Week One - P90X3

Week One Done!  12 more weeks to go! 

I was definitely too hasty to judge the program after the first workout.  I felt extremely uncoordinated and weak, but boy what a difference a week makes.  My initial thoughts were that this program was really not for a beginner, but as I went through the workouts this week I discovered I was wrong.  Tony Horton is so great and tells you over and over again to go at your own speed.  He enforces the fact that just being there and trying is better than sitting on the couch.  Although I was so use to the 21 Day Fix and missed Autumn at first that has passed.  The adjustment period of getting the hang of the differences with P90X3 is over.  Tony is just as motivating and inspiring as Autumn and is a little quirky to boot.  And can you believe that guy is 55 years old?!

This week presented some challenges that would make it very easy to get back into old habits.  For work I had three business related lunches.  This meant I had to eat out!  Ugh!  Even when ordering a salad it is difficult to keep portion control in mind.  In hopes of making the best choices possible I did order a salad with grilled chicken and would only eat about half.  For the dressing I ordered a Balsamic Vinaigrette and requested it on the side and did not even eat much of it.  Although, I am sure it was not as healthy as eating a salad I prepare on my own I did not indulge in any of the temptations that restaurants have.  Additionally, I was extremely busy at work so I was not eating all the food I should of or drank the proper amount of water.  I know not eating enough can hold up weight loss and also reduces your energy so that you can't put 110% into your workouts.  Luckily, I drink my Shakeology everyday which gives me the nourishment I need and curbs those craving making it easy to say NO to the bread on the table.

I felt a bit stressed this week as well and when I am stressed I like to unwind with a glass of wine or two.  I am trying not to drink at all right now so I did not allow this to be a way to deal. 

It was also soooooo hot this week!  It is absolutely draining.  It zaps all your energy and all I wanted to do was lay on the couch under a fan when I would get home.

You know what all the above sounds like to me though?  Excuses!  I am sure I could come up with more of why I did not want to work out or stick to my healthy eating.  Instead I made a conscience decision each and everyday to do my workouts and not "cheat" on my diet.  After all, I would only be cheating myself.  Every time I committed to doing the workout I felt so much better afterward.  I was proud that I have kept my fitness such a priority even when life gets in the way.

As a result of never wavering I lost two pounds.  I am stronger, more flexible, and have increased my endurance and stamina.  I have made more progress and seen better results in these seven weeks of working out and sticking to the programs than I did in one year with a trainer.  Ever day is something new and different challenging myself a little more.  As the days went on I liked the workouts more and more.  I would say they are even fun. 


The Workouts

Day 1 - Total Synergistics

A complete body workout including push-ups, pull-ups, weights, and your own body for resistance. This was my least favorite of all the days, but again it was the first day so I am eager to see what I think of it this week.  I feel stronger already so I am betting on great progress compared to week one.

Day 2 - Agility X

Again this was a full body workout focusing on precision, power, flexibility, balance and strength.  In order to do this routine all you needed were two 4 feet strips of tape four feet apart with an X on each end and in the middle.  Each exercise had you target a specific mark on the tape.  This way you know you were extending your leg or jumping the same distance every time.  For example, one move was a Y lunges.  I stood in the middle and each time I lunged forward I would hit the front X on the piece of tape.  I really enjoyed this workout and definitely built up quite the sweat.


Day 3 - X3 Yoga

Yoga was part of the 21 Day Fix program as well, but this was a little tougher.  Incorporating moves like Warrior 3 and Tree Pose extreme flexibility and balance is required.  While I have built up some of these elements it was still very challenging.  I love yoga and am so excited to see how much I have improved.

Day 4 - The Challenge

If you love push-up and pull-ups then this is the workout for you.  The challenge is to pick a number of pull-ups and a number of push-ups you can do and  try to reach that number each time.  The entire routine is alternating between various types of pull-ups and push-ups.  As I have mentioned my upper body strength is my weakness, literally.  No need to worry though I was able to modify pull-ups with a resistance band and do "girl" push-ups.  I picked 30 for pull-ups and 15 for push-ups and willed myself to reach that goal each round. 

Day 5 - CVX

This was a full cardio exercise session with a light weight (I used 5 pounds).  Jumping jacks, hops, twists, and more helps to increase endurance and core strength.  I felt this one the next day.

Day 6 - The Warrior

I felt like a Warrior for sure after completing this workout.  Tony has developed this program while working with the US Armed Forces.  There are no weights or equipment needed just your own body for resistance.  It focused on every part of the body, lunges, squats, burpees, leg extensions and so on.  I believe this was my favorite workout so far. 

Day 7 - Rest or Dynamix

I chose to rest since I could.  I have been working out everyday for the last 7 weeks so felt like I could use one day off to let my body recover.  I may try to do the Dynamix routine every other week.  After all, it is only 30 minutes and my day off so I could easily get it in and I want to get the most out of this. 

Final thoughts of this week are that anyone can do this program and should if they want to get results in only 30 minutes a day.  I can't imagine going to the gym and jumping on a treadmill or elliptical for an hour since I know I am getting better results in 30 minutes.  Not to mention I am not just working on cardio, but strength, flexibility, and balance.  I will do two more rounds of this week before moving onto a transition week.  After the fourth week I will take pictures and measurements again.  Although I am anxious to be there already to see my results I will take one day at a time.  I know that each day I stay committed is one step closer to my goals.