Getting Fit with P90X – Phase II

I’ll be ready for the zombie apocalypse, I will!

This exercise program is brutal. I’m not going to lie to you!

I’ve become hooked on the tv show The Walking Dead. Each evening my husband and I watch a couple of episodes and it’s become something I really look forward to at the end of the day. My husband (bless his cotton socks) can’t catch a fish and has never used a shotgun, both things I have experience of (I’m Canadian, remember!) so, should we experience the zombie apocalypse, it’ll be down to me to protect the family. I can’t do that if I’m not fit.

*Please note, I don’t actually believe we’ll experience a zombie apocalypse, it’s just that sometimes I have a tendency to escape into my imagination.

So, Phase II of the extreme home fitness program P90X here I come… if there was ever a fitness program to get you ready for the zombie apocalypse this is it!

For those of you who don’t know, the p90x extreme home fitness program is a three phase exercise program combining cardio and strength training designed to get you fit in just 90 days. I used to be reasonably fit, but after suffering an injury which has taken nearly two years to heal as well as it’s going to regaining my fitness is now a high priority.

Running and weight lifting used to be my exercises of choice, but due to permanent damage from the injury running is no longer an option.  I began this exercise program in mid-December hoping that it would provide me with a high intensity workout (the type I like) which would leave me stronger and help me shed the extra 30 lbs (2 stone!) I put on post-injury. I wanted something I could do in the comfort of my own home, something flexible around my own busy schedule.

So… let’s #BringIt! You can find my experience of Phase 1 here.

Week 5

Day 29 (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps + Ab Ripper): This is a new workout introduced this week. I really like this one. Unlike the rest of the weight lifting workouts where you repeat each set twice, this one it’s all bam-bam-bam working different things. One minute you’re doing in and out shoulder flys, the next you’re doing chair dips and then into push ups. Each set is different and there’s no time to get bored or think I’ve just done this, I can’t possibly do it again! I feel like I did a great workout today.

Day 30 (Plyometrics): Lots of jumping and sweat inducing brutality. When I first started this in Week 1 I could barely lift myself off the floor. I just didn’t have the muscle strength. I improvised. Today I attempted to jump around in a complete circle – and I did it! Felt a bit set back by taking my Day 30 photo and, although there is a minor visible difference, I still don’t like what I see. I will keep working at it.

Day 31 (Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper): This work out is a great one – varied and interesting. Pushed myself when I thought I could go no further. Progress with the Ab Ripper too – managed to do one V roll up, but couldn’t do another. Substituted with crunches.

Day 32 (Yoga X): Enjoyed this session more than I previously have. Managed to complete most of the moves without falling over and was impressed with the change in strength I have. When I started this program I didn’t think I’d be able to do the upward dog properly, ever, not with my dodgy ligament damaged ankle. It’s holding out surprisingly well and today most of my upward dogs were upward dogs, not cobras! Bizarrely, my body measurements are decreasing but the scales have barely budged this entire last week. I’ve not been eating the recommended 1800 kcal, more like between 1300-1500. I wonder if I need to eat more, or if I’m building muscle mass at the same rate I am losing fat?

Day 33 (Back & Legs + Ab Ripper): Upped the weights to 6.6 kg and managed to keep up with every exercise today. Rather impressed with myself as I kept the best form I possibly could. Still couldn’t do the Ab Ripper roll ups, replaced them with crunches, but did something at least. Went for a fab hill walk today with the in between storms and hurricane force winds.

Day 34 (Kenpo X): Sword hammer! Take that you pesky zombies – hyah! Pleased with my form today, and kept up with the pace of the trainers in the video.

Day 35 (X Stretch): So nice!

Total weight loss this week: 0.66 lbs

Week 6

Day 36 (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps + Ab Ripper): Moved from the weights to the green band for this. You can get some serious resistance with those rubber bands! Form and reps significantly improving. I am getting stronger!

Day 37 (Plyometrics): Managed to complete this workout later on in the evening when all I really wanted to do was curl up on the couch and feel sorry for myself. Pleased with my effort and form.

Day 38 (Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper): Did some of today’s exercises with the green band instead of the weights as I only have one set of weights and don’t want to keep changing them for each set. Actually managed to do six V roll ups during the Ab Ripper – they were clumsy but I did them! Massive progress from week one when I could barely get my shoulders off the floor!

Day 39 (Yoga X): This is an awful lot of yoga, especially when the five year old is pinging Lego at you throughout. I did it though!

Day 40 (Back & Legs + Ab Ripper): Really trying to improve my form through this work out. Increased number of pull up reps and actually managed to keep up the pace with all the Mason Twists, even the bonus ones – without taking a single break! Go me! Several hours later: oh the gluteus maximus ow!

Day 41 (Kenpo X): Went for a lovely long hill walk to a nearby standing stone this afternoon. For the first time this year the sun was shining brightly and the wind speed dropped down to single digits! Followed this with Kenpo and although slightly fatigued from the hill walk (have you ever walked through heather? That’s a work-out unto itself!) I did my best.

Day 42 (X Stretch): I really do enjoy these stretches, so much so that I find myself doing some of them during random times in the day simply because I can!

Total weight loss this week: 2.64lbs

Week 7

Day 43 (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps + Ab Ripper): Managed 8 V roll ups today, which, considering I could barely get my shoulders off the floor in week 1 is quite an achievement!

Day 44 (Plyometrics): The scales haven’t shifted in four days. I find this really disappointing and there was a fleeting part of me (somewhere around the 28 minute mark of today’s exercise program) that thought it might just be easier to do one of those diets where you don’t actually have to put any work into it, you just replace normal food with sachet shakes and ready meals. They see results immediately, none of this sweat and hard work for incremental losses. So fed up.

Day 45 (Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper). Halfway point – woohoo!

Day 46 (Yoga X): I find myself stretching at the most random times… just because I can. While folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher… I’ll let the stretch linger, just a bit, just because I can and it feels nice. Today’s yoga session, although long, didn’t feel as difficult as it previously has. I am stronger and can focus more now on perfecting the moves rather than not falling over. I even attempted the crane today, landed straight down on the top of my head, but I tried it. One step closer…

{Fitness plan interrupted for one week – see “I Think My Teenage Son Has Appendicitis!“}

Day 47 (Back & Legs + Ab Ripper): Oh my goodness how much strength and balance have I lost in just one week spent with my son in hospital?! I refuse to stand on the scales for a few more days at least. I don’t want to know. I did try the Ab Ripper tutorial in the p90x app, but I didn’t find they allowed enough time to complete the exercises. It put me off downloading the rest of the tutorials just in case they’re the same. Shame, as it’s such a good app. Pushed play today and forced myself through it. Tried out a new BeetsBlu bluetooth heart rate monitor I’ve been sent to review – downloaded the RunKeeper app to use with it. I’ll be likely doing more walking than running (dodgy ankle, mind) but it’s a fun new toy to play with.

Day 48 (Kenpo X): Ergh, sometimes these workouts are really a struggle to get through. Persevered and finished today’s session anyway, despite feeling unfit.

Day 49 (X Stretch): Stood on the scales for the first time since before the hospital experience. I was scared I’d gained, but no.. woohoo… I’m down one stone (14 lbs!) in total! 😀

Total weight loss this week: 1.98 lbs

Week 8

Day 50 (Yoga X): tried out my new Beets Blu Heart Rate monitor with this exercise today, more out of curiosity than anything else. As you can see – the first half of this exercise program is a lot more strenuous than the last half! RunKeeper says I burned 300 kcal.

Day 51 (Core Synergistics): Plugged myself into the heart rate monitor again today. What a brutal exercise program! Burned 320 calories so I don’t feel so bad about scoffing one out of that batch of experimental Weetabix blueberry muffins the five year old helped me make today!

Day 52 (Kenpo X): This certainly is a cardio workout – look at that heart rate graph!

Day 53 (X Stretch): I really do enjoy this one. It makes you feel all snapped back into place without too much exertion.

Day 54 (Core Synergistics): Only managed half of this work out today. I started a new part time job and after my first full non-stop shift I just didn’t have the energy to lift myself off the floor to do the push ups! I tried, but I pressed stop and went to bed exhausted.

Day 55 (Yoga X): Postponed for a day, due to working all day in an environment which is go-go-go and no sitting at all! Really enjoyed it the following day though, and noticed my heart rate was significantly lower than when I did it earlier in the week. Bought a new gadget: a FitBit One – more on this later! Feeling stronger again after that week off. Actually managed to hold crane pose for about two microseconds before landing on my head, but I’ll keep at it.

Day 56 (Stretch X): I am really noticing the benefits of my increased strength in my day to day life, from getting the shopping bags from the trolley into the car boot, from general energy throughout the day and ability to do simple things like open the new jar of pickles!

Total weight loss this week: 1.98 lbs

THE RESULTS AT THE END OF PHASE 2

Total weight loss: 16.09 lbs

Measurements:
4 inches lost around waist
3 inches lost around hips
4 inches lost around each thigh
4 inches lost around bust
1.5 inches lost around each upper arm
5 inches lost around the belly

That’s 27 inches down overall! Woohoo!

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BEETS BLU BLUETOOTH HEART RATE MONITOR REVIEW

The Beets Blu bluetooth portable heart rate monitor is for anyone who runs, does fitness training or any other kind of physical activity to enable them use the same technique professional athletes do: to maximize their training using heart rate zones.

On the Beets Blu website you can plug in your age and gender and they will tell you what heart beat range is optimal for warming up, fat burning/fitness, cardiovascular/endurance training, performance/strength training and maximum effort.

For me, the fat burning/fitness rate is between 109-126 bpm, not nearly as high (or uncomfortable) as I thought it would be. That gives me something to aspire to maintain, if not exceed, during my p90x workouts.

The gadget itself it really nifty, using ECG-based technology to read electrical signals from your heart. It’s comfortable to wear too, so much so I don’t even notice it!

The product arrived very quickly after it was ordered from Amazon and it took a matter of minutes to open the parcel, download a compatible app on my iPhone/iPad (I’m using RunKeeper) and have the devices sync up. I did have to add it manually, but just the once. Now, when I switch on the app the monitor syncs automatically. Audio reminders from RunKeeper let me know what my heart rate zone is and so I can increase/decrease effort if needed.

I like that regardless of which exercise I’m doing with the p90x program (or hiking outdoors) I can monitor time, distance, heart rate and calories burned.

The Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor retails at £34.95 and can be purchased from Amazon.

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Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary was sent a Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor for review. The p90x program was purchased with our own money. All opinions expressed are our own. This is not a paid post.