P90X – Day 11
Yeah yeah, I know…I am new at this P90X stuff. There is a certain reassurance in knowing that this is only the beginning of my journey. Allow me to explain. Watching Tony, and the other on-screen mentors, can be intimidating when they expect you to move (or bend) a certain way. Then add to that how easily they themselves can do the various contortions and you find yourself asking deep questions, like;
· How long will this session take (always my first question every day)?
· How is it possible to bend the way they do?
· Will I ever be able to reach down and grab my feet without bending my knees?
· Is it supposed to hurt like that? ßThe answer to this one is if you can’t feel it, then you’re doing it wrong.
Realistically, I know the answer to each and every one of those questions. The duration of the session is right there on the lower right corner of the screen…Just Look At The Clock Dummy! They can bend like that because they have been doing this FOREVER! If I keep working on stretching those muscles and tendons (the ones that have not been worked for decades) I too can eventually teach my body to do things I never thought possible. And of course, aches and pains are good, as long as they are the good type of aches and pains. If exercising the wrong way causes SEVERE discomfort then you are probably not doing that exercise properly or you are approaching that exercise as if you are a conditioned athlete when in fact you are a conditioned couch potato.
Kerry tried one of the Stretching X routines when the family was here visiting last October. She pulled something in her neck that flared up after a few hours. She was in severe pain and it took muscle relaxers, massage and time to calm down the hurt. As they say on the DVD, “Don’t try to do too much if you are new to this sort of Extreme exercise.” In other words, start slow and allow your body to become accustomed to the new demands you are putting on it.
Look at the Paduang women near Chiang Mai, Thailand. They believe that having stretched necks, support by brass rings, is a sign of beauty. The more rings, the more beautiful they are. It takes years for them to build up to 25 or so rings. My body can adapt as well. I look forward to the day, maybe within a month or two, where I will actually be able to stand with legs together, knees not bent and be able to reach over and touch the floor.
Obviously, today’ schedule gave me a couple of options. A) I could rest or B) I could do the Stretch X routine. Last week I selected option A – this week I went for it and completed the 58 minute Stretch X program. It was actually enjoyable, painful yet enjoyable. I do think that as the months go by, these seemingly impossible maneuvers will no longer be impossible. I’ll keep you posted.
YOU WANT EXTREME
BRING IT
No comments:
Post a Comment