After my workout today I decided to snoop around the internet and see what some of the other P90X blogs were saying. Many of the sites, much like this one, track progress on a daily basis. Muddy and I have been doing the same thing (well, for the most part) but we have not been nearly as strict in the tracking of the actual day. With a calendar in hand, an abicus, and some creative math, I was able to figure out that we are finishing up day 39 (woot, woohoo, OMG, ROFLMAO, GG... whatever floats your boat)!
Alright, so maybe I didn't need the abicus... it wouldn't have been very helpful anyway. It doesn't have nearly the date math functionality of Excel, but I digress. In thinking about the past 39 days and how we've been doing I was on one hand very pleased with myself and on the other hand a little disappointed. Some of the blogs are really great with the people doing the fit tests, pictures on the appropriate days, and so on. I'm kind of kicking myself in the butt for not doing what I consider to be the ancillary parts of the program, but at the same time I'm also looking back and realizing that for 39 days I've been working out, following a diet, and while you may not have photographic evidence of how I look I can absolutely tell the difference.
Some of my disappointment, or perhaps frustration, comes from how my schedule gets in the way of things. I normally find myself at work relatively late (say until 9:00pm) which means I'm not home until about 9:30 or 10:00pm. On those days I really need to workout in the morning, but I've been struggling with that for the past two weeks. Some days I can do it, and others I would rather read War and Peace while listening to death metal played by a polka band then workout. The willpower to workout in the morning has been the one challenge I have not met, so I really need to "Bring It" to make sure those morning workouts get done. The main reason they need to get done is that I wind up dropping workouts which means doubling up on another day. I know in the end the fact that I'm working out is the most important, but I've also completely missed two workouts so far. While I know missing two workouts will not make or break the program, I'm pissed at myself for allowing that to happen.
What helps me stay positive is being able to feel and see the differences in my physical condition. Physically I can see the differences - the belly fat is going away, there are new muscles in my arms that I didn't know I had, and my abs are starting to show themselves. My cardio has also increased pretty significantly because I find myself getting through the workouts without feeling completely wiped. However, there's an unintended consequence from this higher performance - I feel like I'm not doing enough! At the beginning when I finished the workouts I was done - the last thought in my mind was doing anything else physical. As the weeks have progressed I've recovered much faster after the workouts to the point where after finishing plyo today I was spent, but about an hour later I was ready to go. I started thinking to myself... did I go hard enough? Was I being lazy?
Yes, I know the answer is that I'm in better shape and I'm recovering faster, but it's still a weird feeling. What I've also noticed is that the program has started to become more of an integrated part of my life versus this giant puzzle piece that I need to force into place. I still have trouble getting workouts in on certain days, but I find that the thoughts of figuring out my workout, making my menu for the week, food shopping, and so on are much more automatic. When I go to the food store it takes about 15 minutes to grab what I need, making lunch is virtually automatic (my lunch is now as essential to running out the door as my wallet, keys, and cellphone), and thinking about when I'm doing my workout is more of a logistical issue than a, "Oh crap... I have yoga today. I don't want to do that." To me that's a major mental leap because now P90X takes minimal thought. I know how I am and I like to be lazy. If I can get in shape without having to think about it then I'm all in :)
From what I've seen, people fail at workout plans and diets because they can never seem to make them work with in their daily lives. The somewhat over-intensive format of P90X almost solves this for you because there are no off-days or cheat-days. You have no choice but to make it work in your everyday life, and that's what will ultimately lead to P90X being a life change versus just another workout.
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2 comments:
Man, that is a great post! It sums up much of what I went through when I was between day 30 and day 45 (except I am doing the girlieman P90). Things start happening and the motivation starts to increase. I personally couldn't believe the difference between my Day 30 and then Day 47 sneak peek photo. Then I was even more blown away when a mere 13 days later, at Day 60, hello! there are my abs.
It is absolutely a mindset and an attitude. And even more than that, it really has to be a lifestyle change, hopefully a permanent one. For me it has to be, "my body is the vessel in which my brain and thoughts and ideas moves through and interact with the world. If I don't take care of it FIRST, then everything else is a waste of time. Every time I put something unhealthy in my body, I am causing damage which will reduce my lifespan. If I don't get daily exercise, my body will wither and not last as long and I will be prone to illness and injury and early death." This (and seeing a sweet-ass six pack start to show through where my beer belly used to be) is what ultimately motivates me. It sounds a little extreme re-reading it to myself, but it's true in a lot of ways. Many of the most serious illnesses, in particular cancer, can be traced to poor lifestyle choices.
If Tony heard you say that you didn't feel like you "bring-ed it" in your workout you know what he would tell you, don't you? "Next time: PICK! IT! UP! Use more weight, jump higher, get 3 more reps in. Et cetera."
You guys rock! What a kick ass blog.
Keep it up!
Thanks for the kudos Prophet... always good to have people enjoying our ramblings and musings.
Your points are very right - it does sound a little extreme but you are 100% on point. Your body is only as good as what you put in it. It reminds me of one my favorite lines from SWAT: "I treat my body like a temple" to which Street says, "I treat my body like an amusement park."
And yes, my whole goal will be to kill myself each and every workout from here on out. That's what happened during Legs and Back last week, and I had the soreness to prove it. Tomorrow will be the Back and Biceps workout from hell!!
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