back into the habit of their chicken strips and sauces.  They are SO good!

I was able to power through all the water I needed in the day which I think is catching up to me because I have to pee constantly.  It might make me healthier, but it's certainly not making me more efficient at work.

I expected to be a little more sore than I have been from all the working out this week, but so far it's tolerable.  I have a feeling this is just because I am still getting used to the workouts and not getting the full impact of the workouts just yet since I'm learning them all.

Ah well, I will revel in it for now and wait for the soreness to come.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

P90X3 - Day 2

This morning was rough.  I barely got out of bed this morning and did it with a headache and a bad attitude.  Mornings and I clearly don't get along.  But like I said in my last post, it's the best time for me to fit it in.  Doing it with my wife is motivating too. Although she's kicking my ass during these workouts so I'm not sure how motivating that will be in the long run if I can't progress as quick as I would like.  Love you, babe!

The workout was good, but was a bit faster than what I wanted to move so I didn't quite keep up with a lot of the exercises.  Definitely need to work on my attitude there. But at least I did it.  Part of what I need here is to start a habit of doing something daily.  If it's climbing, running, a P90X workout, or something else, I need to do something.  We all have to start somewhere and for me, this is it.

I forgot my water bottle in the fridge at home so I had to estimate my water intake a little bit.  Not a huge deal, just requires a little more thought than normal.  I still made my goal though.

For breakfast I had my shakeology meal, my first snack was a small orange, and for lunch was two sushi rolls.  That may have been a little too much food, but we'll see how it affects me overall.  After lunch I was a bit tired and full, but overall I felt okay.  Just still REALLY tired from all the life changes.

Dinner was good.  A small piece of chicken and a decent amount of broccoli to go along with it. I tried the broccoli with a small amount of spicy mustard and it was actually pretty good.  No dessert (or even a craving for one.) just another glass of water.

I can feel my body tightening up from the increased activity level and as I've said countless times.... I'm exhausted.  I tried to go to bed a bit earlier than normal but last night was unusually warm and it took me a while to get comfortable.  But once I was asleep, I didn't wake again until this morning in time to get up and tackle yoga.  More on how that went later.

Overall yesterday was a good day.  Based on how I am feeling today, I think I am starting to settle into the new routine and the mindset change that this will take.  It feels good to be sore again and doing something that I enjoy at the same time.  I am excited to see how these changes effect my daily life.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

P90X3 - Day 1

I am not a morning person.  But given my schedule right now, mornings are the best time for me to work out, so I jumped outta bed at 6 and did my workout.  I didn't think the exercises were all that difficult (meaning I could do most of them once I got the hang of it) but wow, my body is tired.  It took a lot out of me in that 30 min and I already feel it.  My legs, which have never been very strong, feel weak and my core is already tight.  All the push-ups and pull-ups have my arms a little sore, but at the end of the day... I love it.

Being sore is a side-effect of working out that I have always loved.  Not always in the moment of course, but the reason I am sore is because it's working.  I'm working.  Hard.  It's still the first week and I am getting used to the various exercises so I may not be working as hard as I can, but I'm out there and that's what matters.  40 is around the corner and I don't want to be that guy who constantly reminisces about "when he was in shape and could do anything".  I want to be the guy who still can do most anything he wants.

Last year I ran the Ragnar Relay and I would love to do it again next year (as long as it doesn't fall on my daughters birthday like it did this year.) To do that, though, I need to be in shape, which I am not right now.  That means, for now, getting up at the crack of dawn and suffering through the day until it becomes my new normal and it no longer becomes suffering.

I also need to eat better.  This P90X3 program requires me to eat more fruits and vegetables, which I am not very good about doing.  Day 1 I did okay.  I had the shakeology drink for breakfast, half a turkey sandwich and half a chicken cobb salad for lunch, but had two giant meatballs covered in ricotta cheese (delicious!) for dinner, so I didn't end the day so well there.  But I did have my 85 ounces of water throughout the day, so that was a plus.  Definitely need to focus more on eating right throughout the whole day though.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

P90X3 - I'm starting tomorrow

In preparation for my working out I've taken my measurements (and embarrassing pictures) so I can see the transformation that the program promises.  My wife and I both are doing this workout and are expecting to see some pretty good results.  

Here are my beginning measurements and my goals:

Measurement Day 0 Day 30 Day 90 Goal
Body Fat % 24.4% Between 15 - 20%
Weight  175 lbs Between 160 - 165 lbs
Chest 39.5"
Waist 36.5"
Hips 39"
Right Thigh 20"
Left Thigh 19.5
Right Arm 13.5"
Left Arm 13.25"

I don't actually want to get super big (although an inch or two in my arms and legs wouldn't be a bad thing) so I don't really have any goals there.  I need to remain lean and flexible for climbing so the idea here is to build strength without too much bulk.  

My wife and I did most of P90X together before we got pregnant and I saw some really good results from it then, so I am expecting similar results now.  The last 3 years of having a kid and being super busy at work haven't been so kind to me as you can see by the pictures below.













Just looking at these pictures I notice that: A) I need a tan desperately. B) I can tell that my posture sucks and my left side is higher than my right and C) I have no chest.  Kind of crazy that these pictures alone are pretty motivating to make a few changes in my life.  Let's see if P90X3 is one of those changes and let's see if it helps or hurts my climbing.  

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Injury Update

It's been about 5 or 6 weeks since I injured my finger and I thought I would give a little update.  The whole finger is still pretty tight, but the pain has dwindled down to almost nothing.  Well, almost nothing until I forget that I am injured and try do squeeze something a little hard that I should.  Then, it hurts like a sonofabitch. Which is a good reminder that I shouldn't go out and climb V5's anytime soon.

I actually have practically full range of motion back in my finger and can now make a fist without my middle finger sticking up.  I still cant make a super tight fist yet without some discomfort, but it's getting there.  I am going to get back in the gym this week and work on some easy problems and maybe some more difficult ones as long as the pain doesn't become an issue.

I found a really good article explaining exactly what I did, how to recover, and how to prevent it from happening again.  If you are interested in reading about it, you can find it here. I know a few physical therapists who I have passed the article through to validate that what it says is true and each one said it was spot on.  Now it's just a matter of doing what it says and reaping the benefits.

Next week, I am going to start in on P90X3 so soon I should be posting a bit more and putting some pictures of my progress along the way.