Reboot P90X 2015: Day 5 Legs and Back

Another week has passed from Yoga to Legs and Back. It’s been busy and it’s so easy to put off working out. But I’m still getting back into it. With Legs and Back today, I had to push myself to keep on going.

The Exercises

• Legs and Back

I skipped the Ab Ripper X portion since my body is still not ready. I did half of the legs and back exercises before my legs started to feel really weak. Every time I have to do a movement, I can see my body jiggle with fat. Though I know I’m not where I want to be, seeing that made it more real. Seeing that makes me want to keep going. I want to finish this program and get to the point where I feel and look fit and toned and healthy. I know it seems like it might never happen, I have to keep going if I want that body and that lifestyle.

The Meals

• Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
• Fish and Chips
• Steamed rice, steamed fish, steamed lettuce with oyster sauce

It’s been easy getting breakfast but the rest of my meals aren’t as clean as I want them to be. My brain knows what’s good for me but my stomach rebels. It wants something greasy, something heavy, and sometimes, I listen. But the next day, I don’t feel as energized and I know it’s due to my not so great food habits. I need to start adding in some more fruits and veggies!

Simplify P90X: Day 3

After working my upper body quite hard the past 2 days, it’s time to work on the legs. Instead of Shoulders and Arms, it’s a Legs and Back day.

I was volunteering last night and I got a huge bruise at the top of my right foot that made some of the leg exercises a bit painful, so I had to modify it. To break down the Legs and Back session, it’s an alternation of a few exercises: lunges, squats, pull-ups, and calf-raises.

2 rounds, 6 sets with 15-20 repetitions for each exercise.

I love lunges way more than I love squats and I have improve my form for each of these exercises but at least it makes me feel like I’m doing something right. I could definitely feel the burn in my legs as I was going through the exercises but not enough to pull something. I can tell how much my body can handle and if it gets a little too tight, I do the opposite exercise to balance out my muscles so they have a chance to rest. For example, I can’t do too many calf raises or they start to seize up, so I do “plies” which are kind of like squats to relieve the tension in my calves and give it a break. It’s always useful to know your body’s limits so you don’t hurt yourself when you work out.

Until tomorrow, show up and work hard!

Still Chugging

I forgot to update, but I did Legs and Back and Ab Ripper X yesterday. And today I did Plyo.

I’ll be off skiing for two days in Tahoe…so I’ll update when I return.

Yay snow!

All About Those Legs

It’s a back to back workout!

I killed it during Legs and Back! I’m going to start adding weights to some of the exercises, just 5 lbs to increase the resistance. Looking back, I could have pushed myself harder to go lower in the lunges and squats, but there will always be next time!

Did Ab Ripper X for the first time this “week” and it felt good. I hit all 25 reps and polished it off with 75 Mason Twists. I can feel myself getting stronger although I need to work on my lower abdominals and obliques than my upper abdominal area. I just feel like the lower half of my body is weak, so I need to buff it up!

Unexpected Injury

Day 6…Legs and Back. After a day of much needed rest,  it was time to get started all over again.

I think all the meat, fat, and carbs from yesterday’s feast was what my body needed to repair itself because I felt good this morning…good energy, clear mindset, and not sore at all.

But something unexpected happened.

Since I don’t have a pull-up bar, I usually use bands over the doorpost.

Halfway through the program, I was doing the pull-up section and when I pulled, the band broke free of its harness and snapped right at my head with the arm holds hitting my knuckles at full speed. Instant bruises on 3 of my fingers and I swear I saw stars when that band hit my head.

I need something more substantial to do my pull-ups or find an alternative exercise because I’m not doing that again.

Ab Ripper X…20 reps of everything, 50 Mason Twists.

It’s a good day despite the minor injury. No pain, no gain, right? 😉

Oops. I Skipped

…a workout that is.

Today is supposed to be Legs and Back and Ab Ripper X…Day 5.

But I totally missed the boat on this one and instead, I indulged in a giant family eating party. That’s right, when my family and I get together…I mean, my extended almost 30+ relatives…we EAT! I’m sure many families are like this since food unites us all but honestly, it felt like a non-stop buffet for an insane amount of hours.

I’m not gonna lie, I pigged out and I LIKED IT!

No guilt. No remorse. No pain.

But I know that means tomorrow…it’s going to be Legs and Back and Ab Ripper X. No getting around it this time since I had a day off.

Let’s stay on track and keep plugging along!

Weekly Update II

This was a great week to jump back into the swing of things however once my cousin arrived from overseas on Friday, I put an end to all my workouts as she’s staying with me for the next 5 days. It’s been fun having her around since she’s a doctor finishing up her specialty in endocrinology. So, taking her around has been quite taxing on my body without doing extra workouts and eating good food but in smaller portions is helping me maintain my current status.

Here’s a quick recap of my week:

March Madness: Day 1

No, this post isn’t about college basketball.

But for the month of March, which is also National Nutrition month, I’ll be boosting up my workouts with P90X. I looked up the lean workout schedule for P90X and it’s pretty much what I wanted to do in my head but when I asked for a second opinion, my friend suggested Doubles. So, Doubles it is.

Basically, it means I’ll be adding more cardio to the regular Classic schedule. Apparently, I need to do more weight-lifting to tone my muscles more than cardio to slim down the fat. Something about how the harder the muscle works, the more it “eats” the fat away. I didn’t really understand the science of it all…but, if I want more muscle definition, I’ll need to lift weights.

For week 1, I already did the first couple cardio exercises, so I’m switching Shoulders and Arms for Legs and Back today. But from now on, I’ll keep with the schedule and see how it works for me.

So today is Day 1 of P90X.

Exercise Plan

P90X Legs and Back.  I did 20 reps of everything using a light resistance band for the pull-up sections and no additional weights. It wasn’t too bad getting through it, but I must lower on my lunges and perfect the techniques. It’s just enough to break a sweat but not enough to kill. Then again, my effort was at 70% because I wasn’t sure if I’d last to the end. But I did and I’ll increase the intensity next time.

Food Plan

• Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled egg whites, cinnamon multi-grain oatmeal with 1 apple
• Lunch: Chipotle BBQ marinated tilapia and Trader Joe’s harvest blend (leftovers) with a pastrami herb salad with sesame balsamic vinaigrette
• Dinner: 5 ribs of BBQ baby back ribs (from Costco) and 1 cup steamed rice – (a friend dropped it off for me…so who am I to turn it away?)

Photos

No photos today but I’ll resume tomorrow.