I've stated several times in the past that the biggest challenge to P90X is the time commitment and now I'm realizing the biggest drawback . . .
I am always starving! I mean seriously, since the day I started this routine nearly 3 months ago I am constantly hungry. And that is very unlike me. My body has a great self regulating ability. It somehow knows exactly what I need to maintain my weight and adjusts my hunger accordingly. When I'm loafing around and not working out for long stretches of time (yes, that happens at certain times of the year) I eat very little, I guess because of my very low appetite. But lately, my goodness, I'm consumed with thoughts of "How long before I get to eat again and what will I eat next?" I hate it. I feel like my husband, who is constantly complaining that he's hungry no matter how much I feed him.
There is still a little piece of me that wonders why I go through all of this. I can just do nothing to work out and my body will adjust to maintain my healthy weight. Seems like it would be a whole heck of a lot easier. BUT, I'm a psycho and I need the rush of working out and I need to feel good about myself for being strong . . . so I'm going to find more to eat now. I think there's a jar of almonds close by . . . and some leftover Easter candy too. I'm on it.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
This Was a First
So I think I learned an important lesson about the order by which you perform the P90X workouts. For whatever reason (I truly can't remember) I decided to start this week backwards. Funny this seemed like the perfectly logical thing to do on Saturday. Then, since I already started the week screwed up, I further messed with it by doing only the Legs portion yesterday, saving the Back portion of Legs & Back for this afternoon's lunch time work out. Then I got home and realized more shuffling was going to be needed due to after work commitments throughout the week. I thought, "no problem, I'll just do another weight lifting session today." Well that was a mistake. I tried to tackle Chest, Shoulders & Triceps which is notoriously a difficult one for me and I bonked. This was the first workout ever that I quit before the end of the video. I just couldn't muster the energy to get through the final 3 moves. I am just amazed at how much lifting weights sucks the life out of me. Between yesterday, this afternoon, and this evening I am completely burnt out. As a matter of fact my wrists are almost too sore to type. Yikes. How many more days until my Recovery Friday?
New YogaDudes Tank Tops Now Available
The new YogaDudes tanks are now available in our shop. These soft and stretchy combed ring-spun cotton tanks have just a touch of spandex making them body hugging and super comfortable. They feature a longer length making them perfect for yoga class. The design says Peace, Love, Yoga and would make the great addition to your yoga wardrobe.You can purchase these new tank tops online here.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
My P90X Yoga Secret
My last posting talked about how I went from hating and dreading P90X Yoga to how I tackled it. A comment from a reader made me realize that I should also explain my little P90X Yoga secret . . .
Like I said before, the biggest challenge with P90X is the time commitment. Dedicating the hours every week is far more painful for me than the actual lifting or working out. And doing anything for more than an hour is like bamboo under my fingernails. I mean seriously, I can't think of many things that I can do for more than an hour – even things I love, I lose interest after an hour. I guess I have a 59 minute attention span for most things in life and it's actually becoming a joke to my friends. As soon as I tune out my friends say, "Paula has reached her 1 hour limit." So here's my P90X secret that I started to do last season.
The hardest and most grueling part of P90X Yoga is the first 45 minutes of the vinyasa flow. That is the part that makes the whole routine seem endless. But when you think about it, the entire routine can be broken into two distinct parts: the 45 minute vinyasa Hell; and the rest of it. So on Yoga day, I tackled the first 45 tough minutes during my lunch break at work. Then I would come home and finish the second 45 minute segment after work. Taking the work out in two pieces made it a million times more doable for me. I don't think you are getting any less of a work out or benefit from splitting it in two pieces and for me, it worked like a charm.
Like I said before, the biggest challenge with P90X is the time commitment. Dedicating the hours every week is far more painful for me than the actual lifting or working out. And doing anything for more than an hour is like bamboo under my fingernails. I mean seriously, I can't think of many things that I can do for more than an hour – even things I love, I lose interest after an hour. I guess I have a 59 minute attention span for most things in life and it's actually becoming a joke to my friends. As soon as I tune out my friends say, "Paula has reached her 1 hour limit." So here's my P90X secret that I started to do last season.
The hardest and most grueling part of P90X Yoga is the first 45 minutes of the vinyasa flow. That is the part that makes the whole routine seem endless. But when you think about it, the entire routine can be broken into two distinct parts: the 45 minute vinyasa Hell; and the rest of it. So on Yoga day, I tackled the first 45 tough minutes during my lunch break at work. Then I would come home and finish the second 45 minute segment after work. Taking the work out in two pieces made it a million times more doable for me. I don't think you are getting any less of a work out or benefit from splitting it in two pieces and for me, it worked like a charm.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Yoga and P90X
A reader left me a comment today about her delight at finding a blog that discusses both Yoga and P90X. It made me think back to an ironic story that I wanted to share.
I've been practicing yoga for about 10 years now and always dreamed of some day getting my teaching certification. Then 3 years ago I discovered the awesome workout routine that is P90X. I was amazed at how challenging it was and how motivated I was to complete those 90 days. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was going to stop me from my perfect workout record. I would avoid social events to make sure I could go straight home after work and there was no way a cold, menstrual cramps, a stiff neck, nor any other ailment was going to break me.
I got through the 90 days like a champ and in the end I must say, I was looking pretty buff. But the problem was that P90X completely changed my view of Yoga. I went from loving it to . . . well, I'm pretty sure I hated it. The P90X Yoga was grueling and way too long for my short attention span. It turned out to be my most dreaded day of the week. And the so called 'recovery weeks' were torture. They required 2 Yogas per week. I didn't think I would ever do yoga again after these 3 months.
But then the summer came and went and I normally don't do as much yoga in the summer as I'm busy on my bike, in my kayak, and on the trails. When winter rolled back around all too soon I had to make the decision to go for another round of P90X. Of course I did. This time it was different. I knew what to expect and that was both good and bad. Bad in that it was a little less motivating, but good in that I knew I could tackle anything Tony was going to through at me. When I completed the dreaded Yoga routine for the first time during this second session I was stunned at how easy it seemed compared to the first year. Was this the same routine that nearly broke my yoga spirit? The routine got to be so familiar that it got easier and easier.
I reassessed my feelings toward getting my yoga teacher certification. During the first year of P90 I was convinced that yoga was not for me and I would never make it as an instructor. But during year two I had a renewed sense of confidence. Heck, if I can get through Tony's 90 minutes of pure Hell I could do it! And I did it. I even modeled my final exam class after Tony's Vinyasa segment. P90X went from causing me to hate something that I once loved and breaking my spirit . . . . to making me realize that I must be good at it and giving me the drive to just go for it.
So, for me, there is a big connection between Yoga and P90X. After cursing Tony for 90 days I now thank him for pushing me to Bring It and follow my dream.
I've been practicing yoga for about 10 years now and always dreamed of some day getting my teaching certification. Then 3 years ago I discovered the awesome workout routine that is P90X. I was amazed at how challenging it was and how motivated I was to complete those 90 days. Nothing, and I mean nothing, was going to stop me from my perfect workout record. I would avoid social events to make sure I could go straight home after work and there was no way a cold, menstrual cramps, a stiff neck, nor any other ailment was going to break me.
I got through the 90 days like a champ and in the end I must say, I was looking pretty buff. But the problem was that P90X completely changed my view of Yoga. I went from loving it to . . . well, I'm pretty sure I hated it. The P90X Yoga was grueling and way too long for my short attention span. It turned out to be my most dreaded day of the week. And the so called 'recovery weeks' were torture. They required 2 Yogas per week. I didn't think I would ever do yoga again after these 3 months.
But then the summer came and went and I normally don't do as much yoga in the summer as I'm busy on my bike, in my kayak, and on the trails. When winter rolled back around all too soon I had to make the decision to go for another round of P90X. Of course I did. This time it was different. I knew what to expect and that was both good and bad. Bad in that it was a little less motivating, but good in that I knew I could tackle anything Tony was going to through at me. When I completed the dreaded Yoga routine for the first time during this second session I was stunned at how easy it seemed compared to the first year. Was this the same routine that nearly broke my yoga spirit? The routine got to be so familiar that it got easier and easier.
I reassessed my feelings toward getting my yoga teacher certification. During the first year of P90 I was convinced that yoga was not for me and I would never make it as an instructor. But during year two I had a renewed sense of confidence. Heck, if I can get through Tony's 90 minutes of pure Hell I could do it! And I did it. I even modeled my final exam class after Tony's Vinyasa segment. P90X went from causing me to hate something that I once loved and breaking my spirit . . . . to making me realize that I must be good at it and giving me the drive to just go for it.
So, for me, there is a big connection between Yoga and P90X. After cursing Tony for 90 days I now thank him for pushing me to Bring It and follow my dream.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Yoga Teachers Who Blog
Check me out. I just realized that YogaDudes is listed #2 in this cool list of "100 Incredible Yoga Teachers Who Blog." YogaDudes is listed under the "Yoga News and Inspiration" category. I must say that I'm honored. The idea that I may be inspiring people out there to do yoga and get fit just thrills me. Check out the link and see if you can get inspired by some of the other yoga instructors of the world.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
April Desktop Calendar
I guess you can call this one 'better late than never.' In the honor of Spring and new beginnings I present the April desktop calendar. To make it your desktop wallpaper just click on the image above to bring up the full-sized graphic. Then right-click and 'save as desktop.'
Happy Spring from YogaDudes.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Why Do I Do P90X?
This is a question I often get asked. When friends see my commitment to this work-out routine, in the midst of all my other obligations that make my life one big time crunch, they often wonder why on earth I do it. I manage to stay the exact same weight, and look fit, whether I really am or not. So why bother with all this work and effort?
And today I may even have questioned it myself. I was upstairs, alone . . . diligently working out with Tony while my husband was outside in the 70 degree Spring temps, playing with our dogs. I have to admit, it ain't easy. And sometimes I hate it. But I trudge on. And here's why . . .
As bikers, the first voyage of the season is always bittersweet, especially living in a cold climate. The Spring air brings both excitement and dread. On one hand we can't wait to dust off the bikes and jump back on. But on the other hand we dread the slap of reality when we realize just how cold and long the winter has been. The routes that we tackled with ease at the end of one riding season suddenly pose a much bigger challenge. The legs start off feeling like bricks, the lungs seem so much smaller, and the muscles that were once there have slipped into hibernation. The bike rides that we once knew and loved become a dreadful chore and no biker likes that.
So this weekend was our maiden voyage and it was great. I jumped on my bike and tackled the ride like there was no winter off. I hit the ground running–and running fast–and rode just about the whole route in my top ring. It felt wonderful and that, my friends, is why I do P90X.
And today I may even have questioned it myself. I was upstairs, alone . . . diligently working out with Tony while my husband was outside in the 70 degree Spring temps, playing with our dogs. I have to admit, it ain't easy. And sometimes I hate it. But I trudge on. And here's why . . .
As bikers, the first voyage of the season is always bittersweet, especially living in a cold climate. The Spring air brings both excitement and dread. On one hand we can't wait to dust off the bikes and jump back on. But on the other hand we dread the slap of reality when we realize just how cold and long the winter has been. The routes that we tackled with ease at the end of one riding season suddenly pose a much bigger challenge. The legs start off feeling like bricks, the lungs seem so much smaller, and the muscles that were once there have slipped into hibernation. The bike rides that we once knew and loved become a dreadful chore and no biker likes that.
So this weekend was our maiden voyage and it was great. I jumped on my bike and tackled the ride like there was no winter off. I hit the ground running–and running fast–and rode just about the whole route in my top ring. It felt wonderful and that, my friends, is why I do P90X.
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