Day 31 of P90x

I take a break from the regularly scheduled programming for a mid-term evaluation of P90x. I've been working out since I was a boy in various ways, starting to lift in a consistent way at about 22 and continuing that up until now (49 today). Weights, like me, have gotten old. I kept hearing P90x from the ESPN radio guys here and there, so I looked into it. I don't like to spend much. Two other guys in our church had been thinking about it too---they are 25 and 23, something like that. I like it. I might be through with weights for the rest of my life. This is more like it for someone reaching a more mature status ;-) .

Well, today is day 31, which happens to be at the beginning of phase two. The first three weeks are phase one, then what P90x (Tony Horton) calls a rest week (it's not). And then to phase two, which shifts things all around---what P90x calls "muscle confusion."

If you are looking to get into shape with a set period of time dedicated to it every day, P90x will get that done. It is intense, brutal in fact, but manageable. Again as the regime says, "Do your best and forget the rest." If there was a part of fitness I ignored for a few decades, it is what is called "core work." P90x emphasizes the core with several of its work-outs, including one you will do twice in your first "rest week" entitled "core synergistics."

Three days a week are the big strength times. And immediately after that hour, you will do 16 minutes of what is called "ab ripper x." You will massacre your abdominal muscles with 11 different exercises that employ over 300 repetitions. It's ouchy. For someone as myself, I am not to ab ripper level yet, but again, do your best; you get the drill.

P90x has a diet too, and I'm not doing that. One of the guys made the purchase and each of the other two are chipping in. He's doing the diet and it looks like it is working for him. I'm just watching what I'm eating and that is resulting in weight loss in addition to the fitness.

If you've never done P90x, I would guess that you have never done the variety of push-ups and chin-ups that you will do. People have dreamed of some interesting exercises. And overall what P90x does is work about every possible muscle in every possible way, pulling and pushing and jumping. It also works the stretching, bringing to much, much greater flexibility. The flexibility may be a new experience for me.

Any disclaimers? You don't have to listen to the music, just Tony Horton talking. He says a few things I wish he didn't, but I don't expect him to live like a Christian. It's an exercise routine. Women aren't dressed modestly---that's bad---but you don't have to look at them. Most of the attention focuses on what the men are doing, particularly Horton. They are trying to give women participating someone to look at. 15 days of P90x are yoga. I didn't know much about it. You don't have to do anything related to anything religious. Just saying "yoga" sounds like a problem for people. If you called it "very difficult physical maneuvers," you wouldn't think anything of it. Yoga is about balance, flexibility, control, and strength. In my opinion, it is the hardest workout. You have to hold yourself in postures and poses that you have never in your life, and it isn't easy. The sweat pours off of you. When you are done, you are worn out.

I'll tell you how it is going again at day 60 or so.