My Last Core Routine

Yesterday was my last P90X Core routine. I swear I used to like that video. It’s been 4 weeks since I last saw it and I was actually looking forward to revisiting it. Here I was, thinking that I’m 4 weeks further along and therefore much stronger than the last time I tackled Core. Well, I was wrong. It wasn’t any easier at all. Maybe I’m getting a little too over confident. Sigh.

Or maybe I’m just not as good at doing Cardio routines first thing in the morning with no food in me. This morning was my last Kenpo X and I always liked Kenpo. But yet I still dragged through, unenthusiastically . . . watching the clock, dreaming about a bowl of cereal. Today was highly unusual. I never attempted weekday morning workouts and doing them at 6 AM just stinks. But I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Three more little days and I am done. Yiiippeeee!

Trying To Be a Trooper

Yesterday was the first time I did my P90X workout in our gym at work. I wasn’t too keen on this as it’s sort of embarrassing. I much prefer the privacy of my own home. But I had something to do after work and I needed to get it out of the way. So I was on my way down the hallway from my office to the gym, carrying my small gym bag in the most awkward way. I had the handles of the bag clutched into both of my hands, both arms bent up at 90 degrees so that my hands were at face level, and the bag was hanging near my chest. I was walking like I had a board strapped to my back and a coworker asked if I was carrying a load of bricks. I explained that this was the only way I could carry the bag without too much pain . . . and then said I was on my way to the gym to work out! I got a blank “sure you are” expression and my coworker thought I lost my mind.

As if P90X isn’t challenging enough, this incredible pain in my neck (and I don’t mean my husband) is really making my life difficult. But I was a trooper. I got through Kenpo X despite the pain. I never looked in the direction of the punches and kicks like I should have, but I did the routine none the less. The hardest parts for me where jogging in place and, believe it or not, bending over into a forward stretch.

I have GOT to fix this before the start of Phase 2.

I Love Kenpo X

I said this last week and I’ll say it again. Kenpo is my favorite of all the P90X videos (so far). It really is fun. I feel like I’m a boxer or some sort of fighter training in a real gym. I’m familiar with all the moves and that helps out a lot. The just hour flies by.

This P90X journal has already inspired a few of my friends. So far three of them are seriously considering joining me with this new training routine, one being my cousin (actually cousins – husband and wife). The biggest reason for starting this whole thing was that I thought it would be fun to do it with my husband. The two coworkers that got us into it, both trained with their spouses and had a ball. Now, I’ve been training with my husband for years, but that has been different. He has been my trainer, being mean, pushing me too hard, yelling at me. That’s not fun at all. I wanted something that we could both do together – equally. I know just having him there would motivate me. I’m not so great at pushing myself all alone. If nobody is looking, it’s too easy to cheat. But having each other there motivates us both.

So last night we were side by side kicking and punching our hearts out. Karlo is very intense, in everything he does. He works like a machine and breathes like one too. I was listening to his mechanical breathing with every punch and kick and thought, “Wow, he’s so serious.” Then I imagined how much fun it would be to work out with my cousin. This guy is a riot – always cracking jokes. I was imagining all the funny things he would say at all these moves we were doing. I was cracking myself up just thinking about it. Jamie, if you and Eileen start this program, you will have to video tape yourselves so I can watch. That could be the best P90X video journal ever.

Tonight is our rest night and this completes week two. I feel great. I have a little soreness in my neck (from the original neck pull in week one) and my butt is still sore for the Legs night. I may do the stretching video tonight, mostly because I’ll feel guilty as Karlo spends hours outside shoveling snow on his “rest” night.

Kenpo X

Yesterday was our first Kenpo X session and I loved it. It was by far the most fun and I can’t wait to do it again. I had no idea what to expect, as I never heard the word “Kenpo” before. Well, it was pretty much all kickboxing. I used to take kickboxing classes twice a week for a few years. I even led my own little kickboxing class for a while. I love everything about kickboxing so I was in my element – even more so then with the yoga session. At least I’m good at kickboxing. I thought I was good at yoga, but this Wednesday night changed that feeling.

Anyway, back to Kenpo . . . it was about an hour long and no weights or other equipment were needed. We just went through several different rounds of punching and kicking the air. That may sound pretty easy, but it’s intense. If you do the moves properly and really put some uummff into it, you feel it everywhere.

I was fortunate to have experience with every move they did. If I never took kickboxing classes, I would have probably been a little lost. There isn’t really any instruction. The video just jumps right into every move at a very fast pace. But even if you do get a little lost, the following weeks will just get easier as you become more familiar with the moves.

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I felt was my entire back ache. I remember exactly how this used to feel from my kickboxing days. Muscles that you didn’t know you had start to bark at you. I love it! Despite the fact that I’m hurting a bit, I feel great.

Today is our first rest day and that means that I won’t be lifting at lunch time or doing any P90X at night. Oh, by the way, I lifted yesterday (chest) at lunchtime. I lifted to failure like I always do, but still had plenty of energy for Kenpo. I’m trying to hit different muscles during the afternoon so as not to poop myself out during P90X. When I told my other P90X friends that we are doing the “Lean” version, they called us “pansies” but the truth is, I think I’m getting an even tougher all around workout by continuing my lunchtime lifting sessions. By the time my 12 weeks are up I'll be able to kick the butts of those that called us pansies!