Begin week 4. Excited to start this final week of Phase 1. I will most likely not be doing a Recovery week in between Phase 1 and 2 as it is optional per the P90X2 schedule. I don’t feel like I will need it after this Phase. So next week comes Phase 2!

Day 22 – X2 Core – I’d be lying if I said I was pumped up for today’s P90X2 workout. I have yet to miss a workout nor do I have an excuse to miss one so I was not going to skip it. I just wasn’t “feeling it” today. Nonetheless I pushed play and had a good workout. Still showing an improvement and lessened my foot taps today.

X2 Core Stats:
Workout Duration: 51:54
Calories Burned: 617

Day 23 – Plyocide – My goal today was to push harder than I had the last time. I did pretty good today and it felt great to get this one in. Plyocide is not that long of a workout, in terms of the amount of time you are actually working out. This is another one of my favorite workouts.

X2 Plyocide:
Workout Duration: 51:56
Calories Burned: 714

Day 24 – X2 Total Body – Total body continues to be an awesome workout. We hit all the major muscle groups and of course we use the stability ball. I kept with what I did last week and this week was a bit easier compare to last week. In hind site I should of upped the ante today. Even so I got a good burn and it felt good to get it done today.

X2 Total Body Stats:
Workout Duration: 63:43
Calories Burned: 770

Day 25 – X2 Yoga – NOT! No disrespect to any yoga lover’s out there, but I just can’t get around to liking yoga. So instead ZI stuck with an Insanity Workout. I went with Core Cardio and Balance as it’s one of my favorites. It’s the one cardio workout per week I get so Insanity seemed to be the way to go.

Core Cardio And Balance:
Workout Duration: 37:12
Calories Burned: 620

Day 26-28 – Sick – I caught the bug that was going around my household and was way to sick and weak to do X2 Total Body.

Week in Review:
Started this week off on the right foot, ended badly. I started the week with my shoulder and hamstring pains pretty much gone. Two days this week I had one of my daughter’s home from school with a virus going around. I was fortunate not to catch it until the end of the week. Thursday night it hit me pretty hard. It wiped me out completely for 24 hours. Knowing I was transitioning into Phase 2 Monday I didn’t want to do a workout on Sunday when I started to feel better, so I just took those days off to re-coop. Monday I will be starting Phase 2 and I’m pretty excited about it. I’m ready for some more strength training in my workouts. Stay tuned…

Begin week 3. I’m still amazed in how much improvement in my core I am seeing and in how quickly. This is only week 3 and I’m pretty sure I will be doing a 4th week of Phase 1 before moving on to Phase 2.

Day 15 – X2 Core – Prior to beginning today my shoulder seemed to be aggravated. Not really sure what happened but it was pretty sore. Yesterday I did a LesMills Pump and I upped my weight on the chest and shoulders moves. That’s the only thing I can think of that would of caused any pain for today. Nonetheless I went at this workout full steam. I was weary of my shoulder on a few moves but being mostly a core workout it didn’t come into play to often.

X2 Core Stats:
Workout Duration: 52:06
Calories Burned: 716

Day 16 – Plyocide – My shoulder is still jacked up and it’s almost worse than yesterday, it’s no better to say the least. Not many upper body moves in this workout so I didn’t really worry about it. Tomorrow maybe a different story. I really don’t want to miss a day so I’m hopeful it’s better. I have been using ice and heat trying to work out the muscle. Another thing I have been using is the rumble roller which seems to get deep in the muscle. I did have a great workout today and feel like I’m still making progress on this routine.

Plyocide Stats:
Workout Duration: 55:03
Calories Burned: 780

Day 17 – Recovery + Mobility – I have been nursing an ailing shoulder the last few days. Today was a scheduled X2 Total Body workout, but I just didn’t think it was a good idea to do that today. On top of my ailing shoulder I tweaked my right hamstring last night. I didn’t stretch well enough on top of it being fairly cold at my softball game. Running bases I felt it pull up on me. So today I decided it would be a great idea to take it easy and spend some time with the rumble roller. Recovery + Mobility has a 20 minute block just with the roller and I spent most of that time on my shoulder and hamstring. I feel much better now – tomorrow will be fun to get back to a balance and power style workout.

Recovery + Mobility Stats:
Workout Duration: 57:09
Calories Burned: 180

Day 18 – X2 Total Body – It was nice getting back to a good workout today. My shoulder is much better and I have been rumble rolling my hamstring which has been working out very nicely. I was able to do this entire routine without much regard for my shoulder or hamstring. I didn’t up my numbers today, instead I did what I did in round one last week, then matched it in round two. Where last week my round two numbers were slightly lower than round one. You will notice my workout duration was a bit extended today as I had to pause the video a couple times.

X2 Total Body Stats:
Workout Duration: 1:09
Calories Burned: 873

Day 19 – X2 Balance and Power – With my schedule being a but off this week with the shoulder and hamstring issues I decided to go with X2 Balance and Power today. Not the best idea after yesterday’s X2 Total Body. It’s not advised to do back to back strengthening workouts. My original idea was to do Insanity today and Balance and Power Sunday, but I’ll be at an all day Softball Tournament Sunday. So I switched these two workouts and will use Sunday as my cardio day. I have to say my back was a bit tweaked today, two days in a row of a lot of core work must have to much for me. I won’t do that again for sure. I still matched my numbers from last week and had a good burn it just wasn’t that comfortable.

X2 Balance and Power Stats:
Workout Duration: 100:01
Calories Burned: 688

Day 20 – OFF

Day 21 – Softball Tournament

Week In Review:
In terms of workouts I had a great week. Although I was dealing with some soreness and injuries I still pushed play and this shows me I dedicated to getting this done at whatever the cost. I continued to drink the pre-workout drink Jack3d and of course my Shakeology. I think I’m going to halt drinking the Jack3d for some time and try the all new Energy and Endurance pre workout drink. In terms of diet I took a step back. I did well all week but the weekend proved to be a little difficult. I didn’t do real bad but I’m disappointed in some of the choices I made. Next week I begin week 4 and the final week of Phase 1.

Stay Tuned…

Begin week 2! Last week was a pretty good week for me. I did well hitting all my scheduled workouts and stuck my diet for the most part. I was able to drop 4 pounds in my first week and I don’t expect to have that kind of number this week. I’m trying to lose maybe 1-2 pounds per week. My goal for this week will be to push a bit harder and raise my rep counts and weight.

Day 8 – X2 Core – Today was one of the best workouts I have had in a long time! I went harder today in knowing what to expect. I was about spent by the last move so I know I went hard. It felt good to feel my core already getting stronger in ONLY 1 week of P90X2 …unbelievable!

X2 Core Stats:
Workout Duration: 57:32
Calories Burned: 731

Day 9 – Plyocide – Today was Plyo day. I have been feeling great these last few days and was able to “bring it” hard today. I’m trying to push myself beyond my comfort zone. I am having some success with just that, by the end I am spent which is the idea right. Today was a great workout for me, my mind has been clear and focused and I’m enjoying every minute of it! My numbers were much better today than last week too!

Plyocide Stats:
Workout Duration: 55:50
Calories Burned: 802

Day 10 – X2 Total Body and Ab Ripper X2- Having feeling great the last few days I thought I would be excited to push play today. I woke up with a sore wrist, I think I may slept on it wrong because it wasn’t sore when I went to bed. I iced it this morning trying to get some mobility back. So having the wrist issue I kinda was worried if I could do this workout at all, but I wasn’t going to let it go by without trying it. To my surprise the wrist really wasn’t a problem, it was still sore but once I got going it wasn’t an issue. I raised most of the reps counts and weights compared to last week and man I’m feeling it trying to write this out. Total Body is not just a clever name it’s the truth!

X2 Total Body Stats:
Workout Duration: 104:36
Calories Burned: 835

Day 11 – Insanity Core Cardio and Balance – Today is Yoga day, but it you have been following me you know I just don’t like Yoga. So to replace yoga I decided to go with an Insanity Workout today. High intensity cardio is a whole other ball game. I have to say it was fun to go back to Insanity, but back to P90X2 tomorrow.

Core Cardio and Balance Stats:
Workout Duration: N/A
Calories Burned: N/A

Day 12 – X2 Balance + Power – Another day of balance, combined with power. I seem to continue to move forward in P90X2 and I’m getting better each and everyday. I increased each and every rep today from last week with the exception of one. I had a “retard” moment on one of the moves, I write down everything to keep track of my progress and I actually wrote “retard” because I just could not get my body set and by the time I got it they were done…doh!

X2 Balance + Power Stats:
Workout Duration: 56:55
Calories Burned: 676

Day 13 – 14 – Off and LesMills Pump – This weekend I did what I did last weekend and took Saturday as a rest day. Sunday during the Packers/Giants half time I did a LesMills Workout. It was less than 30 minutes but a really good burn. Gotta keep pushing play!

Week in Review:
This was one of my best weeks to date going through my workouts. In terms of clarity, focus and intensity. I felt great most everyday and was able to push myself pretty hard throughout each workout. Saturday was a much needed break and Sunday’s short workout was fun to do. Any workout that you can say is fun is going to be a good one, right. I have continued to take the Jack3d supplement prior to my workouts and this week I upped the dose to two scoops. I have ordered the Brand new Beachbody pre-workout drink Energy and Endurence and I will be trying it soon to compare. Shakeology for breakfast has continued to be a mainstay and of course the post workout drink, Results and Recovery is a must! I have dropped another 1.2 pounds and that’s really my goal (1 pound per week) so I feel I’m doing just the right amount of calories per week. I look forward to week 3!

Stay tuned…

With the new year the time has come for my resolution. I have recently completed P90X/Insanity hybrid and then the Insanity: The Asylum , but I have put on some weight during the holiday season. And to be honest I didn’t workout as much as I needed. I did however stick to my Shakeology which is why I feel I didn’t gain to much weight as my body was still getting all the nutrients it needed at least once per day. So my first new years resolution was too start and complete the brand new P90X2 workout. And then in April to start the new LesMill Pump program. I’m excited to get started and know Tony Horton will get me back to where I want to be and probably even further than I can imagine.

This first week of P90X2 will be an accessment week for me. I have not done or even seen any of these workouts so I will start slow and build up after I know what to expect. I am ready to go!

Day 1 – X2 Core - So today was day 1 of at least 90. Today was an all core workout much like Core Synergistics from the original P90X. I always seemed to have difficulty with Core Synergistics so I was kinda fearful going into this routine. The stability ball and roller bar were both new to me and I think I’m going to like using them over the long haul but today was a little akward just trying to get use to using them. All in all a fun workout and I’m sure I’ll be sore in the core tomorrow.

X2 Core Stats:
Workout Duration: 56:30
Calories Burned: 722

Day 2 – Plyocide – I have to be honest and say I was fearing this workout going into it. I hadn’t watched it prior to trying it so I didn’t know what to expect. I really did enjoy it and I liked the fact there were no repeat moves. I had to take a lot of breaks but expect to get better as I progress through the program.

Plyocide Stats:
Workout Duration:55:26
Calories Burned: 778

Day 3 – X2 Total Body and Ab Ripper X2 – In case you didn’t notice I have changed the order of the schedule. In the schedule today is a “Rest” or Recovery and Mobility day. I decided to change it up and have my Recovery days during the weekend. This just works better for me. Although I’m super sore and probably could have used the day off. Total Body is no joke and again we use the stability ball and medicine balls. Doing push ups from the medicine balls was a new for me, not to mention lifting weight while balancing on the stability ball. I definitely need work on my own stability.

X2 Total Body Stats:
Workout Duration: 106:05
Calories Burned: 808

Day 4 – Yoga X2 – Today was Yoga day, I hated the original P90X Yoga. Don’t get me wrong I did try to do it and I could do it, it was just so boring and being 90 minutes it became brutal for me to do. So we bring in Yoga X2 which is shorter than the original which was one of the complaints for Yoga X. They cut out 13 minutes, so Yoga X2 is still almost 70 minutes long. I did the first 20 and turned it off, I just can’t get to enjoy it. I turned it off and popped in another workout (LesMills Pump) to get in some kind of workout today.

Day 5 – X2 Balance + Power – After my little bout with X2 Yoga yesterday I was more than happy to hit Balance and Power today. We did a lot more stability ball work, not much with the med balls. I took it a bit easy today making sure I could get it done with out crashing. Next time through I’ll have to up the ante for sure.

X2 Balance + Power Stats:
Workout Duration: 57:23
Calories Burned: 684

Day 6 and 7 – These are my rest/recovery days but I felt good this weekend. Saturday (Day 6) I took the day off to rest my body although I took it a bit easy this week during the workouts just to get a hold of the moves and the stability ball. Sunday I had planned to do the Recovery + Mobilty workout of P90X2 but I felt good and decided to do a LesMills Pump workout. It was a short 30 minute workout that went by quick and was a good burn.

Weekend Stats:
Workout Duration: 37:27
Calories Burned: 414

Week 1 in Review:
With the exception of X2 Yoga I really enjoyed each and every workout this week. Partly because they were all new and completely challenging. I realize I need a lot of work on my bodies stability. I’m sure through the next few weeks I’ll get better at that dang stability ball, but this week was an eye opener as I felt almost uncoordinated when trying to use the stability ball. All in all I was able to drop about 4 pounds in this first week while I stuck to my diet (although it could have been better) and I hit all my workouts. All it takes is some dedication and you just have to “show up”.

Stay tuned…

Preparing For P90X2

There has been a lot of new developments coming out of Team Beachbody lately and as a Beachbody CoachI can’t tell you how excited I am for the new programs and supplements. One of the best parts of being a Beachbody Coach is I get to do the new workouts as part of my job. Perhaps the biggest news out of Team Beachbody is P90X2. I have been waiting for this program for years and I’m ready to bring it.

Since May 2011 I have completed P90X and Insanity:The Asylum which I completed the end of September. Since then I have been kind of stagnant in my workouts. Not really sticking to anything and working out off and on. I planned to keep going in preparation for P90X2, but like many people, life got in the way and I didn’t do as much as I wanted. That being said I haven’t missed a single day of Shakeology which I can honestly say is the biggest reason I haven’t craved poor foods or even gained a lot of weight.

So here it is, on January 2nd 2012 I will beginning a new journey with P90X2. I’m not sure I’m ready for this program but like most Beachbody workouts I can modify where needed. Hopefully I wont nee to modify to much.

I purchased the Ultimate Package which included 2 8 lb. medicine balls, stability ball, roller bar, push up stands, and some extreme bonus workouts. I have watched a couple of the DVD’s before getting going and from what I have watched it looks like a lot of fun. Of course I know that will change when Tony Horton is kicking my butt.

Unlike P90X, P90X2 is not on a “set” schedule in terms of Phases. Each phase can range from 3-6 weeks with an optional recovery week. And there are only 5 workouts per week opposed to 7 in P90X. This I feel will help me push even harder in the workouts knowing my body will have the time to recover. And with the addition of the roller bar (deep tissue massage) I’m hopeful my muscles won’t be as sore from the daily grind.

Preparing for P90X2

This week I am doing a 3 day Shakeology cleanse. A Shakeology cleanse is a performance cleanse to better prepare my body for P90X2 or any workout regimen. It’s a nutrient efficient with a goal of getting the most nutrients possible in the fewest amount of calories making your body run much more efficiently. I haven’t done this since before starting my last round of P90X, so I felt now was a good time to start one.
Click here to learn more about the 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse.

Goals for P90X2

Since I have put back on a few pounds I do have a goals of losing some more weight. My biggest goal is to drop my body fat %ed under 15. As for the diet side of thing I will be drinking Shakeology everyday. The only other supplements I plan to take is whey protein and Jack3d. Whey protein to help me build some muscle (duh) and Jack3d to help me push myself harder in the workouts. I have taken Jack3d before and it really didn’t set well with me, but I am still going to give it try for at least the first week.

Getting started with P90X2

Monday January 2nd 2012 is my day one of at least 90. I want to offer an invitation to you, if you are planning to or have already started P90X2 I have a Challenge group on Facebook where a group of us are going through the program and offering each other motivation and support. I’d love to have you join us in there. If you are interested in joining us be sure to contact me here.