Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Life After P90X

I actually finished about 78 Days of the X. That last week Moppet 4 was ill and I did not have time to work out at all, except for a few walks outside...and I found that I was so relieved not to be Xing that I did not go back and finish the last week. I did not realize how tired I was until I stopped. Someone said the same thing on a fitness forum last week, so I guess Tony can also have that effect on others!

The Final grade of the Program is A...for Enjoyability, Value and Results.

Despite the fact that P90X wiped me out, I enjoyed myself just about every time I worked out. Some days it was harder than others and so I had to use less weight, but I always found Tony motivating and the workouts thorough.

I paid 100.00 new on Amazon for the 12 DVDs, and I think I got my money's worth even if I never use one again (although I know I will). Even taking into consideration the fact that I only used about 8 of the 12 discs regularly, the cost of each month was far less than I would have paid for a personal trainer or even a basic gym membership.

The results I got with the X were dramatic. I gained a lot of strength, lost a lot of fat, and really shaped up The Ol' Bod. The first week, for example, I could do something like 3 pushups on my toes/10 on my knees for a particular kind of pushup. By the last week, I could do the same move 15 times on my toes and another 15 or more on my knees.

Since I don't weigh myself, I can't say "I lost X number of pounds". But I can say that almost all my clothes are literally falling off me. I am probably just about the size I was when I was 20, and I am finally losing fat from "The Most Stubborn Areas", which for me are the front and back torso. I could eat twinkies and pork rinds all day and never get a saddlebag, but those icky bra rolls are something I have had even when I was thin in the past - but they are nearly gone now. I'm sure a lot of that is also due to my eating habits being much more healthy than in bygone days, but the weight/resistance work in the X has actually given my body "shape" where none existed before.

So, doing The X was a great experience both physically and mentally. It challenged my body and my will...it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, in terms of both bodily and psychological strength and endurance. I would recommend this program to anyone who has already made exercise a habit and who is not afraid to work hard and push their limits. It doesn't matter how much weight you can lift or your current endurance or flexibility. If you have mastered the basics of exercise, you can modify this program to meet your needs, and if you Bring It you will come out the other side in much better shape!

Since I finished I have been doing the new Squeeze workouts, and some really fun and challenging cardios called Force Fitness. It was surprising to me how difficult non-P90x workouts felt! I guess your body really does get accustomed to what you are doing, and at some level even hard things seem easier after a while.

The new Squeezes are very hard and awesome! I definitely yell with the difficulty more than I ever did with Tony! Squeeze Stronger is 80 minutes, which is long, but it's broken up into two 45 minute segments - Upper Body and Waist, and Lower Body and Abs. I start with only 5 pounds in the upper body work, but by the end I am down to 2 pounds, and the thigh and butt work is a real burner! The Lower Body Challenge is 30 minutes, and it is a tough half hour.

The Forces might be my favorite cardio workouts. They have very simple choreography, but a lot of variety. You do a new move every minute. The moves are mostly cardio and you can do them on the floor or on a step, and you hold very light weights during those portions. Occasionally there is a minute of abs/core or other light weight moves (you can up the poundage in these sections). There are beginner, intermediate and advanced versions shown. A few weeks ago when Moppet 4 was sick and I was none too well myself, I actually found myself doing the intermediate and beginner modifications, and even stopped at 25 minutes! That is very unlike me, but one thing I learned in the X months is that you just need to (quoting Tony) "Do Your Best, and Forget the Rest"...and I have learned that sometimes your best is just not very impressive from the outside. Sometimes your best will actually be nothing. But listening to your body and doing what you can is both empowering and comforting. You know you have choices, and you also know that you are not falling off the wagon even if you are slowing the horses down a bit!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to share that I love reading your posts at the Ya's and enjoyed reading this, too! I covet P90X and think it an amazing feat to accomplish what you have!!!!! (((((HUGS))))) sandi

IlonaGarden said...

you have been a little hard to track down :) I have a friend who is very like you in some ways- she was interested in haiku writers and I thought of you.

I love this topic you are writing on- I really need a more effective way to exercise and diet- so I'm going to look at what you have here. I see that this was written last year, so if you chance on this comment receive my best wishes for blessing to you and your family, and efforts.
Warmly, Ilona