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It's been a while since I've updated my P90X progress.

A week ago Tuesday I did the Core Synergistics routine, and it was tougher than I was expecting (considering that the week is labelled "recovery week").

Wednesday I did a pretty solid workout at physical therapy. I think once I got home and ate, I was too tired to do anything, so I'm thinking I missed Kenpo.

Thursday I meant to make up for the Kenpo, but again was tired, so I skipped it as well as the X Stretch routine - which, now that I've actually watched a bit of the video, it looks like it's worthwhile enough to actually do on my "rest" days, even though it's longer than I was anticipating.

Friday, I'm just going to call it laziness, so I didn't do anything then either.

Saturday I think is when started trying to make up lost ground and did two workouts. I did Kenpo X during the day - Lisa was out shopping, and I put on a Kenpo show for Matthew. Apparently Daddy bouncing around throwing punches and kicks is mildly entertaining for him. I think I did another workout in the evening, but I'm having trouble recalling which one.

Sunday I did Yoga X, not wanting to do anything that might interfere with getting back on schedule starting Monday.

Monday, Lisa had an early soccer game so I skipped physical therapy, planning to go Tuesday and Thursday, and in the evening I did the chest, shoulders, and triceps routine. And it left my arms pretty abused by the end of it. I did fewer pushups than in other routines, mainly because there was so much triceps emphasis in this routine that it made the pushups much more difficult. I'm very glad it's going to be a week before I have to do that routine again. I had to modify a lot of the pushups to be able to even do them - especially the one arm pushups (ha!) and the hand-clap pushups - those were both done with my knees on the ground instead of my feet. The slow-motion pushups at the beginning of the routine really took their toll on me.

And right afterwards I did Ab Ripper X. Very difficult. I did fewer reps than when I did it standalone, but a lot more reps than the last time I tried to do it immediately following a workout. The best news is that I've apparently figured out how to fold my yoga mat to make it so my tailbone doesn't hurt any more. Good news is that I had been counting something else wrong - the roll-up v-ups. I had been counting them half as many as the DVD - how i counted, I had done at most 20. But according to the way the DVD counts them, I had done 40. I also had been doing "too many" leg climbs. I assumed I should do 25 of each of those, whereas the DVD only does 12 each. See what I miss by not following the DVD? Regardless, I won't change the way I've been counting them - but instead of striving to get 25, I'll be comfortable doing only 13; because it's a two part move, I don't want to leave the last move half done.

Then I took my day 30 photos. I'm not sure I'm seeing a ton of improvement. I should probably really watch my diet better.

Tuesday, on schedule, I had physical therapy where I did a lot of legs stuff, and then came home and did the Plyometrics. I'm still not squatting as low as I could possibly go during the various squat jumps, but I can at least get through the whole routine and still be able to walk the next day.

Wednesday, I was still feeling the effects of all the triceps work from Monday. I ended up doing Back and Biceps very late - too late to do the Ab Ripper afterwards. This was a pretty challenging day with tons of biceps work, and my new least favorite pullup, the corncob pullup. While holding your chin over the bar in a wide-grip pullup, move your body to the right, then over to the left, back to center, then push away from the bar, then go back towards the bar, and then finally let yourself down. Sweet mercy! (sweat mercy?) I only did five of those. I could've possibly squeezed out one or two more if I got myself off the bar for a few seconds and tried again, but I felt that stopping where I did gave me room to improve next week and the week after that.

Thursday I went again to physical therapy and concentrated on my lower back, leg abductors and adductors, and hamstrings. For good measure I threw in a chest press and pectoral fly, since it had been a couple of days since chest day. I didn't do any of the major leg work I tend to do since I'm doing legs later today. I also didn't do much other core work, because as soon as I got home I ripped through the Ab Ripper routine - 363 core moves. I intended to do Yoga later in the evening, but waking up early after going to bed late the last two days took its toll - I fell asleep early.

Now it's Friday afternoon, and my biceps are pretty sore today. I'm buttoning up the text of this post, and I fully intend to do Back and Legs today, Kenpo and Ab Ripper tomorrow, and at least Yoga if not also X Stretch on Sunday. Or maybe I'll switch Kenpo and Yoga - I haven't decided yet. I'm hoping the sore biceps won't interfere too much with the pullups and chinups I'm supposed to do tonight.

Since it's been a few days, and I know I've rearranged my intended schedule a bit, I'm having trouble remembering exactly what I did, and when.

So I'll work backwards.

I just finished Kenpo X. I think I'm getting the hang of the routine, all except the star blocks at the very end where Tony goes super fast and I don't have the coordination to keep up with him. But I only miss a couple of moves, so it's not too bad.

I'm pretty sure this morning I did an Ab Ripper X routine. At least I've got an Ab Ripper recorded for the 2nd of November with 376 moves in it.

Saturday I did legs and back. For the legs stuff, since I don't have a place to write any of it down, I'm just kind of remembering that stuff as best I can. And I'm pretty sure I'm doing more reps, and using weight on more of the moves. For the back stuff (pull ups and chin ups) I am keeping track of those - and this time around I feel pretty good about my results - 50 pull ups and 30 chin ups. That's 80 pull ups and chin ups moves!

Friday was Halloween, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything.

Thursday, it looks like I did the shoulders and arms routine. Or I did those so late on Wednesday that the date was marked as Thursday. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's the case.

Which means I didn't do anything Thursday or Friday of last week - not even Yoga. So shame on me.

Next week is my first recovery week; at the end of which I get to take all new measurements ad pictures. I've been weighing myself off and on throughout the last 3 weeks, and my weight has been trending downwards, but isn't consistently lower - if you look at the graph of my weight, it looks like I've taken two steps forward, one step back. But that's OK - at least the trend is in the right direction. And at the lowest, I've lost about 5 pounds from my highest point - at least the highest point I was willing to graph. (Near the beginning of my push ups and pull ups in July I was actually a few pounds heavier, but I didn't have the heart to admit to that weight. And I still don't, so don't ask. I'll just leave it at "a few".)

So to recap for the week - I did all the resistance-centric routines, as well as the plyometrics, Kenpo, two Ab Rippers - I skipped the Yoga and an Ab Ripper. All in all, an OK week.

But I can do better.

After much cajoling and self-flagellation, I convinced myself to start Kenpo X tonight, and I finished it.

Yay.

BTW, I can hardly move right about now, still being a bit sore from the Legs and Back routine yesterday.

With Matthew in the hospital last week, it was about all I could do to try to keep up with the program. I think I did a fairly good job while doing my best to keep everything else under control.

Monday I had done the Chest and Back routine, but skipped the Ab Ripper.

Tuesday started early at 4:00am. After Matthew's surgery and after his recovery was well underway, I snuck home for a bit to do the Plyometrics workout and take a quick shower before heading back to the hospital and sleeping on the rock hard couch in the freezing Parent's Lounge. I took it a little less easy on Plyometrics because my knees are feeling a lot better these days.

Wednesday I managed to find time to get home for the Shoulders and Arms routine, but skipped the Ab Ripper routine. I should stop making a habit of that. Took a quick shower and headed back to the hospital to sleep on the rock hard couch in the freezing Parent's Lounge. I'm still moving up with weights on these exercises, so I'm not quite at my maximum effort.

So Thursday I went home in the morning for the Ab Ripper routine, took a shower, and went back to the hospital. Thursday night I went home with the intention of doing the Yoga routine, but I got back late and had a few other things to do, and ended up sleeping at home. But on the couch so as to not be too comfortable. I noticed that it was a lot easier to hit more reps on the ab routine without doing it immediately following another hour long workout. I did 317 moves.

I meant to wake up and do the Yoga routine Friday morning, but mornings and me still don't get along very well. The rest of Friday was a blur - I went back to the hospital, helped pack up the room, went over all the discharge paperwork, took Matthew to the car, and had Lisa drop me off at work. I got home, helped put Matthew to bed, managed to wrangle some grub, and practically fell asleep on the couch - but I had to walk the dog, so I did that and collapsed into bed.

Saturday was a nice family day, like nearly every weekend day since Matthew has come into our lives. But I still made time for that pesky Yoga routine in the afternoon. Later in the evening I did the Legs and Back routine, but since that was my second workout for the day, I skipped the Ab Ripper routine. Noticing a pattern? :) 34 pull ups and 26 chin ups.

Now it's Sunday, I've wasted some time creating a nice graph to track my progress with the program, and I haven't done the Ab Ripper routine like I've promised myself I would. And then later I plan to do the Kenpo X routine.

But first things first, I need to let my dinner digest a little more before I attempt the city of hurt that is Ab Ripper X. And then Kenpo X.

I'm sure I won't find anything to get in my way from doing these tonight.

I'm absolutely certain of it.

I think.

8-D

I was beat last night and fell asleep early. Too early to be able to do the Kenpo X routine like I was supposed to.

So instead I did it tonight.

My lats are pretty sore, I guess from the Legs and Back routine Friday. Legs are mostly fine. They were a little tender yesterday, but have been feeling pretty good today, if a little stiff after sitting for a while.

I'm nearly 100% free from knee pain. I can still feel a little on certain twists or stretches, but I'm not easing off as much on the workouts as I was last week. I think the stretching and exercises I've been doing for my legs have helped. But I'll likely still hold off any major running undertaking until I'm a lot more confident that I've built up the strength in my legs. Physical Therapy affords me the opportunity to really focus on them with several exercises I'm unable to do at home.

I have to do the Chest and Back routine tomorrow. I hope the soreness fades.

I'm nearly desperate to do anything to keep my mind off of Matthew's surgery on Tuesday, so I probably won't put tomorrow's routine off.

Ok, maybe not great - but pretty good.

After physical therapy last night, I felt a lot better. Whether it was the pressure-points on my iliotibial bands, or the assisted stretching, or maybe just a little ibuprofen beforehand, I was able to walk largely without pain last night and all of today.

So I'm stoked!

So I went immediately outside, ran 4 miles at 10mph in the rain, and then my knees exploded.

Just kidding. It's still going to be a bit before I pound the pavement again. I need to be completely free of pain, completely free of pain medication, before I'll consider it. And prior to that, I'll have to go through a lot of strengthening and stretching to make sure my legs are ready for it.

I also might end up finding my way to a local high school and just take it easy running on the track. Assuming the local high school still has a sports program. And doesn't have signs posted warning against trespassing.

In the mean time, I've reviewed the Kenpo X workout from P90X. I'm not sure I ought to attempt it just yet, unless my knees feel like a million bucks tomorrow. And perhaps they will, given the quickness of improvement I've felt in the last 24 hours. But if not, and I'm really itching to do something tomorrow, I may do it while holding some light hand weights and just skipping the leg work.

We'll see - I'm just still happy that I'm able to walk around mostly pain free now.

Yay!

But I did the shoulders and arms workout tonight from P90X. Still a single circuit, but I'm increasing the weight and the reps. Slowly. And then the Ab Ripper X - adding more reps. Man that's a tough abs workout.