...and so it begins. P90X!!

Two weeks ago, I started getting ready to begin P90X. I know it's going to be tough. I also know if you put your mind to something, you can achieve almost anything. I reviewed a bunch of P90X websites, found some good information, however I had some trouble finding "normal" people doing P90X. Also, most blogs I have found are incomplete. The people end up quitting just a few weeks in.

My goal is to keep a very simple record of my 90 change with P90X.

Days   -14 to 00 (two weeks before):

Where to find P90X:

Bought the P90X kit on Ebay. I read a lot of reviews saying be careful buying P90X from anywhere but the official Beachbody (P90X) webpage, but I was skeptical. Most things I read seemed a bit phony, telling me to go to the Beachbody page and had a link. I found this odd. I personally think Beachbody wrote those reviews so people would pay more for their P90X kit ($140 after shipping vs. the $67 I paid on Ebay.) Anyways, I went the Ebay route and got exactly what i wanted...the official P90X kit at around half the price, Woohoo!!

Read, Read, Read

You need to understand what you're getting yourself into and how it works. Read the P90X Nutrition Plan and the P90X Fitness Guide in their entirety. Find some good websites and do some research. I found an excellent P90X forum that I go on every day. It has a ton of good advice and most of your questions can be answered there.

Get Rid of the Junk!

Cleaned out my kitchen and pantry. Got rid of everything unhealthy. Chips, cookies, sugary snacks, fatty meat, processed food, etc. I spent over $200 at the grocery store buying healthy replacements. Fresh and frozen veggies, fresh and frozen fruits, nuts, whole grain bread and pasta, eggs, egg whites, V8 juice, low fat salad dressing, chicken breast, lean ground turkey and lean turkey sausage, salmon fillets, shrimp, scallops, Body Fortress Whey Protein, etc etc. I got most of this info from the P90X Nutrition Plan.

Equipment:

• P90X DVD set (Ebay)
• Dumbells (10lbs and 25lbs is a good start. I'll need heavier weights eventually.)
• Pullup bar (you can find this almost anywhere. Mine is the kind that attaches to a door frame.)
• Yoga mat ($9 at Walmart)
• Heart Rate Monitor (optional, $50)
• Extra towels

The P90X Diet (queue evil villain music)

I know this is going to be the hardest part for me, because I LOVE junk food. I started the diet about a week ago and have been sticking to it. The first phase is Fat Shredder. Basically high protein, low carbs and fat. All healthy foods. The name says it all. This phase is to drop the fat from your body. And it'll happen really quick.

I am 5'7" around 165 lbs and according to the Nutirition Plan I am a Level II. I should be eating 2400 calories a day. This one thing I LOVE about P90X. I hate dieting. I have tried it before and I am always miserable. Because P90X is so intense, you have to eat a lot. The only difference between my diet 2 weeks ago and my diet now is I eat more protein and I stay away from processed foods.

An amazing thing that has helped me when grocery shopping is I stay around the perimeter of the store. Most processed/unhealthy foods are in the middle.

Phase 1 (Fat Shredder), Level II daily intake is as follows:

• Proteins (7 portions)
• Dairy (3)
• Fruits (1)
• Vegetables (4)
• Fats (1)
• Carbs (1)
• Snacks (1 "double", 2 singles)
• Condiments (2)

I made myself a generic eating plan. Gives me an easy way to know what to eat and when. I am eating 5 small meals a day. This method keeps your metabolism up so you aren't putting your body through a starvation mode, followed by stuffing yourself.

Think of your metabolism as a fire. To keep warm, would you rather build a huge fire, wait for it to go out, then build a huge fire a couple hours later? No. You want to build a medium sized fire and keep feeding it all night. Your body acts the same way. Eat 5 small meals and your metabolism is constantly working hard. If you are trying a diet and you're getting little to no results, sometimes eating more often will help.

Generic Eating Plan for Fat Shredder Phase

Notice there area couple ideas below each meal. Just ideas. You don't HAVE to eat that, obviously.

• Breakfast - 2 Protein, 1Dairy, 1 Fruit
  • Protein shake (2 scoops), milk, frozen strawberries and blueberries
  • Eggs (Mostly egg whites, but I put a few yolks in there too.), piece of fruit, milk
• Snack 1 - Single Snack
  • Granola Bar (low fat, low carb. It basically just keeps me going.)
• Lunch - 2 Protein, 2 Veg, 1 Dairy, 1 Condiment
  • Salad with dark greens, lots of veggies, grilled chicken, ham, cheese, very little salad dressing
• Snack 2 - Double Snack
  • I make my own trailmix. Sunflower seeds, soy nuts, dried pineapples and cranberries, almonds, granola, etc.
• Dinner - 2 Protein, 2 Veg, 1 Fat, 1 Carb, 1 Cond
  • Options are endless.
• P90X Routine - BRING IT!!!
• Recovery - 1 Protein, 1 Dairy
  • I like to mix 1 cup of soy chocolate milk with one scoop of protein powder. Sort of like an after-workout treat. Lots of protein and nutrients.

The portions and more food ideas can be found in the P90X Nutrition Plan. That book has really helped me a lot.

WATER, WATER, WATER!!

I can't stress this enough. You should be drinking water all day every day. The P90X Nutrition Plan says 8 servings (8 oz each) every day. I say drink at least that much. It helps with muscle soreness and actually curbs your appetite a little bit. If plain water is boring, mix one of those 5 calorie Crystal Light mixes in there. So good!

My Fit Test Results

• Weight - 165lbs
• Chest - 39 1/2"
• Waist - 35 1/2"
• Hips - 27"
• R Thigh - 40"
• L Thigh - 40"
• R Bicep - 13"
• L Bicep - 13"
• Resting Heart Rate - 65 bpm
• Pullups - 5
• Vertical Leap - 15 1/2"
• Pushups - 30
• Toe Touch - 0" (Sitting, legs in front - I can touch my toes, but cannot go past them.)
• Wall Squat - 1 min, 6 secs
• Bicep Curls - 25 lbs, 18 reps
• In & Outs - 41

• Heart Rate Maximizer (I did my best on this, but my heart rate monitor was kind of crappy. I've since bought a better one.
  • Max - 189 bpm
  • 1 min - 135 bpm
  • 2 min - 120 bpm
  • 3 min - 107 bpm
  • 4 min - 90 bpm

Getting Used to Working Out BEFORE you start P90X

The last time I attempted P90X I jumped in head first without preparing my body. BIG mistake!!! After day 2 (Plyometrics), I could barely function. i was incredibly sore. I ended up stopping for a week and never picked it back up. Not this time.

• Day   -10: Started the diet
• Day  -3: X Stretch
  • This workout is amazing. You feel so good afterwards and get a pretty good workout too. I was sore the next day, but not terribly.
• Day  -2: Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Took it pretty easy. Used very light weights (10 lbs.) Remember, you're trying to get your body USED to working out...you're not trying to kill yourself (the P90X workout you're starting in 2 days will do that for you.)
  • Ab Ripper X is amazing....ly hard!! Holy crap. Tony says it right, "I hate it! But I love it!"
• Day  -1: Yoga X
  • I have never done yoga, so it was definitely tough. I was able to do a majority of the moves. A few i couldn't (the more advanced), but that will come with time. It's an hour and a half long, but if you can get through the first 50 mins, the rest is awesome!

Couple quick hints...

• Finish the routines. Pause/rewind the DVD when you need to, but finish the routines. They are going to be tough, but if you get through them a few times they WILL get easier.
• Keep water and a towel nearby.
• Do the warmups and cool downs with Tony at the beginning/end of the DVDs. These are an integral part to your P90X routine and getting the results you want.
• After you're done for the day, put the next day's P90X DVD in your DVD player. This way you only have to start it when you are ready to workout.
• It is okay if you miss a day, but try not to. If you miss 2 days in one week, start the week over.
• Be sure to BRING IT!!! everytime you workout. The last 2 or 3 reps of each set should be HARD! Tony set up the routines so your muscles get a break between sets.
  

...keep pressing play. Day 01 - Chest and Back is next.