P90X2 Week 1

What a great week. P90X2 has fully lived up to the hype. I am feeling just like I did when I first started P90X. My initial thoughts about the balance portions of X2 were so wrong. I must have been in a bad place or whiny mindset. X2 ROCKS! My balance is slowly improving and with each day I am able to lift more and hold the balance moves with more stability and strength. I could not be happier with what Tony has put together.

P90X2 - Fit Test

So yesterday was my fit test day for P90X2. I failed to do the fit test on my first two rounds of P90X, but I did do one for the Asylum. Fit tests allow you to have personal benchmarks for your level of fitness. This allows you to critically analyze your efforts and the effectiveness of the program at delivering on its promises. CAUTION - you can't say that a program doesn't work it you don't do it as prescribed! That means a full commitment to the nutrition component and exercise component... (Sorry, but if I hear again that P90X doesn't work from someone who "didn't really follow the nutrition guide" and may have "missed some of the workouts," I may go crazy! It's not that the program failed to work... you failed to do the work!!!

Here is my starting point for P90X2:

1/14/2012
Wt: 163 lbs.
Ht: 6'1"
BF: 6.53% (Pollack 3-site: 12 mm for abdominal, 5 chest, 6 quad)
Lean Mass: 152.35 lbs.
Fat Mass: 10.65 Lbs.
Target weight: 156 lbs under 4% BF


Resting HR: 56 BPM
Pull-ups: 27.5 (Didn't know if I should count the 1/2... I wanted it, but couldn't get all the way back up)
Vertical: 20"
Push-Ups: 73
Toe Touch: -4, that's negative 4
Wall Squat: 2:41
Bicep Curls: 16 x 35lb
In-n-Outs: 82
HR Maximizer - 174, 146, 119, 110, 102 (Fast Jacks are hard... and uncoordinated!)

So there it is! I am going to take my pictures later today, so I will be back to update the post! My BF% sure doesn't seem that low to me. The abdominal measurement is by far the highest it has been due to bulking and lower cardio during the fall. I am still quite lean elsewhere. My vascularity is still good, but not scare the children good... That being said, I believe it now: Your lower stomach is the first place to gain fat and the last to lose it!

Blessings and X2 Core in the AM,
David Jeffries
davidcjeffries@gmail.com

P90X2 - Balance & Power

What a week of workouts! It has been so much fun getting more comfortable with the new routine. I have to apologize too... Early this week, I posted that I wasn't too sure about being able to "really work a muscle group" or some nonsense. How could I have been so wrong? These are the real deal. I can only say my opinion has changed.

This morning I took on Balance and Power for the first time. There are three main rounds with an appetizer and bonus round. The moves all live up to the name of the routine and require a perfect combination of balance and power. There were multiple times during the workout that I thought to myself, "oh easy, I bet I can knock out 30 reps." Ten reps later, not only was I scaling back that number but I knew that the power I had would not make up for my lack of balance. Focus was a necessity today. I had a blast!

The official challenge starts on January 16th. I have a friend at school that just ordered P90X2 as well! I believe she will be joining up to for the challenge. Fitness with other people is just so cool!

Blessing and BRING IT!
David

P90X2 - Plyocide

PLYOCIDE!!!

Oh yes, jump training is back and the new workout is awesome. I gave this workout a test drive last week... I enjoyed it, but didn't leave it all out on the field. This week was different. I knew more of the moves... I didn't waste the first 5 seconds watching Tony... I got after it! 

Plyocide is a shorter workout, a bit over 50 minutes (with warm up and cool down). Tony has it right though; it is all about turning up the volume on this one. How high can you jump? Are you doing full squats when directed? Are you toe tapping or staying balanced? Did you do you push-ups for punishment? If you are doing every move with 100% effort, there is no way that you won't be spent.

My favorite thing about this workout is that there are no repeats. There are five different distinct sets of moves. The pace is fast and some moves still have that currently bothersome element of balance (though I am already noticing improvements). I really enjoy the Frog Burpee Jumps (at least I think that is what they were called). Those send my HR through the roof. I was able to manage 13 today. Big improvement from last week. All in all, I love this workout.

My diet has been great for 2 days now! It has seemed pretty easy to fall back into the swing of things. I have noticed that some of my bad habit had crept back... a few M&M's here... bigger serving there... but not anymore! I have decided on my goals, committed to them, and I will succeed! 

Blessing and BRING IT!

David Jeffries

P90X2 - Core

January 2, 2012 - It has begun!


So I have jumped the gun and started P90X2. TeamRIPPED will be officially starting on January 16th, but I have decided to begin a little early. I am going to lengthen the Foundation Phase and do my official start on the 16th still. This will give me 5 weeks of much needed balance and core work.

X2 Core was a lot of fun. The workout was on the shorter end of things and featured 18 different moves... no repeats! I could feel everything as we went. This is totally different than any other workout I have been doing. It was very challenging and yet really rewarding when I was about to focus in and find my balance. I really liked the medicine ball, one leg burpees at the end. At first I thought, "Oh really nice... I am wiped out and I need to kick back on one leg while holding a medicine ball?" But I brought it and by the last 6 reps, I had found the pace and balance.

I snapped some photos of the garage too! I moved out there to pick up some head room and offer the family much needed silence in the AM. Who knew an 18-month old doesn't want to be woken up at 4:00 in the morning? And wait, Mom doesn't care for that either... hmmmmm?

It is cluttered, but I still have to be able to get the shop up and running from time to time in the winter.

Good ol' pull-up bar.... how I love you...

That's what was outside... and inside sort of, did I mention the garage is not insulated?

Layers are a must... I was able to lose the sweatshirt and gloves. The hat stayed on!

653 calories later and I am so glad to be started. I am going to be hitting ABX in the evenings, so that is still on deck today. Not enough time in the mornings before school. Got to go out and play with my son in the sled and then shovel/snowblow. A nice little added burn I suppose. My eating is officially on track today as well. Have a great day and BRING IT AGAIN!

Blessings,

David Jeffries

davidcjeffries@gmail.com

P90X2 - The Next Step

The long awaited release of P90X2 has come and gone. Sitting next to me right now is my copy... so cool! The big shift for P90X2 is an increased focus on core connected lifting and its ability to assist sports performance. I can't even wait. As of now, I have only sampled a few of the workouts. The three phases build upon one another and I know that I am not ready for the later phases. My Foundation Phase (first 3-6 weeks) will need help! I am going to keeping the blog to chronicle my progress through X2... I am dropping TV for the next 3 months to make sure that I have the time to make this happen. My hope is to post videos as well... still working on that!

I will be completing this program with a HUGE group of friends from teamRIPPED. There is the core of Asylum Crazies and the newly branded Misfits. There has already been tons of conversations on the group's page and I can tell this group will be perfect! They are focused, driven, and dedicated... I love all three!

My life has been great over the past few months. Lots of changes for my growing son, and lots of changes in the life of his parents! My wife and I are so blessed to have such a great little guy. The Lord has been so faithful in providing exactly what we need in all situations. I would love to say that the Lord has been revealing himself more, but I fear that he has been doing this all along and I am actually now just picking up on his ques more and more.

In September, I was able to take a trip to surprise my coach Wayne Wyatt in Oklahoma. It was awesome! I got to spend a weekend with a bunch of absolutely wonderful people. We worked out, race a Warrior Dash, and got to say "thanks" to the guy that helped change all of our lives. It was simply fantastic! I will leave you with a couple pictures from the race. Stay tuned and keep BRINGING IT!