Phase 3 of P90X

I know, I know... it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Life has been busy and I wanted to give the PAP workouts a few tries before I said anything about them. I'm on day 83 by the way. Tomorrow will officially wrap up week 2 of Phase 3. My schedule has been the following though:

Monday - PAP Lower
Tuesday - PAP Upper
Wednesday - 90 minutes of level 2/3 yoga
Thursday - REST DAY
Friday - PAP Lower
Saturday - PAP Upper & 60 minutes of level 2/3 yoga
Sunday - 60 minutes of level 2/3 yoga

I HATE this phase... I HATE these workouts. I'm sure they are doing my body good... but I HATE THESE WORKOUTS. They are painful, they are boring, they are done twice a week... Did I mention how painful they are? None of the moves seem like much alone... but combining them all together with not much down time equals one sweaty, pissed off little Asian.

For me, the hardest "complex" or series of moves is the first set in PAP Upper. It's HELL. 10 renegade rows... followed by 6 plyo push-ups... then a 1 minute plank hold with your feet on a med ball... ending with a 45 second superman... SUCKS! You finish the first set and your shoulders are on FIRE. What do you have to do then??? Do it all 3 more times!

The only thing I like about this phase is that I can fit in a lot more yoga... which I am LOVING. I usually am able to fit in 3 sessions a week now... sometimes 4. I am really improving in so many areas... holding handstands, arm balance transitions and flexibility.

So here is a new pose I just mastered. It's called Visvamitrasana.



OH and I also took my first Zumba class this past week with my niece. It was definitely embarrassing but my god fun! I wasn't a total spazz thank goodness and will definitely be doing it again soon!

Recovery Week

Day 65 - Yoga (Lvl 2/3)

Day 66 - X2 Shoulders & Arms/ ARX2
Calories burned - 527

Day 67 - REST DAY

Day 68 - Yoga (Lvl 2/3)

Day 69 - X2 Back & Base/ ARX2
Calories burned - 781

Day 70 - Yoga (Lvl 2/3)

For me this week was about taking resistance days easier with no added cardio warm up and focusing on some yoga the other days. I'm am completely thankful of this schedule as my house was under quarantine again with a fever virus... starting with my son, then onto my daughter and finally hitting me on Wednesday night. Seriously... Spring can't come quick enough!

My work in progress poses...

As I've said before, arm balances? No problem! Poses that require back and leg flexibility? UGH... I suck. So I finally caved and bought a "yoga strap". It was $7 bucks in Target. A regular belt probably would work too if it is long enough.

So today's practice focused on the bane of my yoga practice... King Pigeon and King Dancer. They are essentially the same pose but one is on the floor, the other is standing. You can see how the strap helps with practicing to deepen these poses. I have A LOT of work to do if I ever want to be able to grab my foot in these.

One Legged King Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana


King Dancer or Natarajasana


Tomorrow, I am on to Phase 3 of P90X2! I'm not sure how I am going to like doing the same routines twice a week though.

Namaste.

Yoga Poses for Week 9 & Catch Up

Day 55 - X2 Base & Back/ARX2 (w/ Insanity Warm up)
Calories burned - 987

Day 56 - REST DAY

Day 57 - X2 Chest, Back & Balance/ARX2 (w/ Insanity Warm up)
Calories burned - 977

Day 58 - X2 Plyocide
Calories burned - 743

Day 59 - X2 Shoulders & Arms/ARX2 (w/ Insanity Warm up)
Calories burned - 740

Day 60 - TF Fire 45
Calories burned - 559

Day 61 - Yoga Level 2/3

Day 62 - X2 Base & Back/ARX2(w/ Insanity Warm up)
Calories burned - 930

Day 63 - Yoga Level 2/3

Day 64 - X2 Chest, Back & Balance/ARX2
Calories burned - 629

I'm sorry for the extended break in posts, but it's been a long week and frankly, I haven't had much to say that is new or interesting as far as P90X2 goes.

I finally got to do a little snowboarding last Monday with my adorable nephew. My legs definitely felt it and plyocide was not enjoyable whatsoever the next day. I'm extraordinarily thankful though it was my last time through. I am completely sick of it and look forward to changing it up next round.

Today I started my "recovery week". It won't be the same as last time where I "previewed" the next phase's workouts. PAP Upper and PAP Lower look fairly straight forward... and the fact that each is done twice a week is enough to hold off until phase 3 officially starts next week.

So that being said, here is my plan which is pretty straight forward... do the phase 2 resistance workouts on my usual days... Yoga on the others. My only other change is that I won't do my usual Insanity warm up with them... and as you can see, significantly brings down my calorie burn. But oh well, kind of need a break from that too.

Final thoughts on Chest, Back & Balance
This workout by far was my favorite of Phase 2. There is something about pull ups that makes me feel so incredibly strong. Being able to improve each and every week is a testament on how this system just works... and works WELL. The only move I still can't do a ton of are those damn Chattarockers. Those just suck... and being at the end doesn't help.

My yogi breakthrough...
I have been practicing and practicing... and trying and trying... and up until this weekend... failing and failing at this week's pose.

GRASSHOPPER.

It is just an uncomfortable pose to get into and requires a lot of stretchiness in your hips... something I still need to work on. But I finally just GOT it this weekend. Last week I could do it for about a second... but to me that doesn't count. So I was just flat out determined to practice, practice, practice... and what do you know... I GOT IT! WhoooHoooo! Oh and I can totally hold it now for 20-30 seconds easily.

It's amazing with yoga that once you learn a pose how easily it seems afterwards. I hope this happens this week with a few other ones!

Prep into Grasshopper... You can see how awkward it is!


Hallelujah! We have lift off!


More of a front view of it...


Seriously though people... If you could do everything the first time you tried, life would be so incredibly boring. Keeping on going with everything you do. Frustration is a part of life and your victories will feel even sweeter when you've accomplished what you've failed at so many times before.

Namaste.

Yoga Poses for Week 8

Day 48 - X2 Back & Balance/ ARX2
Calories burned - 941

Day 49 - REST DAY

Day 50 - X2 Chest, Back & Balance/ ARX2
Calories burned - 947

Day 51 - X2 Plyocide
Calories burned - 904

Day 52 - X2 Shoulders & Arms/ ARX2
Calories burned - 842

Day 53 - Cardio X
Calories burned - 437

Day 54 - Yoga Level 2/3

I'm a liar. I didn't get a chance to post anything this week.

P90X2 is going fabulously though. I am really enjoying this phase and am definitely seeing results in my upper body. My diet has unfortunately been quite up and down so I'm so not seeing results in my abs... or at least the fluff around them is hiding it! I have absolutely no excuse other than my will power has sucked lately. So we'll leave it at that.

Next week is my last planned week in this phase but I may extend these resistance workouts into my "recovery week" to get in an extra week.

I've been working hard at my yoga though. There are a few poses that I'm totally frustrated by that I hope to nail in the next month or so. I'm flexible but there is still room for major improvement... especially in my back and splits.

Today's poses involve the Tripod Headstand or Mukta Hasta Sirsana. In the past few years I have become more and more comfortable in this pose. I vividly remember not being able to do this when I took yoga classes many years ago. So this 34 year old woman can do things now that my 20-something year old self couldn't! Ha!

Your basic Tripod Headstand...



Then adding a split (which I so need to work on extending!)...



Finally adding a little twist.



There's nothing like standing on your head at 6am... Namaste.

Yoga Poses for Week 7

Day 41 - X2 Back & Base/ ARX2
Calories burned - 951

Day 42 - Rest Day

Day 43 - X2 Chest, Back & Balance/ ARX2
Calories burned - 855

Day 44 - X2 Plyocide
Calories burned - 891

Day 45 - X2 Shoulders & Arms/ ARX2
Calories burned - 894

Day 46 - Rest Day/ Sick Day

Day 47 - Yoga (Lvl 2)

Wow, has it really been a week since I've posted????

Obviously I'm still at it... Hell would have to freeze over for me not to finish anything I start. I'll start to post daily next week along with some pics from each workout because I know you all don't visit me for my spectacular writing skills. :)

One major decision though I've made this week is that I no longer will be doing X2 Yoga. Sorry... and I don't mean to offend anyone... but it is way too easy for me. (Please commence your cursing at me if you feel otherwise.) I've rejoined my favorite online yoga site (Yogaglo) and will be doing a class from here each week. So I'm really looking forward to getting back in tip top yoga form and showing you some crazier moves!

This week I've been playing around with a version of one of my favorite moves... Scorpion Pose or Vrischikasana. The instructor actually can do this with both hands up on the chin! One was enough for me... but it's something to strive towards, right?

I think the silhouette version is prettier...



But you can see the muscles in my arm better in this one! LOL



Namaste

Yoga Poses for Week 6

Day 36 - REST DAY

Day 37 - X2 Plyocide
Calories burned - 857

Day 38 - X2 Shoulders & Arms/ ARX2 (w/ Insanity warm up)
Calories burned - 756

Day 39 - Insanity Pure Cardio
Calories burned - 533

Day 40 - X2 Yoga
Calories burned - Did not record

It has been one LONG ASS week so far.

On Monday, I somehow deleted some client's data in our database... then spent the next 24 hours rebuilding it. On Tuesday, my coworker did something similar... and once again I spent the next 24 hours rebuilding it. Talk about a headache! On Wednesday my dear daughter woke up with a fever... just what I needed! Yesterday was a bit better as far as work. Hoping today everything is easy going at work and I can get home to start a nice weekend. Fingers crossed!

Other than swapping around days, my 1st official week into Phase 2 has gone great. I may continue doing Shoulders & Arms/ARX2 on Day 3 of the week instead of Day 4 as I'm home on Wednesdays. Adding back in ARX2 3 times a week makes the resistance days once again over an hour long. If I do this, essentially I'll only have to get up at the butt crack of dawn once a week... Monday.

Yoga felt great this morning. This week's poses are Warrior with a bind and the harder option... Bird of Paradise.







I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I hear Jersey's getting some snow tomorrow!!! WhoooooHoooooo! Time to dust off my snowboard!!!!

Namaste.

Day 35 Progress Pics

Day 33 - X2 Back & Base
Calories burned - 794

Day 34 - Plyo X
Calories burned - 778

Day 35 - X2 Chest, Back & Balance/ ARX2 (w/ Insanity warm up)
Calories burned - 891


Phase 1 is officially in the bag for me! WhoooooHoooooo! I really enjoyed this phase and definitely see some results as far as my midsection is concerned. To be completely honest, I probably followed the diet about 75% of the time. Weekends just ended up being a free for all. Oh well. Even so, I feel so much stronger around my core. I can start to see my abs again!