BetterBody90

Wow it's been several days since my last update! Between work at Red Robin and the holidays I haven't had time to blink. Most of my days I spend over tired and don't get online to update this blog.

However with that said, just because I'm to busy to update doesn't mean I haven't been completing my exercise! I am still bringing daily though the time varies a lot. Sometimes I work out in the early A.M. and other times its late at night.

I added Creatine Mono hydrate and 100% pure Whey Protein to my diet starting Dec 30th. I decided it was time to start supplementing, Even with my high protein and relatively healthy diet I found I wasn't getting the desired level of protein. The general rule is 1g of pure protein per 1lb of body weight. Last I checked I was roughly 150lbs so I should be consuming no less than 150g of Protein, My goal is 150g-200g/day. 2 scoops of my protein powder adds a quick and easy 52g without requiring time to plan and cook a good meal. This works very well to compensate for my work schedule and the restrictions it causes on my diet.

Yesterday started week 4 with Yoga and today will be day 23 with Core Synergistics. I can't tell you how excited I am for this workout! I don't have time this morning as I have to work... Again; but I should have decent time this afternoon once I get back.

Expect a blog update and perhaps a video when I complete today's workout. I want to tell you how it went and how it felt because this is a new video in my journey.

Stay tuned...

*New! I haven't given in to the pressure. Or have I?

Hey there everyone!

Hope you all had a Safe, Exciting, and Happy Holiday... Merry Christmas to all!

Hey everyone!

My rest day was pretty good yesterday, I stuck close to a good diet and as much as I wanted to stray - I didn't! :)

I have a long term goal and nothing can break that. I love having WOWY, my blog, and my video blog to keep myself accountable and to keep pushing play! As anyone knows, staying motivated day in and day out isn't exactly easy; After reaching day 15 today, I have no reason to let myself slide. I've started keeping a daily log of snapshots so at the end I can do a time-lapse 360 view of my results, starting day 12 and up.

Today I will start with a pre-Ab X routine instead of doing it directly after Chest/Back or later in the day. I think this will be the best way to go about it but I'll let you know how it goes!

Stay tuned!

Another day complete. Today was a pretty easy day for me, I was very motivated to workout and begin adding video. I personalized my Youtube account and added my very first P90X video blog update. I'm very excited about the addition of my video updates and I will be adding some reviews and ofcourse more updates in the near future!

I took some pictures last night at the end of Day 11 just for record, didn't really notice any change in physical appearance but I do want to add that I am feeling much better than last week. Body ache has completely faded and left me with just that little muscle burn you get after your done. I have alot more energy when I finish each workout and my stamina has increased greatly. I definitely notice the progress in Yoga X.

I started my Ab X routine early today - around 9am actually - because I had some errands and things I needed to get done during the day. I saved Legs and Back for later in the afternoon; I like to take a break between each in my first couple weeks so I can get the best form and therefore, results from each session. If it was cardio that would be a different story but for muscle training a break is definitely ok. Do what your body tells you! That's a very important tip.

Ab X:
Abs went well today, minimal burn throughout the workout and I forced myself to have the best form possible. I find 'heals to heaven' a little difficult because my legs don't like to stay straight, but I do the best I can. I know Yoga X will fix my flexibilty issues over the next couple weeks.

Legs and Back:
This flew right by today, before I knew it I was already 30 minutes into it. I DID use a chair today for my chin-ups, mainly for the second round. This allowed better form than last week when I tried to muscle it and use my ego. I just plain can't do what I used to and I'm ok with that now, I know in the coming weeks I'll be back to where I used to be years ago. If you rush things or push to hard your jsut going to end up to sore to workout or injuring yourself. If you injure yourself you'll lose alot more than if you just take your time and do what you can!

Tomorrow is Kenpo X and I'm very excited, this is one of my favorite X routines so far.

*Note
I still haven't added suppliments or recovery drinks to my diet but I hope to do so in week 3 or 4, so expect some reviews and updates in the near future on using those products.

Thanks again and have a great night!

I've really been slacking on updates recently but don't worry, I'm still sticking to the workouts and nutrition as best I can. It has been a very busy week for me, work has been getting in the way of my nutrition and marketing my coaching business has kept me from updates.

I want to make a little side note about work and nutrition. For anyone that works in the food industry you know how little time you actually get to eat, and when you do it's a fast meal of whatever you can get. I've done very well at not eating the food at work, or drinking the soda fromt he fountains. The problem with that is I go 6-8 hours without eating a single thing. I try my best to bring Power Bars and drink water to hold me over, but that's not nearly enough. It's very hard for me to stick to a 5-6 meal regimen, but with that said when I'm home I eat very well and very balanced. Out of 5 I would rate my diet at a 3.5-4.5 depending on what days I work.

But with all that said I want to update you on my progress.

Shoulders and Arms:

This went VERY well in week 2, I was able to hit my burn reps at around 8-10 with the new weights I purchased. The first week was a little off because some sets were to easy and others to hard, I finally have the balance I need.
I felt amazing during the workout and I am defintely excited to see what week 3 will do for me, I know without a doubt that this program is working. Overall I feel better, I'm stronger, can last longer, jump higher, hit harder, etc. It's been a ride through these first two weeks as I've been pretty sedintary the past 2-3 years.
I owe this to myself and I WILL NOT quit! Keep pushing play!

**However, I do need to note that I missed Ab X yesterday. I had to go to work and figured I'd do this workout before bed, the problem was I didn't plan to close the store and be there until almost midnight! That really set me back and made me feel a little down for missing a workout, that just makes me want to replace Red Robin with my home business sooner than later. I know this will take months but I'm working very diligently at it!
Don't kick yourself to hard if you miss a workout, just keep going with the next and you'll be fine!

Yoga X:

Wow, that's what I have to say. I was leaps and bounds beyond myself from last week. Sure I stumbled a little on some sets but I reset and did very well. I definitely feel alive and stretched today, Yoga has to be one of my favorite workouts. It's great for the mind, body, and soul; I feel Yoga X is probably the most essential workout in the program as it affects all aspects of your body. I expect to barely stumble on week 3 and don't worry, I will tell you all about my experience!

*I was going to do Ab X to follow Yoga X today but with work tonight I've decided to just pick up tomorrow on the next scheduled routine. Missing one day shouldn't set me back and besides, Yoga X really hit hard on my mid section - I mean that in a good way!

Thanks as always!

So today took a little extra deep down motivation to get started. I woke up early at 6am and started my diet out right, for the most part anyway. I do love bacon so I still allow myself 1 piece at least, it keeps me happy ;). I spent the rest of the morning/afternoon at the Fort Myers beach enjoying the sun and water. I tossed the Frisbee around for a bit and spent about an hour laying in the sun. Once I got back I was ready for a nap but I knew if that happened I'd be to lazy to workout after wards. So after scheduling myself in WOWY I decided I had a commitment to make that I could not break, It's not like I had any good reason anyway!
So I hit Plyometrics head on and I'm happy with myself for completing day 9! I did get slightly nauseous during the workout but I think this was because I drank to much water. I kept going and made it through, though my legs were on fire towards the end.
I was happy with my heart rate and it seemed a little more appropriate than last time, it didn't seem to high and was much more consistent!

Here are my numbers taken at each 'water break' and at the end.

Break 1: 172 (bpm)
Break 2: 176
Break 3: 180
Break 4: 172
Break 5: 180
End : 172

I still don't have a heart monitor but these times were taken at 15sec x4 during each break. Not 100% accurate but pretty close.

*Note*

I went out and bought a yoga mat tonight, also two more 10lbs weights giving me up to 25lbs for the arms and shoulders work tomorrow. I decided a pair of weight gloves would be handy also as this will allow better grip!

I updated my WOWY profile and I will start scheduling my workouts everyday from now on. I hope to see you on there!

Good night

Starting over again! I have made it to week 2 without straying from my plan. My nutrition is still being incorporated into my daily routine and it's going pretty good. I will say my biggest obstacle right now is my daily job at Red Robin. The shifts I work really interfere with my eating routine and make it hard to get 5 good meals in. Often times I find myself running 8 hours with no food which in turn makes me crash hard with low blood sugar and little energy. I'm trying to find ways to curb this, but for anyone that works in the food service industry they understand how hard it is to actually take a moment to eat. I hope my Beachbody coaching business will soon replace the hours I need at Red Robin which will allow me much more freedom and a more consistent diet. With that said, I have been eating a very well balance and nutritious diet without going astray. I haven't had beer and wings, though I miss the occasional after-work outing; I know what I really want in life and in Beachbody and I won't let anything get in my way!

On day 7 I chose to take a day off and rest (Though I worked a full shift at work). I may add X stretch next week though as I think it is necessary.

Today started with a bang as I jumped into my Shoulders and Back workout. It was ofcourse the same as last week though I notice I had much more energy and I didn't get the sick feeling. I actually felt ontop of my game! I followed the video with Ab X which is getting better and better everytime I complete the video. I hardly struggled through the Mason Twist at the end, the first day I fell over after the first 10 and had to jump in and out periodically; today I stuck through to 30, took 8 off and finish strong to the end.

I have tomorrow off from work and plan to add two more dumb bells, 10lbsx2 will be a good combo to mix with the 15lbsx2 I have now. I can use them independantly or combine for 25lbsx2. This should be good for now until I get stronger in weeks 3 and 4.
I will also be getting a yoga mat tomorrow as this will help alot, my current mat is an old camping air mat that is really unsuitable.

Shoulders and Back:

Nothing really to add from last week except I noticed a much better result, no feeling natious at the end and I still had the ability to make a good effort in Ab X which immediately followed. My numbers for each set were about the same though in some I was able to do alot more reps. If you would like numbers please just ask in a comment and I'll be glad to post them!

Tomorrow is Plyometrics and I must say I am very excited, Cardio is my favorite exersise and Plyometrics never leaves me dissapointed!

Man I feel like a million dollars today! I just completed Kenpo X and it certainly made me sweat, I have to say this is my favorite workout so far. I'm a sucker for cardio workouts and Kenpo X really hit the spot! I started my day a little rough, I was still rather sore this morning and to top things off I had a terrible nightmare that I was at work but couldn't do my job properly. Sometimes I get more stressed in my work dreams than at my real day job! But anyway, this is about P90X not my dreams; well unless I'm talking about my dreams to be fit and in great shape!

I'm starting to get a little less sore with each passing day, I've been doing my workouts on time and it's really starting to pay off. I don't really notive a physical apearance change yet but I'm really feeling much better when it comes to my ability to bring it at each workout session. I figured it would take about a week to get back into the roll of things and it seems I was right. I am very excited to see what next week brings and I'm sure you can expect greater numbers on the reps.

Also, I started my diet on a serious note today after buying $50 in groceries. I have yet to add some protein powder but that will be soon enough, possibly tomorrow. I have the next couples days off which is good and bad because I won't have an income but I'll be able to bring 110% to each session.

I also want to add that I haven't had any alcohol, fast food, candy, etc. I've been doing very good at keeping a healthy diet. It is difficult some days though, working at a gourmet burger restaurant really makes me want to break down sometime; but believe me when I say I won't let that happen. I am dedicated 100% to my body and my health!

That's about it for today, I had a great cardio workout and I can't wait to see what happens next week! You can expect some new measurements and photo's at the end of week two.

A few numbers just FYI:

(I still don't have a heart rate monitor but I did my best by taking my heart rate at 15 sec x4 = BPM)

First water break: 40 = 160
Second water break: 45 = 180
Third water break: 47 = 188
Fourth water break: 44 = 176
Fifth water break: 48 = 192

Notice I really kicked it into high gear at the last segment, I really like to get all I can since it is the only hour I'm doing work. I'll be honest, at the end I was left wanting more. I was actually tempted to throw in another hour of cardio but I'll give my body a much deserved break and just bring more intensity on week 2!

Good luck and thanks for following along so far!

I have just completed my Legs and Back routine, I'm feeling great though my legs feel very similar to spaghetti. I have to work a long shift at work today so I held back on the Ab X until I get home tonight. I figure taking a break between shouldn't hurt my progress as today is more about anaerobic than aerobic (Muscle building vs Cardiovascular).
I will say that I'm feeling much better today with the body pain, it has greatly reduced and I think it will all be gone after my rest day. I'm very excited to hit week 2 with a refreshed mind, body, and spirit.

I found I had all the necessary equipment for the workout today so it made things much easier on me. I've also been working harder at implementing a better diet, I haven't been eating bad but the problem is, I have not been eating enough. Yesterday at work I was starving and ended up going 6 solid hours with nothing, I was really hitting ground zero and I don't want that to happen today!

I did fail pretty soon on all the chin-up exercises which is disappointing because I used to be so much better in this area. I was failing around 6-8 reps and then 2-4 on the second round. No worries though, I know it will get better in week 2 and beyond!

Stay tuned for my Ab X update!

Good afternoon!

Today was very difficult, I had nearly zero motivation to workout and my body was incredibly sore. I had a very hard time waking up this morning, I really think all the hard work is catching up to me. I actually slept from about 11:30pm last night to 8:30am this morning, I then fell asleep on the couch around 8:45am until somewhere around 10:30am. The sleep was very well worth it though, minus a small headache I felt a little more aware and awake.

Well today consists of just one workout which is Yoga X. I have been very excited for this video as my flexibility is terrible and I think this will be a great tool for me!
Meditation is key to keeping balance in your life, whether its troubles at work or at home, taking an hour and a half out of your day to do Yoga X will make all your troubles disappear.

Yoga X:

I just completed the workout after trying my best to get motivated, I started out rather sore and wasn't sure how it was going to go. But I did it and that's the important thing. Day 4 is done and I feel very proud of myself for sticking to my goal and staying driven.
The video IS NOT easy, I was stumbling on a couple poses i.e. Warrior 1,2,3 etc... At the end my quads were cramping which made some things difficult but I completed what I could non-the-less.
I feel like a million bucks now which will make my work shift at Red Robin go by much better than it would have without the workout. Not to mention i'm in a euphoric state of mind from the overall relaxation from completing the video.

My advice is definitely get a yoga mat as I don't have one and had to keep wiping sweat off the floor to keep myself from slipping during the downward dog motions.

Other than that, thanks for reading and stick to it!!!

I have just completed half of day 3, I have to work in a few hours so I decided to save Ab Ripper X until later this evening. My main workout today was the Shoulders and Arms video.
Now I am the kind of person that requires the "Do" to really get motivated, sometimes if I try and plan I end up spending so much time planning I burn all my motivation...
With that said, I don't have everything I need in this first week of training. I only have 1 set of 15lb dumbbells so needless to say some of the video was easier than it should have been, some moves were harder, and some found a happy medium with 15 lbs. I do have my rep numbers and I did record which ones require more or less weight, if you want a detailed account just leave a comment with your question!
I did just move to a different state so my equipment is very minimal. Back home I had everything I needed plus some. But onto the review...

Shoulders and Arms:

The video starts out like any other with a good long stretch and warm-up phase. But soon your hitting set after set and depending on whether your going for bulk (8-10 reps), or tone (12-15 reps) you may or may not find yourself resting with time in between.

Don't stop moving, heart rate is just as important as pushing through each set so keep bouncing around and make sure to hydrate!

I found this workout relatively easy to keep up with and I know it will get much better as my body pain goes away. I do find that I'm rather sore so my flexibility is slightly reduced from the muscle burn. I just keep telling myself that this is week 1 and it WILL get better!

I'll tell you the soreness is catching up with me and it was making me a little unmotivated this morning a little after my first post. All I can do is tell myself to keep going, I mean the only way to get there is to do the work, there are absolutely no short cuts.

I WILL make it to day 90, you will see!

Stay tuned for my Ab Ripper X update later...

*update...

Last night I did my Ab Ripper X and I'm so glad I did. I will let you know if was very hard to get motivated, between the body pain from the last couple days and a long shift at work I nearly skipped out, But I kept to my word and did my work!
I was so happy when I was done and man did I feel like a million bucks. It was so much easy than the first day I did it and I know it will only get easier!

Thanks for staying with me!

I woke up really early this morning with a sense of urgency or maybe anxiousness. I think partly it had to do with how sore my body is, but also how excited I am to begin day 3! So far I have become very addicted to completing my workouts, its all I can think about and all I talk about. This motivation has been a long time coming and I'm very happy that it's solid and seems unbreakable! Now as I said above my body is incredibly sore, pretty much like I stepped into the UFC octagon and let them do their worst. But I'm not letting that hold me down, once I get moving the pain starts to go away and everything is fine. I know I will only feel like this through week 1 and maybe a little into week 2, but it wont last forever. personally I welcome the pain, it tells me every moment of every day that I'm achieving my goal and I wouldn't have it any other way!

I understand this post really has no relevance to my Day 3 workout but I just could not bare to lay in bed anymore. I'm very excited to bring my daily play by play to you, my reader. So please stay tuned today as I will be updating with my post workout message.

If there are questions you'd like to ask or more information you'd like me to post on my daily blog please leave a comment or send me an email. Ill be glad to incorporate reader suggestions as this blog is only successful because of you, the reader!

P.S. I will be adding some video updates as well, I will be making a webcam purchase later today after my shift ends at Red Robin.

Stay tuned...

I just gathered my measurements and photos for everyone to see. These were taken at the end of day 2 but I don't think your going to notice much from day 1 to day 2.

Wow - That's my first reaction after completing the Plyometrics workout. That was the most intense cardio session I've had in awhile. I went into it about 45 minutes after having breakfast and a coffee, not the smartest idea but luckily no cramps.

I do need to share some advice from my second day... Now I knew this wasn't smart to start with but please don't do your P90x routine with bare feet on a laminate floor. It becomes VERY slippery and makes you very prone to slip and fall injuries. I was slipping and sliding about half way through on some of the jump routines; not a good idea.

Day 2 - Plyometrics

The video starts out with some good warmup techniques that started to make me think, "Hey, this is going to be easy"... Guess again.
About 20 minutes into the video I was reeeeally starting to feel the burn, I looked at the play time and realized I still have 40 minutes to go! But I stuck to it, regardless of the fact I was rather sore from Day 1.
The great thing is that Day 2 hits a totally different muscle group than day 1 so it didnt effect my performance in anyway. In fact, I started to feel realll good and my soreness virtually went away. Though I still felt the muscle fatigue.

Day 2 notes:
I really think im going to invest in some suppliments at the beginning of week 2, it seem that this would help me recover faster and im sure it will help peak my performance.

I did manage to capture my heart rate though I didnt have a monitor. At every "water break" I did a pulse check for 15 seconds x4; this isnt the best measurement but it was good enough to start. My heart rate really got up there and stayed the entire video... This were my results:

Water break 1 : 44x4 = 176 bpm (beats per minute)

Water break 2 : 48x4 = 192 bpm

Water break 3 : 48x4 = 192 bpm

Water break 4 : 48x4 = 192 bpm

Water break 5 : 49x4 = 196 bpm

Water break 6 : 47x4 = 188 bpm

Along with the suppliments next week I also plan to add a heart rate monitor to get acurate results, though the above results are a general idea.
Those rates are really high and do keep in mind I don't play around in cardio, I push myself to the absolute brink of burn. Think about it, this is the hardest hour of you day so, make it count!

Stay tuned for a day 2.1 post which will include before (or now pics) and measurements!

I've completed Day 1 of P90x and definitely felt the burn. It's been awhile since I've really done a good full workout. I got to use my Iron Gym which I ordered about a week ago during my planning phase. I was a little disappointed in how fast I burnt out on the workouts but I know it will get better in time, this was day 1!
I also just joined the P90X coaching program to help motivate myself and in turn motivate and help others achieve their goals. It's going to be a tough 90 days but it will be complete! Tomorrow on day 2 I will put together my nutrition plan and head to the grocery store for supplies. At the moment im going to skip on using extra supplements but I definitely plan to add some protein and other supplements to the mix as I progress into week 2.
I do have a website available at www.milliondollarbody.com/betterbody90 if your interested on the 'where to buy'?
I hope to make myself fully available to answer questions and concerns about the program as I progress through, so please don't hesitate to email me!

A quick summary...

Day 1 Chest & Back

The video starts out with a good cardio workout that gets you moving and breathing, but soon turns into a challenge. I realize this was day 1 but I found myself burning after only 4-5 chinups in some cases. I did log my numbers, including reps and weights so if you have questions about any detail please email me.
As much as this workout did cause some physical uncomfort I did continue to the end and I am very happy that I did.

Ab Ripper X

I've done this video before and have always been impressed with the burn you can achieve with just 16 minutes. I was using this video solely for a good two months and definitely noticed a much stronger core. Unfortunately with a move that followed and a hectic work schedule I fell off a couple months back.

Conclusion

Today wrapped up well even though I feel I should have done more. My body told me where it was at and now I know where to build from. I am very excited to start my day tomorrow with the Plyometrics workout, lets see where it takes me!

Stay tuned...