Ahh Summer!!

The last couple of days in Sheboygan have been sunny and in the 80's. I haven't done as many official P90X workouts as I would have liked, but I have been very active. Between the bike rides, volleyball, and chasing kids, my caloric burn has been sufficient. I must say that both my wife and I feel stronger. We played beach volleyball last night and she got to balls that she wouldn't have gotten to last year. To see and feel the improvement makes us want to tighten the screws down on our workouts.

On a side note, anybody want to buy a 2002 Saturn. 97,000 miles, runs good, $1000.

P90X just turned into P120X

Hey all,

Well, the past couple of weeks haven't been the greatest for my workouts. I have plenty of excuses, but we are getting back on track tonight! I still am getting stronger. I did 13 pull-ups this morning, which was my high so far. When I started i could only do 7, so I can still feel the improvements. Thanks for those who have yelled at me to get back at it. I appreciate it!

Whats Good?

Vitamin D!

Let me re-phrase that. Vitamin D is great! I have been diligent on taking my vitamins lately and that includes my Vitamin D3. I have been taking my D3 (4000 IU's) every day and I believe that it has really increased my energy levels. Here is a list of some of the benefits that research is finding with increased levels of D3:

-Helps absorb calcium which keeps your bones healthy

-Boosts your immune system

-Has a role in insulin secretion

-May help in blood pressure regulation

-Has links to decreased cancer rates

These are just a couple of the benefits, but I think that is enough for all of us to start upping our daily levels of Vitamin D. If you are asking yourself if you are deficient, if you live in Wisconsin, you probably are. Our body makes vitamin D from the sun, and we just don't get enough of it here in the midwest. There are simple blood tests to determine your levels, but even the recommended doses and levels are low, in my opinion. Ask your friendly chiropractor (me!) for advice and recommendations. As a disclaimer, make sure you talk to a health professional before changing any vitamin regimen.

Back in the Game

Well, I was gone this past weekend out of town. We did not workout this past week, but started up this past Tuesday (April 13th). P90X has it built into the program that you are on for three weeks and then take a full week off. We had to modify that a bit with my trip, as we only worked out for 2 and a half weeks before taking the time off. It felt great to take a vacation, but my muscles where aching to be used. I found myself doing push-ups and sit-ups at the condo, just because it felt good to do it. That was a good feeling knowing that my body was actually aching for exercise. It is going to be tricky this week to get in all the workouts, as we are going to the in-laws. We plan on taking the DVD's with us so we can stay on track.

Brewers Game or Workout?

Sometimes life gets in the way of our perfectly laid plans. Last night we were supposed to do our plyometrics workout, but we got invited to go to a Brewer game. So, needless to say, we went to the game. It was very fun, the Brewers won. Life is a balancing act. Family, Religion, Business, and your own personal time for growth, all tug for time. You must organize your life. It has been helpful for me to schedule a specific time each day to workout. I have also scheduled time to spend alone with each one of my sons. I write in my calendar so it just becomes part of the routine. That is the tip for the day....write it down! Put it in your planner. If you don't have a planner, I would plan to get one. Of course you won't have anywhere to write it down, but you get the idea.

Junk Food is Addictive as Crack! (Gives you a big one too!)

A new study in the latest issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience concluded that eating too much junk food can increase the reward threshold in your brain. This means that you have to eat more of the bad stuff to get the same euphoric feeling. In this study rats were given fatty food for 40 days. Then, they were given the choice to eat the healthy food or eat the fatty food, and get shocked. The rats took the shock, and ate the bad food. (I know I would take an electrical shock for a Chester's Hamburger!)

So the moral of the story is....don't eat junky, fatty food because it will change or brain chemistry and it will make it harder to quit. If you are already addicted, don't despair because it is reversible. You will go through some withdrawal, but once you start eating healthier, it is easier to stay on track.

Gravity Stinks

Gravity, this is the force constantly pulling us to the ground. The measure of gravity's force is 9.8 m/sec2 at the earths surface. I swear someone turned up the gravity Monday night when I was doing pull-ups. I did my best and forgot the rest. That is P90x's mantra. I didn't eat the greatest over the weekend. We were sabotaged by some friends bringing over pizza. (you know who you are:) I limited myself to one piece, and some wings. My portion control has improved, and I have gained my first belt loop back.

Help, I can't get off the toilet!

That was the quote my brother texted me on Sunday. He volunteered to do the Leg and Back workout with me on Friday night. It was tough, but probably my least favorite of the workouts I have done yet. The tip for today is to find a partner to workout with. There is something competitive about working out with someone that pushes you farther than you would by yourself.

We actually had a day off on Saturday. It was nice to let the body heal after taking a pounding this week. Sunday we did our KENPO workout. It was boxing mixed with some martial arts. It was a good cardio workout. I have to get a heart rate monitor so I can keep myself in the target heart rate during the workout. Use the chart to find your target zone. Exercising at your target rate is important to optimize your workout. If you are too low, you are not pushing yourself hard enough. If you are too high, you will fatigue too early and you will not get the desired length of workout and you will not burn the calories you were hoping to.

Health vs. Beauty

As my body gets sorer, and the workouts get tougher, I have to examine my motivation. Why did I start this program? Well, it was to get in better shape so I will able to keep up with my kids in 10 years. I would be lying to myself (and you) if I wasn't excited about the possibility of uncovering a few more abs. As I age, my attention to what I look like is really decreasing. I remember when I made fun of my dad for wearing his dress socks with his wind pants....now that is me. I mean I even posted a rather unflattering picture at the start of this blog, I probably wouldn't have done that 5 years ago. Well anyways, you have to find your own motivation, and it has to be yours. If you try to change for someone else, its not going to work. As nice as it sounds in your head, I guarantee it will not work. I have tried.
The workout was good last night. The DVD focused on shoulders and arms. I guess my vanity shines through in this workout because these are the muscles that get the attention when you are in your tank top or swimsuit. I think this was my favorite workout of the ones we have done. Yoga is on the schedule tonight. Trish is going to kick my butt in this one!

Day 3- Only 87 more to go...

Well, Trish and I did some plyometrics last night. I must say it was much more entertaining than doing pull-ups and push-up for 50 minutes. This routine was a lot of jumping, squatting, lunging, hopping, and leaping. It was a great cardio workout. I do not recommend doing this workout right before you go to bed.
I ate pretty good yesterday.
Breakfast: Plain yogurt with granola. Grapes
Lunch: Chicken Wrap with side of fruit.
Dinner: Enchiladas and corn. (Did have some salsa and a little sour cream)
As I look at it is was a little low on the veggie side. I did have my Dynamic Green drink which helped supplement my lack of vegetables, but nothing is better for you than the real thing.

Delayed onset muscle soreness...love it!

So I did my first workout yesterday and it was pretty extreme.  I wasn't able to keep up with the instructors, but that meant more time for rest...which was nice.  I woke up this morning and felt some muscles that I haven't felt in a while.  Many people ask me, why do I get so sore the next day, or even two days after I workout?  The phenomenon is called DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).  This happens becuase you are actually breaking down some of the muscle fibers when you do resistance training.  This breakdown allows your muscle fibers to regenerate into bigger, stronger fibers.  This process causes a little swelling in the tissue which can put pressure on the surrounding nerves, causing some of the pain that you feel.  (There are some that suggest that the build up of lactic acid in the muscle also contributes to the pain.)  So it is a healthy, natural process, in which the muscles are regenerating.  If you get too sore, don't be afraid to use a little ice, and make sure you are drinking enough water.

My diet went pretty good yesterday.  I had eggs and fruit for breakfast.  My wonderful wife made a lettuce wrap with chicken, apples, raisens and cheese for lunch.  For dinner we had some salmon, a salad, and some peas.  The only thing I regret about yesterday is that I told my 3 year old not to pee (pea) on himself, which only made him want to dump his peas in his lap.  Funny at the time, but I can see myself explaining to his 1st grade teacher in a couple of years, why he likes to dump peas in his lap.

Like a well-buttered machine

Well here we go.  My P90X journey officially started tonight.  My wife and I took our pre-test and I am proud to say that we passed.  We met the minimum requirements allowed to start this intense training program.  I am going to share everything through this journey.  I will be posting my before pictures, and I will also post my pre-test scores.  Please feel free to point and laugh, because I sure did.  All I am asking from you, my friends and family, is a little encouragement along the way. 

Weight: 194 pounds  (Not my heavist, but pretty close)

Height: 6' 1"

BMI:  25.6  (Link to Calculator)

Body fat percentage: 14.9

Tomorrow the diet starts. No more donuts from the bakery and no more fast food.  The P90X program comes with a dietary guide, which I plan to loosely follow.  I don't agree with everything on the program, but I will discuss that more as we go.  The biggest challenge is finding the hour a day to work out.  I am planning on doing it at night after the kids go to bed.  Wish me luck!

I am committed...or at least some think I should be.

This morning I announced to my professional networking group that I am going to do the P90X program. I have ordered it, and as soon as it comes I am going to start it. In the meantime I am going to do my best to get as fat as possible. Johnston's Bakery watch out. I am kidding of course, but I am not going to take my measurements and pictures until then. The announcement of this makes it real and I can already feel the accountability train picking up steam. Woot-woot!

Debating on P90X

This weekend I spent the weekend with the kids while my wife was out of town. I was woken one night by my one-year old as he had wet through his diaper. (I guess dad doesn't put the diaper on perfect.) As I returned to bed, the P90X commercial was on. It did grab my attention, as I have noticed that I haven't been up to my peak physical condition, and the kids wore me out. I want to regain my energy again. I am going to do it, I am going to post pictures, and I am going to do it publicly so I have a built in accountability system. Hopefully I will inspire some of you to take an active role in their health. If nothing else it will be fun to watch my journey.

Stay tuned.