P90X - You Want Me To Do What?

P90X Day TWO…

I decided to get right into the P90X mode early enough to give me plenty of recovery time before having to prepare lunch for Kerry’s mom (Chris).  By the time I finished my Facebook updating and checked and replied to all of my e-mails, time was quickly running out. I also had to handle a few phone calls (some inbound and others outbound). By the time I got into my Day Two P90X routine the morning was almost history. Chris got her lunch when I finished my workout (@ 12:30pm).

Today’s routine was focused on Legs and Back. Before I started I took a series of measurements (upper and lower arms, upper and lower legs, chest, belly and I even measured my neck. Yeah I know, I should be using gym lingo such as biceps, triceps, quads, etc. Give me a break...this is only day two! I also noted my weight). Hey, I gained a pound! Those Darn Cookies…

To my surprise, when I started the dvd, I found that today’s exercise routine was 56 minutes, not the 45 minutes I barely survived yesterday.  Bummer!

I would say that I was able to handle most of what was expected of me. There were also things they wanted me to do that were physically impossible, for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t have a chin-up bar, so for those exercises, I had to create my own version of a girly girl chin-up.  I grabbed onto the upper door trim and simply pulled up while flexing every muscle I could within my arms. Of course, my feet were on the ground all of this time. But I did rise up and down on my toes with each pull. I know that if I continue to do this, I will end up pulling the door frame apart…so as far as the chin-ups go, I will have to create a plan B.

When Kerry’s mom and dad moved in with us a few years ago, I had to sell my RV to make room in the RV garage for all of their stuff. Now my RV is a pop up, which only takes half of the floor space. My plan B is going to be investing in some soft floor coverings (mats), build a chin-up bar supported to the rafters and more or less, turn that half of the garage into a mini gym. So, for now, I will settle with my girly girl style chin-ups while keeping up the intensity with the rest of the routine.

What did I get out of today’s workout? Let me see….I guess the first thing that jumps out at me is the fact that when the muscles burn, it hurts. They say that that is a good thing. I’ll let you know. For the most part, today was like yesterday in that I was able to keep up (except for the chin-up thing) and at the end I was all pumped up and ready to go…and go I did…right to the kitchen and make some lunch. For Chris, I tried to keep her lunch healthy. I made her a wrap with a slice of turkey, some lettuce, mayo and a little Gouda cheese. She also has a small serving of Kerry’s homemade Cole slaw and a cookie (also homemade).  For me, I did take a small, teeny weenie taste of the Gouda cheese (I mean a piece smaller than a dime) and I did have a couple of heaping teaspoons of the Cole slaw. Instead of a chocolate chip cookie I made myself a protein drink with whey powder, frozen fruit and soy milk. Yummy!

After lunch was served I decided to go back and do the second phase of today’s routine…Ab Ripper X. Apparently, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday this Ab Ripper X routine is added to the other routine. When I started the dvd I was pleased to see that it was only a 16 minute routine.

Seriously, after 8 or 9 minutes I turned it off. This was crazy. I think I will have to build up to those exercises. Here is an example of what they expected me to do. They (the dvd instructor) told me to lay on the floor, flat on my back with legs out in front of me spread out wide. Done! So far, so good. Then they wanted me to take my left hand and place it behind my head. Done! I am feeling very comfy and am liking this very much – that is until they tell me to lift my torso (do a sit up) and with my other arm (the right one) reach out and touch my left foot, making sure not to bend my knees or lift  my legs up. Once back down, reverse the arms, placing the right hand behind my head, sitting up and touching my right foot with my left hand. WHAT! ARE YOU CRAZY?

Let me tell you a little about my physical abilities. When I stand tall and bend forward, I “Do Not” and “Can Not” reach the floor. I am lucky to reach my knees…LOL  I know that will improve in time.  So when I am lying down, there is no way I can sit up and touch my feet. Ain’t gonna happen! And, to add to the level of difficulty, when I try to sit up from a laying position my legs want to raise up. They do that on their own. Unless there is someone sitting on my feet, there is no way that this exercise will work. So I did it the girly-girl way, by doing crunches, which in the long run are working the muscle group needing the most work – my Abs.

So, today I made it 8 or 9 minutes into the Ab Ripper X routine. Maybe on Monday I will be able to go a few seconds further – maybe not.  But I will continue to try and that’s the name of the game.

I did enjoy the Legs and Back part of today’s workout. I didn’t have to pause for any breaks and was able to keep hydrated while on the go. Yesterday I used drinking water as an excuse to pause (giving me my much needed 15 to 20 second break now and then - - - and that’s okay). Today, they did have me folded into pretzel like positions and I know I will be feeling it tomorrow.

Now, that lunch has been served and all is well, I think I will go and soak these old bones in the hot tub, before the post-workout aches kick in.

                                            "You want me to do what?"