day 90-something

i finished!

perhaps a before to after collage is coming, but I wouldn't hold your breath. :-)

Week 13- final stretch

Yep. I'm in the last week. I've lost count of the days. All I know is that I have 1 full week of recovery week, and then I will have accomplished p90x. I'm stoked and ready for the end. I am looking at continuing some of the exercises, and may pick p90x or another work out up in a bit... but I'm ready to have my life back a bit.

I'm thinking about buying a pull up bar though- considering pull ups and push ups have been my favorite things to do this entire time. :-)

~Kay

73: Good News!

I am significantly better at my workouts than I am at blogging about them. :-)

Also? Only 2.5 weeks left! WOO!

I am still feeling pretty awesome. I actually fear/ worry about what I'm going to do once the time is up. I severely miss my "free time", but want to keep working out. The fact that I get off work, drive home, change, drive to the house to work out, work out for 1-1.5 hours, drive back home, shower, and then finally get to eat and maybe go out again. Yikes! I haven't seen much of my roommate in weeks, and am behind in other things as well. Hence, the lack of updates over the past month.

Also, after 60+ days those videos get really annoying and repetitive.

~Kay

Day 63: still chugging along.

Yeah... I'm still doing my work out. I'm still seeing improvements in various ways. On Thursday we took our day 60 pictures. Can I just say "WOW!" I hadn't really been paying too much attention to the changes- I knew my clothes were fitting better (or falling off a bit) and that I was developing muscle/ getting a bit leaner. However, jumping back and forth from day 0 to day 60 was incredible! It made me want to push even harder these last few weeks so that my "after" pictures can be that much more of an amazing difference.

(To any regular followers- sorry the updates have been lacking lately. My workout takes a big chunk of the day, and recently I've been running off to do other things and have spent less and less time on the computer as a whole this past month. Thanks for reading though!)

Day 57- best workout of p90x so far

I have officially graduated to the normal push ups, and not those silly on-the-knee ones. I also managed to do more of those than I did on my knees, which makes me feel even more amazing. I pushed it the entire workout and could feel the burn, the sweat, the pending exhaustion- and I loved it! I'm beyond excited to be in my final month- that final stretch. I want to give it my all (even more so than I already have) these last 5 weeks. I feel the difference, other people can see the difference (I struggle with the visuals some days), and I know I can do this.

I'm ecstatic. I'm proud. I'm happy.

~Kay

54, 55, 56, 57 X

54- core. did it

55- yoga, skipped for various reasons to make up on 56

56- forgot all about yoga >.<

57- snow day in my area, so i'll do an early p90x.

i just really don't like the yoga... easy to skip and talk myself out of feel too bad about it. Today we start back up with the same stuff we did the first week- if i remember correctly we do my favorite 2 things- standard pull ups and push ups. high five for the classics!

~Kay

Days 50-53: I know, I'm behindX...

Sue Me.

But hey- I've still been working out, even if I haven't been blogging to keep you posted on it. I've been sick, I've been tired, I've been lazy about the computer. It happens. Also, this is the second recovery week, so the workouts have been a bit more lax.

Day 50 (Monday) was YogaX, and since I was sickX I missed it. I left work at lunch, crawled into bed, and didn't move/ wake up until about 6pm, thought about yoga, and collapsed again until my boyfriend came by to check on me. (How sweet!) So I now have to make up a day of yoga- boo!

Day 51 (Tuesday) was Core Synergistics. Which I forced myself to do despite the cold- while not an overly great idea, it means I don't have to add that to my make up list. It was rough, but I powered through what I could, did a lot of things with half energy and skipped the extra jumping bits. By the time I was done though I was beyond exhausted, went home and collapsed to a comfy couch and movie for added recovery. J. was a massive plus to this workout though because his added jokes/ commentary while I was suffering kept me amused and pushing forward. You're awesome J- thanks for the humor. :-)

Day 52 (Wednesday- yesterday) was KenpoX. Awful, a thousand billion million kinds of awful. It's bad enough that I'm not a huge fan of KenpoX, but I also have done extra days of it (as opposed to plyometrics) so I've gotten bored. Let's not forget I was still feeling pretty congested and worn out from the cold and working all day. Needless to say, I skipped out on a lot of the "bonus double fast" moves and just tried to keep up with the workout. On a positive note- I was working out with all 3 of the guys J. B. and N. who kept my spirits up and helped me push through. They have truly been an amazing addition to this workout- without them I never would have made it this far, nor would I have been willing to push forward this week while sick. Thanks guys- I love you! (Even if I spend a lot of the workout complaining, whining, and yelling at Tony... and beating you up.)

Today is day 53 (Wow!) and we're doing X-stretch. I love X-stretch. It's easy, it's calm, it's relaxing, and it's short enough. I wish I took the time to do it more often on the Sunday skip days because I always feel so much better after wards.

To those of you still following this- you're awesome. Thanks for the added support. Even though I've been slacking with the updates lately, the blog is always on my mind (hence the lunchtime update!), and I am sorry about the delays these past 2 weeks. Maybe it's the old age? Ha!

~Kay

Day 48/ 49.

Yesterday I found doing Kenpo on my own for the thousandth time was really difficult. First off I started at 10am since I would be leaving for the weekend around 12 or 1pm. Secondly I had just rolled out of bed so the energy level wasn't there. Thirdly, I'm just not a fan of the KenpoX... but it's still better than plyometrics.

But I did my best, got it done, and went off to have a fantastic weekend/ mini-vacation. Needless to say I didn't do x-stretch. However, I am grateful for recovery week that starts tomorrow!

~Kay

ps- can you believe I'm still doing this? I'm a little surprised with myself.

Day 47: LonerX

Thanks to B. being a typical muncher of the buttocks, D. having class, J. having pep band, and N. being out of town for the next week (practically) I got to do the back and legs workout solo. Yes, I realize that I've done some of the other days solo... but at least then I was in the comfort of my own tiny apartment. Today I got to go over to their place to get my single loner loser sweat on in style. While doing wall squats J. passed through a few times to the kitchen, D. came through while I was hard at work on some chin-ups, and B. returned with his friend JB when I was doing some ridiculously awkward thing involving weights and lunges.

I never realized just how weird/ awkward some of the exercises must seem until the guys walked in and decided to sit down and WATCH me work out. Because that totally isn't lame and weird at all dudes. I was chilling in sweats and a sports bra... kind of felt a little awkward to have an audience. Thanks guys. I'll remember this and beat you up later.

Tomorrow I'll do an early round of KenpoX, and then I'm gone on a mini vacation until Sunday. Thank goodness for my rest day because trying to figure out a workout while out of the area with people who aren't in the p90x would be difficult. Best of luck to N. with getting his workout done. It's so much harder to do the workout with out him since he and I have been the two most intense about making sure we hit it.

But we still get it done- because we're eXtreme.

~Kay

Day's 45 & 46: I promise I'm better at the workout than I am at the daily posting...

Yesterday was HALF WAY through p90x, and it was full of pull ups and basic weight lifting moves for the biceps. I enjoy that work out, even if I'm completely soaked and tuckered out by the end of it... and then still have ab-ripperX. Which of course, we all try to get through as quickly as possible. By the time we finish up we're so wasted and hurting it's not even funny. I realize now that Tony talks a lot between each exercise for a reason, but I still refuse to put up with it because I still feel like it is a total waste of my time. I can listen to Tony Horton talk when I'm dead and in hell (because we all know that's where I'm most likely headed).

Yesterday for the workout itself I had to pull B. out of bed (literally, pull him out... after jumping on him and stealing the blanket) so that I would have someone to workout with. My method of motivation may be a bit... off center. However! It works because he did get up and work out... even if he was a whiny butt muncher for most of the workout, kept sitting down, and then skipped ab ripperX so that he could get to wherever it was he had to be at 6:30. He's a lamer- but a total trooper for putting up with me.

Even if he does pretty much hate me right now. (Yes, he was still grumpy about it today.)

Today was another exciting day of YOGAX! Being that it was just N. and I trooping through it together, it was also another rousing day of gossipX. Nothing like catching up on each others lives... and the lives of many of our friends... and making fun of people (mainly Tony) together. Screw 'finding our chi'... this is much more entertaining.

Ok, you've been update on how awesome I am for doing this workout and keeping up with it. All should worship me.

No? Ok. Fine. I get it. Idol worship isn't cool anyway.

~Kay

Day's 41-44: I'm still here.

Over the weekend I ended up being so busy that I could barely squeeze in KenpoX- let alone blog about it!

Yesterday was crazy push up/ weight lifting day. I like it- minus the one handed and clap push ups. I'm actually improving in each exercise EXCEPT those two. The one handed are up and down depending, and the clap push ups just get worse. Everything else is going strong, which is awesome.

Today I'll do KenpoX alone because I'll be at work until 8pm. And I don't have the plyometrics DVD (nor can I really do a lot of jumping around in my second floor apartment- I'm fairly certain my neighbors would not be a fan.) To make up I'll be doing plyometrics on Saturday- I was really looking forward to skipping that though. I would have much rather done KenpoX twice.

Okay, got to run- my board meeting is about to start. (Yes, I'm still at work. Blogging. See? I'm attempting to be dedicated!)

Also- I'm really excited that tomorrow marks the HALF WAY point! I would like to reward myself somehow, I just haven't figured out how yet. I may hold off on that.

But still, yay!

~Kay

Day 40: Wow, I'm at Day 40

Ab Ripper X was not meant to be attempted in half the time. Due to running behind in my schedule (flipping momma trucker traffic) I was a solid 15 minutes behind my planned schedule that would have had me ready for my 7pm date just in time.

Not so much.

Luckily for me, my date is also running late- but because I didn't know this until I was almost ready... I have the time for a quick update!

I'm improving each time on my pull-ups, but I still cannot do them without the chair assist- I tried today and got about halfway. Granted, I was exhausted when I tried to do it. p90x on 'double time' when possible is not cool... I'm beginning to think all that time Tony "wastes" talking is really a mini break for us.

Meh, I am accomplished, and awesome. As is N. for getting through the work out with me and bending to my needs to get through quickly. He even suggested skipping ab's and doing it tomorrow- like I'm going to mess with the schedule. Any more than I already have. That one time. Last week.

~Kay

Day 39: Lala Yoga

Yesterday was day 39 (I know I'm late posting, but hey- my power was out when I got home and didn't want to sit alone in the dark so I went back out- sue me.) and I did yogaX for the 137th time. Wee!

Yoga is much better with people- esp with B. because he isn't very flexible and complains quite a bit, so I am constantly amused and spend time yelling at him- telling him he's doing it wrong (in a joking manner). This sounds mean, but really it keeps my focus off the burn and how much I hate yogaX and Tony Horton.

Also, B. claims he is the original hater of Tony Horton, and the rest of us are just copying. He does not hold a monopoly on the Horton Haterade. Just throwing that one out there.

I'm excited for today! Tomorrow I have to do KenpoX on my own at some point, not so fun. We all know how much I am not a fan of that workout. Maybe I'll do it at my friend's house while dog sitting... and watch the dog go nuts.

Awesome.

~Kay

38: I am a beast.

Today was Back and Biceps- all pull ups and curls mainly. I love this day. Mainly because when I see notable improvement- like going from 9 wide front pull ups last week to 22 this week. Um, awesome! I was also able to beef up the curls by using the 8lb weights. (Thanks again friend!)

Today I worked out with N. and J. which was good and bad- having more than the two of us adds the motivation to keep pushing each other forward, but because we only had two pull up bars and three people... which meant a lot of pausing. I got impatient. I sent a few text messages while waiting. However, I know that getting J. to workout with us was awesome, so the waiting was not that big of a deal.

In a side note- I'm being published! (Not this blog, a paper I wrote in college...) But, I've been spending a lot of time working on the re-write/ corrections, which is why these blogs have becoming shorter. And potentially less amusing. I promise to work on this in the future.

Also? It's my birthday this weekend- yay! But do not fear, I will continue my workout and I will post. :-)

~Kay

Day 37: Plyometrics. Again.

For once I didn't wish death upon Tony Horton during the atrocious workout that is plyometrics. I feel like that in itself is an improvement. I also didn't feel the same pain in my knees, and I did work up a great sweat (and required stink that goes with it- ew.)

As I get closer to the halfway mark, the more excited I become... and the sadder I become because if you think about it- after halfway it's down hill right? And what will I do when the 90 days are up? I know I have to take a break for a while (it's mentioned somewhere in the literature that N. read), but once I take a break what do I do?

I know I will definitely want to keep up with ab ripperX- 15 minutes of a killer ab workout and then I feel accomplished? Awesome. I'm not sure if I'll want to do a second cycle of the full 90 days- it does take up quite a bit of time, and it'd be nice to be able to come home from work one day and stay home. Not to mention the fact that p90x makes it a bit harder to plan any vacations because I have to think "Ok, I'll be gone on these days, I will need these discs, and I will need this amount of time each day to do it." Which doesn't seem so bad, but when my support isn't beside me also doing the workout- it's tough. I think N. and I are the only ones still full swing into the workout, which is fine. I think the others pick it up on days they can... whatever works best for them. However, this puts that much more pressure on N. and I to not give up because then the other is flying solo- and that's definitely no fun.

Yet... I love the workout, I love the burn, I love how tired but energized I feel. I like how when people talk about it with me I get the fire of excitement burning in my chest. Weird. I'm actually becoming a fan of *movement*.

Does this mean I have to change my blog title?

~Kay

Day Thirty Six Hurts

I think I hurt my shoulder. 1 arm push ups are NOT my friend.

Before those I was doing GREAT and beating my numbers from last week; after wards- not so much. Grr.

Overall I'm still rocking it, but today I found myself struggling at the end. However, I am becoming a pro at ab-ripperX. I think that's still my favorite workout.

I'm going to shower, clean my chinchilla's cage, and ice my shoulder while I curl up in bed for a bit with the boy. Yay.

~Kay

Day 35: Make-Up Day

As I mentioned earlier- I ended up missing Thursday's YogaX workout, so I eventually managed to get it done today. On my own. Which is really boring, and it gets really tempting to fast forward through all the annoying parts- mainly twisting half moon and the balance postures. Hate those.

However! I am stoked to report that I did the full workout, I did not skip ahead on anything, nor did I take a water break while I was supposed to be in warrior three through the twisting moon bullshit. I actually did all of those and see that I am improving on my balance/ endurance during the work out. The awkward part about that is that I have noticed my left side is better than my right- stronger and more able to balance.

I'm looking forward to this upcoming week, of course, and the fact that I'm closing in on the halfway mark. It's really cool for me to realize that I've managed to make it this far, and can see/ feel results. Earlier today I was helping friends move couches with ease. Yay!

~Kay

Day 34: Morning KenpoX

Today I had to get rolling fairly early for weekend work, so I started my day with a little KenpoX. I hate KenpoX (as you all probably have figured out by now, of course) however- it wasn't so bad this morning. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I'm improving, or that it was too early in the day for me to care to much so I just did it, but whatever it was- it worked. Because of my packed morning, N. came over to my place to do the workout, and we flew through it as quick as we could, but I still had to cut out towards the end so I could grab a pre-work shower.

Despite skipping the punch-kick combo series, I feel pretty good about the workout, and just barely made it to work on time. Awesome.

I've also been jazzed/ energized all day because I knocked KenpoX out early. I wish I could do that everyday- but 6am p90x just doesn't sound as thrilling.

~Kay

Day 33

I looooooooooooove my work out. Love it. Totally in love with it.

Hate Tony Horton.

Love p90x.

Even if I refuse to admit it while doing the actual workout.

also? yesterday I didn't get the time to do yogaX (it was beyond ridiculous of a day... but i plan to make it up on sunday instead of taking advantage of x-stretch.)

Day 31: Tired, but awesome.

I prefer hand weights to bands. Hey look- I actually have a preference! On something dealing with movement and exercise! Look at my improvement!

Speaking of movement, I took my 30 day pictures after today's workout (so technically they're day 31 pictures...) and I could actually notice changes in each pose. It was kind of awesome to be able to look at myself and see the improvement and go "Oh hey- that stomach is slimming down!" or "What are those lines? Is that... muscle!?" I am definitely still stoked about this workout and am glad to be doing it. (Though I do still hate Tony Horton and will continue to hate him. Deal.)

But yes, free weights (I went out and picked up some 5 pounders before the workout today) are a thousand times better because I don't have the same strain on my shoulders that I had before from the resistance bands. Yay! Also, I realized I'm going to have to go back and pick up some 8 or 10 pound weights because in some of the exercises the 5's were too light. Ha! Awesome!

Also? Corn-Cob Pull Ups are the number one most ridiculous thing ever and I want to know who invented them so I can kill him. (And I know it had to be a man to be willing to put up with that kind of torture.)

But yes, improvement is a total yay- my coworkers are noticing it and ask me for help with moving things all the time. Today I was called upon to remove the backseat from a van (easy-peasy) and toss in 2 bikes. While I was able to do this before the workout, now I can do it with hardly a struggle.

I feel awesome.

~Kay

Day 30: Woo!

I still really hateX plyometrics, and I'm really angry that we have to do it every flipping Tuesday (minus the recovery weeks). Technically, we can do cardioX instead, but N. is all "no Kay, I refuse to switch, plyometrics is too mcuh fun." Shove it N. I hate you, I hate Tony Horton, and I especially hate the Tuesday workout. There I said it. It's out there. Bam! Haterade and all.

So, after yesterday my left shoulder feels strained- I need to pick up some 5 lb. weights for tomorrow. Now, after today, my right knee is feeling pretty weak- I also hate my knee brace. It's awesome to feel the burn, but it's not so awesome to have some of these pains that make me slow it down.

Today with the workout from hell it felt even worse than normal because we had the recovery week, so I felt "out of practice" with the jumping and had the hardest time keeping up. We started late, were on a time constraint, and B. started the workout with the desire for a napX instead. This does not make for an awesome workout combo. Add in a friend who shows up halfway through to watch so they can all go somewhere right after wards and we get a lot of extra yelling. Why is it we only seem to get an audience when its the awkward workouts that don't make us look good? Why can't people show up to watch us power through clapping push ups and switch grip pull ups?

Just tossing that one out there... because we look super fab during those workouts.

~Kay

PS- officially 1/3 of the way through p90x and I'M STILL DOING IT! Who would have imagined?

Day 29: Phase TWO!

I cannot believe I have made it to PHASE TWO of this ridiculously intense/ extreme workout! It makes me want to go out and celebrate (I had a really gross and awful for me cheeseburger when I went to dinner with a friend, it was fantastic. As was the water I had with it.) That's another thing- I'm finally drinking water all day long, and enjoying it- I never drank water, it has no taste and used to seem pointless minus the whole "thirst" thing. Now I love water- I drink it all the time!

As for today's workout- flipping crudder muffins! I did not know so many different push ups existed in the world. I thought we hit all the different types in phase one... not so much. They're always changing up and target various muscles. Also? I used to hate push ups, now I find that they're my favorite! I can feel the burn everywhere, but can acknowledge the amazing feeling I have when I start to get them right. I do most of them on my knees still, but I'm working on changing that!

I still hate Tony Horton- this video he spends less time making jokes or tellin gyou how to do something, which while it has its benefits is also a negative because I had a hard time following him on some of the exercises. I've also come to the realization that I suffer hardcore with the resistance bands and would be better off with light weights than trying to overextend my shoulders and keep hurting them. I'll be out to buy weights a little later this week.

Day 28: Skippie x3

I like Sunday Skip Day. My core is so sore I needed the chance to relax...

I'm looking forward the start of the new week, and thus start of a new work out- but at the same time there's the realization that I'm 2 days away from 1/3 of the way through p90x! This is FANTASTIC! I've never stuck around with any exercise routine for this long unless it was related to a sports team. I am stoked.

I also have posted below a personal favorite picture. The p90x workout team's "cover" for Downward Dog:
(This was taken at a "white party" over the weekend when the 5 of us all got excited over our workout for some reason, and decided that we needed to take this picture... I call it motivation.)

Day 27: ExhaustionX does not blend well with YogaX

YogaX for a second time this week- not so cool, but hitting the moves and feeling the stretch was good. I really don't like the yoga routine they have going on- as D. says "it makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon". Sounds about right... although I'd still take yoga over a rusty spoon.

I was so tired though that all I could think of was "mm. napX" so while it was good to get that work out in with N. I am beat, and am going to take advantage of some down time, and tomorrows skip day! (It's the Super Bowl, I'm sure I'll do enough jumping/ yelling to make up for the skippie.)

~Kay

ps- New Videos/ Workouts start on Monday- including the addition of one-handed push ups. I tried to do them last night, not so easy.

Day 26: so close to 1/3!

Yesterday was day 26- core synergetics again. So much harder this time around, but still kind of fun. I like the changes in the exercises to give you a rough and tough work out that really helps you feel it everywhere in the core muscles the next day. It's a pretty fabulous workout.

Today is yogaX... how exciting.

Day 25: Xtreme Stretch

Today was all about stretching it out, and I love to stretch it out. Feels good, is a nice chill, solid hour, of trying to stretch out the muscles. I did it with N. today because the others were headed elsewhere/ decided to boycott the stretching. Whatever makes them happy.

N. and I had a good time just going through the work out- hitting the moves and seeing how our flexibility has improved. We also took the chance to talk about fun personal things since we're friends and had the opportunity.

p90x not only builds muscles, strength, and endurance... it builds friendships and a positive outlook on life. At least, that's what it does for me.

~Kay

24: KenpoX does not help me "recover"

Okay Tony Horton, here's the deal- when I'm in "recovery week" and have had a busy day, it is NOT cool to make me do a workout involving the punching and kicking routine. While I appreciate that you have decided that plyometrics is a bitch and not appropriate for the recovery week, I think you need to learn that KenpoX should also be bypassed. Perhaps pilates would be fun? Or some X Stretch? Those are much more my speed. Please take this into your consideration.

That being said, I'm quite tired. I spent most of my work day setting up two apartments for a large Bhutanese refugee family coming in tonight at midnight. (Sidenote: I get to go help pick them up from the airport too! I'm excited, this is my first family pick up!) I was not aware today was KenpoX, so I was way disappointed when I walked into the house tonight only to find out I had the second worst workout ahead of me.

On another, more positive, note- I have begun to notice how thanks to p90x other aspects of my life have improved. I have more energry, my general outlook is more positive, and I have found more self able to carry and move more things at work- which is defintely a positive. My motivation to get other things done is up because I no longer lazy around all day- I get out more and I'm accomplishing more. While talking with a friend about my workout, and improved lifestyle, and how I'm really loving the change, we noted that while the p90x thing is really more of a "health/ fitness kick" it has the major potential to work itself into a whole new lifestyle. I think this has become my ultimate goal- to make fitness and healthier eating a lifestyle that I can maintain. I feel better about myself, so why wouldn't I work to keep this up after my 90 days are up?

~Kay

Day 23: New Video Means New Jokes...

And new jokes means more chances to make fun of Tony Horton. Dude just gets weird sometimes, everything is a sexual innuendo, or a random reference, or some attempt to sound smart. My favorite line today was during the warm up when he was talking about how much fun he found some stretch to be... so he mentioned how he'd have "fun, fun, fun... until his daddy took his t-bird away." Which was TOTALLY a Beach Boys reference. I about lost it. I think J. may have been confused.

As far as the workout goes- kinda fun. It was all core work, so there was a wide variety of exercises hitting various muscle groups without hitting any one group too hard. I liked the burn that I felt and the variety, but the room we were doing the workout in (not our usual locale) mas a little cramped, making it difficult to do some of the work out moves. Such as the banana rolls- which I feel may become a new favorite move, along with some of the more entertaining push-ups- like staggering your hands and stacking the feet. Sounds awkward, but kind of fun because it changes things up.

So yes, I made it through the work out without yelling at Tony Horton, without telling him that he will die, and without cursing myself for starting this trek.

~Kay

Day 22: Tony Horton Pulls A Bitch Move...

Recovery Week? Awesome.
YogaX on a Monday... and then again on Saturday? Bitch Move.

I like yoga, I really do. It's relaxing, it's calm, it works the flexibility, and it's an overall chill workout. YogaX is not yoga... it's the worst set of twists and bends and balancing moves I have ever witnessed. And I get to do it TWICE this week. I hate you even more now Tony Horton- be warned... my punch is improving with the added strength.

Today it was B. J. and me hard at work trying to hit the moves. We're all improving, which is awesome, and at this point my main struggle is the balance. I still struggle with the twisting while balancing on a toe and stretching out my arms while turning my head as far in the opposite direction as possible... and then some. I'm still working on the crane- B. totally nailed it today, which was fantastic to see. I was able to pull off the wheel for much longer than I have in the past, so I was stoked.

Tomorrow we're working the core again- I love core workouts, even if they beat me up. Sadly, we aren't doing ab ripperX at all this week. However, I hear Core Synergistics should be quite the intense and interesting workout.

I cannot believe I have made it to week 4, closing in on the first month, and still rolling. Not to mention the fact that I am loving it. Who would have thought that one of the more intense workouts would have me stoked about "movement"? Not this kid.

~Kay

Day 21: sunday skippie day

I ended up skipping the stretches again today, I've done some stretching on my own- focusing on the parts that are a bit sore. I feel a little less guilty today than I did last week since I'm allowed to skip on Sundays.

Still feels weird to take a day off though... and still let it count towards the total 90. Also? I am definitely looking forward to the recovery week. :-)

~Kay

Day 20: onto recovery week!

Today marks the last day of our first set- next week is "recovery" week, which means a lot of extra yogaX (eww), stretching (yay!) and a few other things. I'm not sure if plyometrics is in that mix, but I'm really hoping not. I'm also hoping that I get a break from KenpoX. I'm sad we won't be doing ab ripperX now that I've gotten that much better at it- but hey, it's recovery week.

Today was KenpoX with D. which was fun because we were both tired, and we pretty much hate KenpoX. It's hard to keep up because Tony speeds it up half way through the work out, never lets it slow down, and I can't keep track of what punch is what with what arm and where I'm looking and what I'm doing. Not to mention the extra feet movement with sliding, turning, dragging, or whatevering we're supposed to do and which way the hips go. I feel like the world's most uncoordinated person when it comes to KenpoX. Which is the number 1 reason why I hate it... let's just hope I never have to fight off 2-3 men at the same time because this workout has taught me that I do not have that kind of coordination.

Looks like I won't become a movie stunt-man anytime soon, but with the muscles I'm building- my life-long dream to be a roadie for 1 tour is looking more possible. You know, because I can lift heavy things.

~Kay

Day 19: Habit formed?

Best workout so far. Amazing, I loved it. N. and I rocked it through to the end. I especially enjoyed the fact that we can now carry on a conversation throughout the workout (before the idea of talking was killer- if anything we grunted and yelled at Tony). I also thought it'd be fun to see how many routines I could do with "spirit fingers"... this was an awesome twist because it kept me motivated and N. laughing.

Today was legs and back plus ab ripperX. It was awesome, my legs are feeling stronger, it's a lot easier to lift them off the ground. (I have knee problems due to hyperelasticity so I have to be a little careful, and often struggle with getting the legs up- this improvement marks that I have been able to build some muscle in my thighs. This is what makes the Fifer Scissors additionally difficult for me.) I also decided to skip past the bands-on-a-hook technique for the pull-ups and graduated to "assisted" pull-ups. This was especially exciting for me since I haven't done a pull-up since middle school... so we're talking roughly 10 years ago- CRAZY!

I made it all the way through ab ripperX, sometimes moving a bit faster to allow for a bigger break. I even made it through all 50 (yeah bonus!) Mason Twists. I am beyond stoked about today's workout. I broke a massive sweat and was horribly gross and worn out by the end.

That being said, it's shower time... bitches.

~Kay

Day 18: extreme yoga round 3

It's official, I'm not a fan of yogaX. I struggle like whoa on holding those poses, and then they keep building on top of them. Also? Hearing the same jokes over and over again because it's the third week- not funny. I'm looking forward to the routine change because I'm getting bored. Which is also sort of silly to say because I also finally know what I'm supposed to be doing.

I do have to admit that I am a bit more flexible, which is awesome. My balance is not really improving though- it puts a lot of strain on my knees and I'm trying not to have yet another knee injury. My shoulder is feeling 98% better, and the funny feeling I got on Monday is gone.

I also attempted crane for the first time- I can get one toe up, but not both (crouching down and balancing your weight on just your hands... NOT EASY!)

Today was also hard to get through because D. and J. kept me laughing, and D. was hard at work trying to figure how many moves she could also text during... which was hilarious in its own way.

Also, I'm calling B. out for skipping yoga because of neck pain and class. Judging you B.

~Kay

Day 17: WOOOO!

I made it through the Mason Twists! I made it through all 40! Without stopping! And got a little over half of the bonus twists! This is a big deal for me because I usually cannot keep up, nor can I get the full movement down, but today I DID IT! I also improved quite a bit on most of the other ab/core routines on ab ripperX today, and I feel awesome. This part of p90x has quickly become the routine I love to hate.

Arms and shoulders also went well with B. today. I got through most of the exercises, and this week I didn't have to skip out on the bonus round, and even got to 25 on the side tri-rise. (30 for the last round even!) These are crazy, where you lie on your side and pretty much lift your upper body up with one arm. Awesome burn.

So I'm feeling optimistic today. My coworkers have been telling me I'm looking better, I'm feeling great. Today is a day I'm glad I agreed to this. We'll see how I feel after yogaX tomorrow.

~Kay

Day 16: Frickin Tony Horton needs to die.

I HATE PLYOMETRICS, and the sooner we can be done with it or find an alternate the better. I actually get angry mid workout and start yelling at Tony. He talks too much during it, he makes too many jokes, and he's pretty much an all around old bugger muncher of a flipper hole.

Hate him.

My knees hate him.

My ankle thinks he's a horrible person.

Shower time.

~Kay

Day 15: Owwie.

Today was the chest and back workout with ab ripperX at the end. While it's awesome that I'm improving all over- I definitely feel the improvement with push-ups and will soon be able to try them full-fledged as opposed to the cheater-knees. Also- N. thinks I need to move on to the chin-up bar as opposed to the bands. While I'm a little scared/ timid about moving up- it's also really exciting that N. thinks I'll be able to do it- woo!

However, I had this really awkward pain near my inner hip/ pelvis that hurt like a bitch when I had to stretch out to do the push ups. I didn't really notice it until I got to the decline push-ups and it hurt too much at first to put my legs up on the chair. It hurt so bad I collapsed right away, but sucked it up and fought through and got in 10 (half way down). I was able to continue that painful fight until we got to ab ripperX.

Holy effing lover of a donkey-cow.

In-and-Outs were awful, the bicycles were kind of better, crunchy frogs barely happened the pain got so bad. Fifer scissors- oh heck-a-doodle no. One of those created a blinding pain that almost had me in tears.

On the up note: I pulled through after hip-rock-and-raise to finish up the workout. I refuse to be beaten down by that one stabby pain. I was also able to get through the leg climbs super well (those happen to be my favorite) and even made it through maybe half the mason twists (those things are killer, by the way).

So, a personal high-five to myself... but an even bigger high-five to N. and J. for being an awesome workout team again today!

~Kay

(Also, the whole group skipped out on skip day yesterday, so I don't feel quite as bad.)

Day 14: does it still count if i skipped out?

Today, being a Sunday, is 'xstretch' or skip day. I skipped out for multiple reasons:

- Friend in town who arrived before I was able to talk to N. about a time
- Never got a call back from N. about stretching, so it may be they all skipped out as well
- Football. (Congrats to the Cardinals and Steelers!)
- It had been a long (but awesome) day yesterday, so I wasn't quick with the get-up-and-go.

I'm ok with skipping it today since I did do some personal stretches, and because I skipped out on skip day. So really, I'm still in the clear.

And WOO end of 2 weeks!

(I still feel kinda bad about not doing anything today because it's becoming an ingrained daily routing which I love to hate.)

~Kay

Day 13: crashX

Today was KenpoX again, and while it is not a bad workout, I'm not a huge fan. I struggled hardcore to keep up with it last week, and today I was better at the beginning. However, I'm exhausted- so the keep up was that much more difficult. I was drained by about 40 minutes into it and finally just had to crash on the floor and stretch a bit. Luckily N. and J. were good sports about stopping and waiting.

Exercising when you fail to get a good nights sleep just before hand, and you are forcing yourself out of bed after hours of unrest... not so easy, and definitely not fun. It was hard to be the chipper kid during the workout because I kept yelling at Tony, calling him a punk, and then dreaming of my nice warm bed that failed me last night.

Which pretty much means that today I will be crashing on my couch until I have some energy, because tonight- I'm learning how to salsa. (I'm really glad it's not called 'SalsaX' otherwise I'd kill someone.)

~Kay

Day 12: Feel that Burn

I still hate Tony Horton. I'm also not a fan of that blonde chick he hits on constantly. She's pretty bitchy. N. and J. think it may be that the two are doing it off set and she's trying to be extra angry to hide the attraction.

Plausible, but I'm sticking to "bitch".

Also, why is it every other thing Tony say's turns into a sexual joke? Working out with 3 men makes it harder to get through the work out because they pick up on all of them, and then stretch them out even more so- I think today with N. and J. had the most jokes so far. I even had one or two of my own. At the end of ab ripperX, we are supposed to go into either upward-dog or cobra. I'm a fan of cobra personally, so I shout out "Mmmm, I love the cobra!"

Thank you N. for getting the reference... and then explaining it to J.

I may hate the workout some days, but I do enjoy the people I work out with- which makes all the difference. Never work out alone or with people you aren't a fan of because it's just that much harder.

Tomorrow is 10am KenpoX... yay! (note: read sarcasm)

~Kay

Day 11: Thursday is Oxymoron Day

Why? Because Yoga should not be labeled as "extreme" nor should it involve things like "backwards twisting crescent roll moon with a kick". I can barely say that, let alone balance on my left toe while kicking back my right foot, driving my hips forward to the floor, twisting to the left, and putting my hands in an ever-so-calm prayer pose. I'm sorry, but last time I checked, bodies did NOT bend that way. Maybe if you're Gumby. (Hey look- I just did my first hyperlink- yay!)

Today J. and I struggled through each move, as I discovered I am indeed getting slowly better at striking each pose for at the very least a second before collapsing. I also noticed that after about the 17 upward/downward dog combo my wrists started to lock up- FUN!

While talking to a friend earlier today I realized that I probably should have studied up on p90x before jumping in full swing. However, I am in it now and I plan to win. :-) I love a good challenge anyway.

Finally- for almost an entire minute at the end Tony Horton was able to shut his mouth and just breathe. Loudly. I was quite proud of him... too bad he does not do this more often.

~Kay

Day 10: painX

Well, as it turns out, I may have actually hurt my shoulder more than I thought last Wednesday with the shoulder/arm exercises because it really started to hurt by mid workout and I ended up having to skip the bonus round- which is sad because I could otherwise really get in a few good reps at the end. However, I'm hoping that if I take it a bit easier this week on the right shoulder I'll be able to return to normal by next week. I better, otherwise I'll be punching someone.

Today working out in my heat was B. and N. These two are great fun because N. gets intense and pushes it to the eXtreme, and is typically sweating bullets about a third of the way in. B. on the other hand, while being into the workout and interested in getting through it, has a much more care-free attitude and will joke around, eat chicken bites, and drink coke during the workout. Kinda makes me want to stab him. While I know I'm not perfect with the whole diet adjustment thing, I have cut back on my diet coke (and I love the diet coke) and am trying to incorperate healthier options into my diet... and eat on a regular basis, which often my schedule at work doesn't always allow.

I still hate Tony Horton. He's an ass and he talks to much. I'm sick of his "I could do these all day, hundreds man, but I'm going to stop and check on the kids instead" joke. I'm beginning to think that when he feels a burn he just stops to "check on the kids" so that we don't know. Dude's fifty- it's okay if you get tired and can't keep going Tony. Also- why do I have to listen to him make jokes with a strong sexual undertone? (Okay, for fifty the guy looks really good... perhaps I'm just jealous?) I'm still not a fan.

With ab ripperX today for some reason the video didn't display, but we could still hear him talking. We've done it enough times before that we didn't really need to watch him anyway, so we went on with just the audio. As it turns out, it seems significantly shorter when we aren't straining to make sure we can still see him while trying to do the various crunches properly. Also, I cannot stress this enough- DUDE NEVER SHUTS UP. If he's going to be all "5-4, 3-2-1, go!" then he should just jump from one to the next instead of wasting my time. When I get on a roll, I want it to keep going to the end and then crash. None of this bullshitting in the middle.

Finally, on my drive home I realized that I really do love this workout. It kills me most days, but yet SO awesome. I feel so good about it afterwards, and I'm already feeling a small difference- even if it is just energy and outlook on life. Granted, I pretty much hate the cardio bits.

Plyometrics can still kiss my shiny shoe.

~Kay

Day 9: Plyometrics is p90x HellX

And Tony Horton is Satan. The effing devil.

I hateX him. Xtreme haterade over here man. OWWWWWW. I mean come on man, what is with all the effing jumping. And that Pam character (er, sorry "Blam"... lamest nickname ever, that's the sound of something squishy hitting the floor at an xtreme! velocity... some physics kid can figure out the exact speed.) doesn't do the modified version like she's supposed to half way through the video, and then Tony finally shows you what it is at the very end, so the entire time I'm yelling at the screen in pain, only to find out that the was an easier/ less intensive on the knee way. UGH.

I strained my right hip doing some hopping move, and my right knee was already feeling pretty worn down. So I had to take it easier at the end.

Also, N. started being all "Second wind- woo! Onto number 2. Do you feel it Kay!?" To which I responded with the only thing I could think of: "I DON'T HAVE A FLIPPING NUMBER TWO!!!" (And then I immediately thought of poop. awesome.)

Tony Horton, by the way, talks to fricking much. SHUT UP and just do the damn exercise already so I can finish it and whimper my way home. I don't care about your 'recovery drink' plug #37 of the day, I don't care if you're "feeling the burn", I just want you to shut up so I can get this over with.

As a funny note, today we had the main 5 of us all doing it together. D1. and B. did the upstairs workout, while J. N. and I were downstairs. Nothing like stopping for your water break and hearing jumps and grunts from the other room. And B. win's most creative aim away message featuring p90x with his "Sleep X" last night... he beat out N.'s "Building Rome..." (mocking Tony Horton's 'Rome wasn't built in a day... blah blah" comment on ab ripperX. ) Personally, I know we were all a little worn out today and could go for some xtreme napping right about now.

~Kay

Ps- Tony Horton told us that we all did "good"... not "well" and N. pointed that one out. Learn proper grammer dude.

Day 8: I thought this got easier?

Frickin Cow- I think today was worse than last week. After a long day moving donations at work, I came home, got ready for my workout and then realized "It's Monday- Ab Day... DAMMIT"... then drove off to get started.

Today was chest and back again, with just me and N. screaming our lungs out because we're sore, tired, and just want to get it over with. The push ups were killing me, but I already noticed that today it was easier than last Monday- so yay for progress! N. and I were both ready to kill Tony by the middle of the video, and I think at about the 12 minutes to go mark I about lost it and almost collapsed on the floor in protest. But I did not, I pushed through with N. and we got it done.

Then we did the full 15 minutes of Ab RipperX without stopping. And collapsed. And it was glorious.

Unfortunately I also learned that going to the grocery store post workout when you're hungry is torture. I was starving and wanted everything quick, easy, delicious, and not good for me. Instead I got the healthier options while looking out for sales. (I heart food on sale.)

But OH SO EFFING TIRED. And tomorrow is the flipping plyometrics crap again. *pout*

~Kay

The Seventh Day

Xstretch. Awesome. Except I do not recommend doing this while still sleepy- there is a lot of trading around between laying down/ sitting/ standing and every time I was on the floor I did NOT want to have to get back up. It didn't help that B. kept trying to kick me while I was down, or pulling out the sword-hammer move from yesterday.

I also do not recommend doing xstretch on a Sunday early afternoon when what you really want to do is kick back with a beer and watch some football. Being the smart person I am... I did the stretches and then went over to a friends house for football. And no beer. I got half of what I wanted.

During the stretching there was a lot of "yay that feels good" or "oh god I can't bend that way" coming from everyone. Extreme Stretching is like 'Yoga Light' or an extended hour of warm-up and cool-down stretching without the exercise bit in the middle. It was nice, and I needed it. My right shoulder/ upper arm hurts and my back was hurting during the stretches. Today I'm taking it easy today and hopefully will be ready to get back to work tomorrow.

I'm tired, but hey- week one is officially done. Nap time?

~Kay

Day 6: week one can kiss my buttocks

Today was KenpoX. I learned how to throw a punch/ block/ kick. Except, I didn't. Tony went through the workout so quickly that none of us had time to figure out what the hell we were supposed to do until he was halfway through. I mean come on dude, take 3 seconds to say "this is a jab, this is a hook, this is a backasswardsidebend ball kick punch stare combo." I think I spent more time trying to figure out what he was doing and if I matched him than focusing on the actual workout.

Also, when you're dripping with sweat and highly confused already, it is NOT appropriate to yell "DOUBLE TIME WITH NOISE" and start yelling numbers all willy-nilly. This is when I start yelling at the TV telling Tony he's lucky he's not in front of me because I'd figure out how to beat him up. B. was feeling particularly stabby as well. Frickin Tony Horton.

D1. had the fabulous idea of doing a video blog (vlog) of the groups while we work out so that we can capture the true essence of how supremely annoying the work out is (and how ridiculous we all look crammed into the living room kicking furniture- and each other- trying to get through the workout.) It would be even better if we had cuts to 'confessionals' in the middle. While this idea is highly amusing, after realizing how ridiculous we must look trying to throw punches as fast as we can while counting and pushing our hips forward and moving our feet (okay- seriously- who can keep track of the 7 different things we were supposed to be doing at the same time!? EFF THAT OYSTER.) I would not want video record of this. The sweat, the anger, the language... not so attractive.

On the upside tomorrow is Sunday, which happens to be skip/Xstretch day, so this is the end of week one and I am alive. A little worn out, a little sore, and my chinchilla is wondering why he hasn't gotten to run around as much lately. I'm stoked for the Xstretch tomorrow with N. and whoever else decides to go for the glory. And speaking of my chinchilla... I'm going to go let him out for a bit and grab a shower.

~Kay

Day 5: Legs, Back, and Ab RipperX

I think B. is ready to kill me. I hate wasting time if we don't need to so I made him go through the entire workout only taking a break when they said to (once) and then pausing only to write it down or figure out what we were doing. Then when J. joined us for Ab RipperX (day 3!) I refused to stop the tape. It's only 15 minutes (including cool down) and we can pump through that. Especially because you can stop mid exercise and catch up, it's not so bad. I love a good ab workout- which I had forgotten until I started p90x. Abs hurt like a bitch and they get intense, but when you're done it feels SOO good. Not to mention I think the abs and the arms are what I most want to see improved. While I'd like to see my whole body improve, I know I will feel best once I see the results in these two places.

Currently I feel physically charged, with some pain. At work today I had to pick up furniture donations (I work for a nonprofit that does refugee resettlement) from a few different locations in the area, so I was out and about all day, loading and unloading the vans. While it was rough to be sore and have to keep moving, it felt good to know that in a few weeks I will be able to move easier and not struggle with some of the heavier donations. Woo! The office will love me.

Now it's time to grab some food, stretch out some more, and then head out for a bit because it's Friday... which means I'm ALMOST done with Week One and I'm still alive!

Also- I would like to point out that B. pulled a bitch move during the work out when we did our last move (reverse palm chin ups) and he decided to sit down before our cool down. When I called him out he took a gigantic sip of his coke sitting on the couch. DUDE! (I told him I was going to call him out for drinking coke mid workout... so bam!)

Still jazzed. Shower and food time.

~Kay

Day 4: Extreme Yoga

OK, today was yogaX- which was advanced yoga on steroids. I mean, who the hell can hold these stances!? I consider myself to be fairly flexible, but there are only so many times i can go into upwards and downwards dog then running man warrior what the hells before i fall over. The worst part was the pain that hit my knees and shoulder. I strained my right shoulder a bit with the exercises yesterday, and while I thought I was okay heading into the exercises- once we started really putting strain on the arms to hit the poses- I started losing it.

Then came balancing, and it became rapidly apparent that I fail at balancing on one foot- I can however come up with new and inventive ways to yell out in pain at the tv. Not to mention the fact that I'm getting really tired of how long it takes Tony (the host) to tell you the alternative and easier ways to do each move if you aren't "advanced" yet. I think we were all failing there.

Sadly about today though- when I showed up at the house, we didn't have the video good to go for today, and it took 2 hours for B. to get it. Which, while understandable and not something I could control, became annoying because it set all 5 of us back in our day. I ended up having to leave early (so I missed the last 15 minutes or so of the tape) which means I didn't get to finish out the full yogaX today... and we were getting to the sitting/ ab moves that I actually enjoy and don't put so much strain on my knees. However, I had made a commitment to do a trivia night with a few friends as well...

On the plus side- my trivia team got first place!

Looking forward to tomorrow's workout- not sure what it is, but I still can't wait! I like the new energy I'm gaining from this routine, and that I get to spend time with people I enjoy :-)

~Kay

Day 3: Still going

Just a quick update: today was arms and shoulders, followed by the second round of ab ripperX. It hurts like crazy, but i still have the spirit going! I yelled at the end, and definitely throughout the abs. I didn't threaten N.'s life though, which I'm sure he appreciated.

I did notice that it seems like every effing exercise has the most retarded name ever like suprocalaficking bicep curlie q's. I mean COME ON MAN! Who the hell comes up with this shit? Although the Pot Stirrer's that have my name are quite nice ;-)

This morning I didn't hurt too bad, and tonight I was still doing well, although I did hurt my shoulder on one exercise and had to stop briefly but I got back into it. I refuse to give up- I'm still holding strong and I like that this is getting me out there and making me work.

I'm headed back out again- hey look, day 3 and I already still have the energy to go back out and see a few friends post workout. Hopefully soon I can do the full exercise's (modifying most of it is a real bitch and I hate doing it), shake it off, shower, and keep on rolling.

I'm also eating better- which is also a plus. I'm not following the diet plan, but I'm trying to adjust my diet to healthier foods and regular eating to support the workout. I know it's only day 3- but so far so good!

I need this to keep up!

(EDIT:: After having returned to my apartment after being out with a few friends for about 1.5hrs OWWW. That post workout high has settled and now it has kicked in. Holy effing mother of an oyster man. Typing hurts. I want my bed.)

~Kay

Day 2: OWWW

GEE FRICKIN GOLLY WHIZ MAN OF A DUCK!! Who thought it was a good idea to make day 2 the hardest workout of p90x. Dude was all "woo! hardest workout you're going to do this entire time! YEAH!" apparently today puts the 'X' in p90X. Eff this shit man. I have no idea who could possibly get through this!?

ONE OF THE GUYS ON THE TAPE ONLY HAS 1 LEG!! And the chick who is supposed to be showing what to do if you have bad knees? Is total beast and I'm convinced that halfway through the workout she forgot about showing us the compensating moves. I'm beat. My knee hurts. I'm too tired to think about food. I am ready to take the shower and pass out for the rest of the night.

High Fives to B. for making it through tonight, N. for helping me figure out the moves D2. for joining us before he had to run, and J. for standing there and not being able to come up with an asshole comment.

I don't know why I even thought this was a good idea. Tomorrow is arms and blah blah blah. All I know is tomorrow is Wednesday, which also means I have to do abs again. Eff this shit.

I mean- WOO!! Still Rockin! YEAH!

~Kay

Day 2

Owwwww. I want to die. Or at least lie down and never get back up. Getting out bed was a bitch, coming into work was hard. And now I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to nap with out my boss noticing.

Tonight is Plyometrics, which according to N. involves jumping and "explosive movement"... if there is anything I hate more than "movement" is that which is explosive. Sounds like I'm going to need to find the knee brace for this one.

At least I don't have to do the Ab RipperX tonight, otherwise I might have to pack a knife for the extra stabby feelings of rage towards N.

~Kay

Day One: Post Workout

HOLY EFFING MOTHER OF A GOAT!!! WHYYYYYYY???????

ok, now that's out of the way. In all reality the work out wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. The excitement and nerves got me through most of it, but I'm feeling a burn, that's for sure. On the upside- N.'s life was only threatened 4-5 times. And that didn't start until we started the post-p90x ab workout (ab ripperX) that we're supposed to do every MWF. 15 minutes of intense non-stop abs after a full hour of upper body chest/arms is RIDIC. I was pretty good for the whole p90x workout (the X... is for EXTREME, the dude feels it is necessary to tell us this often) at keeping pace and not getting too frustrated, but oh man the pain.

Another person has been added to the group, D2. whose goal is to be able to ride his bike shirtless with pride looking badass. I think this is a worthy goal to work for. Personally, I haven't set any goals in that form yet- mainly my goal is to work through it and look "better". It'd be nice to not be self-conscious with a shirt off or in a bathing suit. Yeah- I'm a chick and I want to look better in a bathing suit, how cliche. deal.

I would also like to be able to do the full routine without having to make any compensations- like actual push-ups and not cheater knee ones and real pull ups on the bar- not this band on a hook crap i'm doing now. Although, I am excited to say that I am not on the easiest band out there- I'm on the hard one for most of the work- yay!

I'm only slightly sore now, and still have the desire to keep going. This is good. I parked my car further away from my door to make my self walk further. I took the stairs with ease. I came in and started a small dinner. I'll probably get some stretches in and drink more water. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to need to do this right.


ps- as for the video itself, so much better than any other workout video i've ever seen or done. I didn't want to stab the host within the first five minutes, even though he NEVER SHUTS UP. I mean, I'm a talkative person... but this dude just kept going on and on. Not to mention that every few minutes something he said could easily be construed as a sexual innuendo. nothing like having him explain push up handles as being a great addition to the work out because they "give you an extra 6 inches so you can go deeper."

yeah... I was working out with 2 guys, and a few other guys were walking through (they'll be doing their turn with the workout later in the evening) laughing as well. Not awkward at all. (Love you guys!) I had to laugh too it was so ridiculous at points.

Okay, so I survived day 1. Gold star? Whatevs, only 89 days to go. I can DO this!! (let's see how I feel in the morning.)

~Kay

Day One: A brief introduction

Okay, to give you the basic rundown:

I am starting the p90x workout this evening (in 30 minutes actually) with a group of 5 other people. The 6 of us for various reasons have decided that we're going to do this workout for the next 90 days; hence the 90 in the name. Today is day one, and I'm still excited despite being sore from yesterdays pre-tests- when I realized just how out of shape I really am, and how far behind my teammates I am.

Why?

Because I always say I am going to get off my butt and do something for myself... and a week later I'm done with it. I say my knee hurts, or I'm crampy, or I feel "sick" and then I never get back into it. Which helps no one. I cannot being to tell you how much money I have spent over the years on tapes, gym passes, and equipment to whip myself into shape and then stop. And while I cannot guarantee this will be any different, I want it to be even more so than ever before- and I've decided to go after this in a different manner.

First-
I'm not doing this alone. There are 6 of us total and N. is the most enthusiastic of the group. He had us do the pre-tests yesterday so we could track development for ourselves and in comparrison to each other. Also- this gives me people to compete against. I will want to not only beat the pre-tests, but I'll want to catch up or beat the others in different areas. This appeals to my competetive streak.

Second-
I haven't paid for anything. R. has the tapes and N. B. and D1. all had the necessary equipment. So it's just me! While I don't see this being any major factor in the program- I am a thrifty individual, so this appeals to my desire to do something that won't cost me money- much better than buying a gym pass and going at it alone.

Third-
The group has developed a system of motivation and support so that we can encourage each other through out the 90 days. Which is great, but potentially not enough. Therefore I've decided to create this blog. By making this effort pulic- even through a blog that people may not read (or maybe like-minded individuals and friends will find this and be amused?) I become more commited. Nothing like starting something, making it known to as many people as possible, and then failing- and disappointing myself, my team, and supporters.

Finally-
I really want to do it. This is more than a "I should do this" it's a "I need to do this" and more importantly "I WANT TO DO THIS!"

So, lets see if I can. Challenge me. Encourage me. Offer suggestions. Share your own stories! Lets see if this lazy 22 year old college graduate can finally find the motivation and keep on it for the full 90 days.

I'm excited. Lets get to it.

~Kay