[sloth2946]

Originally Posted by The Wall33

Rob,

Great to read that you are sticking to it... I'm looking into the P90X system myself.

Questions:

How are you finding the diet portion of the plan? The P90X site says you should be in shape before trying the workout - do you concur? If yes, to what level of fitness pre-P90X?

Thanks,

Wellsie

I forgot to mention I am not doing the diet plan. I am trying to do this from the perspective of an average person. The diet plan calls for some foods that I either simply cannot eat, simply do not like to eat, or do not have at my disposal to eat during the course of what is my usual hectic day. What I have done is taken the common sense approach to eating. I eliminated soda and sweets. On an occasion I will cheat and have a single Hershey's kiss. I eat lean meats, pastas, and poultry. I've added more fruit and veggies as well and the occasional protein shake. My energy level is at an all time high. I am so much more peppy and positive with my energy that it is a godsend. My wife cannot believe the level of dedication I've shown. Today I was bad...I had 5 M&Ms.

With regard to fitness...can you reasonably do 25 pushups with good form at a clip? Can you do front pull downs with around 100lbs around 15 reps? Can you reasonably do 60 situps in 90 seconds?

If so, you should be in reasonably enough shape to handle it. The trepidation of starting it is big. It is a leap of faith and you will fail. But as Tony says in the videos, keep coming back. Keep pressing play. Do your best, and forget the rest. I know to the P90X crew here that is cliche but it is the answer. Give what you can, and keep giving it and keep pushing. The walls you see when doing it are mental. Just keep at it regardless of your fitness level. You will push yourself too. Mediocre wont be enough for you. You'll struggle with 12 reps and there will be 10 secs left in that exercise and you'll get pissed and rip out 3-4 more just because you're not happy with yourself. That internal motivation that this workout gives you because you see near instant results is huge. Milk it and keep pushing on.

I suspect you are active enough that you can get through it. What I did was to prepare myself, I did 3 days of the workout for two weeks just to get the hang of everything. Maybe even take the first week as a starter week and get used to the pace and routines and then start the next week as your official start date.

Also realize that the program has modified moves for people who might not be able to do 12 pull ups or other exercises. It is also important to watch the videos and plan your workout so you have your space set up properly with the weights/bands/equipment set up because there is such a small rest between exercises that being prepared for what is coming next gets you into the flow.

Give 'er a go. Have no fear and just dive in and commit yourself. You wont regret it.

Originally Posted by Southshoretrash

Although this may sound obvious, do you skip the workout when you have a game?

Thanks.

Absolutely.................................Not.

I have not skipped a game or turned down ice time because of the workout. I have had due to scheduling conflicts had to miss a workout once, but what I did was I did a double the next day. My day, that day consisted of the following:

Up at 6:15am. Yoga X.
at work @ 9am
Lunch around 12pm where I did Shoulders/Arms/Ab RipperX
Left work @ 5
Coaching @ 6-7pm
Game @ 8:20.
Game @ 11:10.

While I was gassed, I soldiered on and did Legs/Back/Ab RipperX the next day.

The point is....NEVER skip. This routine is designed very rigidly. Stick to it, be disciplined and religious about it.

Originally Posted by Bryan

I hear you on the Kenpo vid. I just couldn't get into it. I kept thinking "Billy Blanks".

Yoga though, is just too freaking long. At an hour and a half, it was the one workout I often ended up skipping just because of the time involved. I just recently got back into doing a bit of Yoga on a regular basis, but I'm using Tara Stiles as my muse.

Yup...Billy Blanks indeed. My wife used to do Tae-Bo and is intrigued by the Kenpo. I told her to do it any time she wants. She hasn't taken me up on that yet. I will wear her down. I might do it with her when I am done with this cycle. Maybe we'll do the lean together.

I like the yoga because it is challenging and meditative. It takes focus, strength, power and balance. And at the end of it, yoga just gives me a bit of an endorphin rush that makes me feel completely at peace and calm that nothing else has ever done. In the past workouts actually used to leave me short tempered and for lack of a better way to put it...nasty. But at the end of these, with the yoga style cool downs, I am at peace with things which is great.

As stated above. I've never missed a day yet and don't want to. I want to do it by the book in terms of the workouts...diet excluded!

{edit}

I will admit one motivating part of Plyos. The friggin' amputee guy. If a dude can do that with a prosthesis, there is no excuse for you gassing out.