P90X: Week 8 Recap

This week we started doing something new, which will be the norm from now on.  We are getting up at 5:30am for our workouts.  Our daughter just started swim team practices in the evening so it made it so it would be hard to get them in at our "old normal" time.  So far, I really like this schedule. 

Monday (May 28): P90X: Day 50: Yoga X:  

We were good and did Yoga like we were supposed to. I managed to do and hold both Half Moon and Triangle pose without a Yoga Block. I was also able to do both Twisting Triangle Poses correctly and without a yoga block as well. The best part of the entire workout was I managed to do Plough to Shoulder Stand by myself without Sam helping me get my feet up! My stomach still makes it really hard to breath in this position, and hard to get my feet over my head completely. I wrote originally (on my Endomondo) that it took 8 weeks for me to actually enjoy doing Yoga. The next day I changed my mind about that...  while I think Yoga is good for you it kills both of my wrist from the numerous Downward Dog Poses.  Both wrists were sore as hell the following morning.

Tuesday (May 29): P90X: Day 51: Core Synergistics X:

Core Synergisitcs is only done in the recovery week in the Classic version of P90X, so this was only my 4th time doing it.  I think core is my weakest point... this workout kicks my butt worse then Plyo. Not in a raise my heart rate cardio sense, but it pushes my body itself to the limit. The only improvements this day since Week 4 was I able to grab both socks and hold my postion in Boat, and I could do extra push-ups (still on knees, but I did manage to do 2 normal). Downside...  I am noticed my shin splint on this day. 

Wednesday (May 30): P90X: Day 52: Kenpo X

 I believe that I wrote last week that Kenpo X is by far my favorite P90X workout, and usually I can really get a workout from it. But I did the worst I have ever done on Kenpo this morning... I gave it all I hard and it still wasn't enough, it was like my body was protesting me. I had hoped that a decent night sleep would make my shin feel better, but it certainly did not, and it hurt like a b**** doing this workout. I did ice it and wrap it following the workout and it made it feel much better. 

Thursday (May 31): P90X: Day 53: X Stretch

It was stretching... nothing new from last week. 

Friday (June 1): P90X: Day 54: Core Synergistics  

 I pushed myself this morning to do my best, and I believe that I did really well! Core Synergistics is a little bit of everything with an emphasis, I guess, on engaging your core. It is starting to become 2nd nature now to keep my ab muscles engaged everything I workout (P90X and otherwise) and during the day I am starting to engage them too.

There were 6 sets of push-ups in Core (a few of the advanced types I still can not do so I do normal push ups instead,although, like I have been saying, I am still on my knees). I managed to bust out 151 push-ups today in the time frame he gives us each time. I am starting to be able to do 20-25 push ups now before stopping for a mid-set break or stopping for the set. Week 1 to could do 10, maybe 12. I did cut Jumping Jacks out of the warm up today in order to give my shin a break.

Additional side note today, I am noticing that the past maybe 2 weeks it is taking more of an effort on my part to raise my heartrate up. Bascally I have to push myself and do more in order to get into my zone. I added Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii into my routine this week in order to take a break from the treadmill, again due to the shin splint, but I noticed that it doesn't really get my heart rate up like it did the first few two or so weeks I had it (I bought it a week and a half before I started P90X). If I really push myself doing it I can reach the high 130s. In turn my calorie burns aren't as high as they were in the beginning on some of the non-advanced type fitness programs. I am assuming that this (the heartrate thing) is due to building up endurance and stamina... I will need to look into it a little more.

Saturday (June 2): P90X: Day 55: Supposed to be Yoga X 

So I did not Yoga for reasons that I stated above.

So, I made up my own HIIT workout on the treadmill and did it. It is all brisk walking and it was awesome. I was able to get my heart rate up, and able to make it stay up, so the end result was that I spent 54 minutes in my fitness heart rate zone! Yay! (Note to self for reference: average heart rate 144bpm, maximum: 171bpm).

Dianne’s HIIT Workout:
5 minutes: Warm-up (3.0mph @ 3% incline)
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 5% incline
2 minutes: 3.2 mph @ 5% incline
2 minutes: 3.4 @ 5% incline
2 minutes: 3.2 mph @ 5% incline
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 5% incline
(Repeat two more times… 2nd time at 5.5% incline, and 3rd time at 6% incline)
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 5% incline
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 6% incline
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 7% incline
2 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 8% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 9% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 10% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 9% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 8% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 7% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 6% incline
1 minutes: 3.0 mph @ 5% incline
Walked the rest of the time 3.2 mph @ 5% incline

Sunday (June 3): P90X Rest Day:

We went on a long hike today.  We did the hardest, and easiest trial in the Mohican and we did 6.38 miles in 2.5 hours.  I burned almost 950 calories. 

Walking:  I surpassed my goal of 15 miles this week which 18.56 miles of walking!!  WOOT!!  I even earned my 20,000 steps on Saturday night on my Fitbit.  I am loving doing HIIT on my treadmill when the weather outside is too hot, which it has been lately. Or rainy. 

Swimming: Since my daughter is doing swim team this year we bought the season family membership to the community pool. Twice this week, when the weather wasn't cold and nasty, I went to the pool with my mom and swam laps. The first day I swam for an hour (mainly freestyle, but some back and breaststroke). The second day I swam for about 20 minutes, and started getting really bad heartburn and my nephew wanted me to play with him.  I will start swimming more once the weather permits.  I forgot how much swimming was a good workout, and how much I love it! I miss being on the swim team in High School.    

Side Notes:

PHASE TWO OF ROUND ONE IS COMPLETE!!! 

Here is the total stats for Phase 2 ONLY:

I lost 3.1lbs, 1.5" off my waist, 1" off my hips, 2" off my chest, 1” off each thigh, and .25” off my neck. I gained .25" in each of my calves and .5” in each bicep.

Sam lost 4.9lbs, 1.5" off his waist, .5" off his hips, 1.25" off his chest, and 1.25” off each thigh. His neck stayed the same. He gained 1” in each of his calves, and .5” in each bicep.

I should also add that we've both seen a huge in crease in our endurance and stamina as well.

As of right now, I have lost 20.8 pounds, and about 10% BF.