P90X Review Plyometrics (Day 2 - Phase 1)

Man-O-Manischewitz what a workout this morning.  Yeah, I got myself downstairs at 5:00 AM and started the workout at about 5:45.  Plyometrics today…it’s the X in P90X.

Not familiar with the term plyometrics?  Here’s the definition from Wikipedia:

Plyometrics is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in a specific sport. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and as it was supposed to be surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal.

It’s high-impact and I felt the impact in my old guy’s knees.  Actually I’ve always had problems with my knees popping, cracking, and if I don’t have my bike seat adjusted perfectly I’ll have pain after a long ride.  That’s why I’m a biker not a runner.  My right knee sounded like someone was eating celery throughout the workout so I didn’t jump up as high as Dominic the curly-haired guy in the back row.  What’s up with that guy? Bah..teacher’s pet.

It was easier than the workout last night.  Other than not get the altitude that the others were achieving, I was keeping up pretty well.  I can see why some people get sick to their stomach (to put it mildly), there a few moves where you are spinning up in the air and then going right into a different exercise.  If spinning amusement rides make you hurl, you’ve been warned.  Proceed with caution and slow down how fast you spin.

There seemed to be a wide variety of exercises in this workout so it didn’t seem too boring.   At least not the first time through.  Sure they all seem like variations of jumping and squatting, but it really gets your heart rate going.  During day one’s P90X workout, I barely broke a sweat.  I worked up quite a bit of perspiration during Plyometrics.  Next time I’ll wear my heart rate monitor to see if I’m “in the zone”.

P90X Review Day 1 - Phase 1

“Ready boys and girls? OK,  here we go…5,4…3,2″

If you’ve been doing P90X more than a week, you’ll know this is Tony Horton leading a P90X extreme fitness routine.  If you’ve been doing P90X for awhile you probably hear Tony’s voice in your sleep.

Well I had plans on doing my first routine in the early AM, but I overslept and didn’t have time.  I had a busy day at the office and I’m working on two design projects with a pretty tight deadline.  The stress of that and the repetitive movement of my arm scooting the computer mouse around made my shoulder felt like someone was sticking a hot poker in my shoulder.  I was determined to start P90X no matter what, so I took some pain reliever at dinner and waited for my turn with the TV and the DVD player.  With a wife and kids and all the things that come with that, it was later and later.

Finally everyone cleared out and I was ready to “Bring It”.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had a regular workout schedule so I’ve spent the month of January doing some of the routine I used to do when I was in better shape. Free weights and cardio on the stationary bike. I thought I was ready, boy was I was wrong.

The first time through the exercises, I tried to pace myself and not push myself too hard.  Even with the flyes, military presses, and bench presses I had been doing prior to P90X, I was struggling on some of the moves.  I’ve got a long way to go on the pull-ups. It was almost discouraging on how few pull-ups I could do.  I’m focusing on quality this week to get the moves done right.  Throughout Tony does sprinkle in a little encouragement and at the end he gives you a little pep talk.  Telling you it’s OK if you don’t keep up with the students on the screen.  Do your best and forget the rest!

I found the diamond push-ups particularly difficult.  It seemed like the wider my hands are, the easier it is to perform the maximum reps.  I also do push-up with my hands closed in a fist instead of an open hand.  This technique is easier on my rest and duplicates the position your hands would be if you were using push-up stands without the extended range of motion.

On to Ab Ripper X.  I had been doing crunches preparing for P90X and these Ab Ripper X was hitting muscles I wasn’t working on the assorted core exercises I’ve been doing since the beginning of January.  Crunchy frog was the exerise that proved the most challenging on this DVD.  I did my best and forgot the rest.

Overall, the workouts were as challenging as I thought they would be.  It would have been nice if they showed a camera angle from the top down on some of the ab exercises so I could check my form.

I’m going to attempt to get up early tomorrow and get the P90X workout in before the day wears me down.

Day one down, 89 more to go.  Decide…commit…succeed!