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May 23, 2011

After keeping up a hybrid program with P90X and some Insanity mixed in during the 2010-11 season, I had to take a break because my work schedule just got ridiculous. Now that a four-week hiatus is over, it's back to the grind.

And why not jump in with both feet? OK Shaun T, I entered the Asylum. Let's have at it....


Sept. 3, 2010

Well that was a mistake. I spent a month doing Insanity, which is a program I absolutely love doing. But like clothes, workouts are not one-size-fits-all. As much as I enjoyed the daily challenge of Insanity, I was missing the muscle-building intensity of P90X. And when I jumped into a P90X workout yesterday just to change it up, I learned a painful lesson: don't ever stop doing Ab-RipperX.
As much as Insanity has given me an amazing cardio level, one I haven't been able to claim since my college playing days (I played ice hockey last weekend and my legs never got tired!), I feel like my body type needs to continually work on muscle building. Insanity gave me great cardio results, but I admit I lost some of the hard-earned muscle power and size I had at the start of the summer. OK, lesson learned.
I have to admit I feel like I've reset the clock and it's somewhat demoralizing. But I'm determined now more than ever to get back into the program. But this time with a twist: a hybrid of P90X and Insanity. Maybe this is exactly what I needed after a full year of doing P90X.
I begin Monday, Sept. 6. Fittingly, that's Labor Day.
Let the new 90 begin...

Aug. 9, 2010:

My one year anniversary came and went on June 29. It's been a year that myself and my wife (hockeymom4) first began this amazing journey with TeamBeachbody. I've done three full cycles of P90X, including a recent one in which I did a hybrid of Insanity with P90X. I just upated my profile photo from last week's vacation. The good-looking guy in the photo is my 8 year old son, Zach.

So today I start a new challenge: Insanity. I want to take on Shaun T's program for 60 days. Until now, I've done a few of the workouts mixed into P90X, but I've never done it full-out. I think I'm ready for it. I have 60 days before the NBA season starts so this is a perfect time for me to tackle this challenge.My wife has made Insanity her program of choice. She absolutely loves it and looks great as a result.

The aforementioned P90fiX Challenge went well. Several Knicks and NBA fans jumped into the challenge and completed the 90 day mission. It was great to see.

April 19, 2010:

I've decided to start a challenge for Knicks fans who follow me on Twitter and Facebook and my Knicks Fix blog and have read and followed my progress with P90X. I'm calling it the P90fiX Fitness Challenge.
In 90 days, the Knicks will be in the midst of what fans have been waiting two years for: free agency. It'll be a busy time for me as a reporter and an exciting time for fans as the franchise attempts to make major improvements through free agency.
Why not take the time between now and then to improve yourself?
Some of you are already a week in and that's fine with me. I was scheduled to start Phase III (Classic) of my third round of P90X. But now that the season is over, I'll have more time to re-dedicate myself to the program (with no excuses because of travel and time constraints).
So if you're with me, we begin today with Day 1 - Chest & Back and Ab Ripper. Take your weight and measurements, set goals and keep track of each other.
In no time you'll love your results. Therefore, if the Knicks fail to live up to expectations this summer, at least you know you will have lived up to your own!!!
Good luck!

HISTORY:
I started P90X on June 29, 2009 with no prior program as a foundation. My only fitness regimen to that point involved skating with my son, doing some occasional ab work and . . . does yard work count?
It was humiliating at the start. I'm 6'6" so doing pull-ups on the doorframe bar is a bit of a challenge. My knees touch the ground! But after 60 days I am getting the hang of it (no pun intended...geez).
For me it's about gaining power, but I am finding that I am gaining overall stability (core) more than anything at this point. Soreness is still there, but it's a good sore.
Endorphins...I love em.
We all want to see the visual results right away. I was reluctant to take the Day 1 photos, but I did. My Day 30s showed a lil something, but maybe my wife is being kind.

UPDATE (9/1/09): My wife took my 60 Day photos last night. I posted one in my current photo. I'll let my 7-year-old son sum it up when he made this observation as his mother took the photos: "Daddy, you're not fat anymore!"
Still have 30 days to go before the first cycle is done. We're already planning to get right into a second cycle of P90X.

UPDATE (Sept. 17): I officially have a butt. This is big news coming from someone with the unfortunate hereditary trait known as FBS (flat-butt syndrome). But through 70-plus days of P90X I now see the swoop in my lower back that protrudes as a muscle called gluteus maximus.
OK, sure, it's nowhere near the kind that will nicely fill out a pair of jeans or ever be mistaken for a hockey butt (my seven year old son already has that working for him...lucky kid, we put him on skates early. I was determined to ensure he didn't get the FBS. It also helped that the kid loves hockey.
Anyway, my pleasant discovery leads me to, of course, offer the cliche line I've heard time and again from P90Xers like myself: why didn't I have this program 20 years ago!
Two weeks left before P90X graduation. Stoked for the 90-day photo.

UPDATE: Oct. 3: I'm sitting here in my hotel room in Saratoga, dripping sweat at 11:30 p.m. and just finished Yoga X, the final workout of my first 90 days!!!!
It's amazing how I feel. I am already planning my strategy for the next 90 days. I saw myself in the mirror this week and was really excited about the progress that I have made over the past three months. I am leaner than I have been in 20 years and far more muscular than I ever was before in my life. My abs look good, but there's still a little more left to burn before I can say I have a full six-pack.
With the experience of the first 90 days, I know I can tackle P90X a second time and get even greater results, especially with the weight training aspect. I need to add bigger dumbbells and heavier bands to my gear and my goal for the second round is to really build up my muscles.
The trick will be traveling. I am now into my season and will be on the road a lot.
The next 2-3 weeks I will give my body time to recover with cardio and core syn and perhaps some kenpo. then I'll get back at it the week the NBA season officially begins. I think that's a good starting point.
The 90 day photo comes Monday. Let's see how it compares.
UPDATE!!!
Just took my Day 90 photo with my camera phone using the mirror in the bathroom of my hotel room. (I couldn't wait). I go through two emotions: I look really lean, but when I compare it to my Day 1 photo - maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me - I think I'm not that much different. Maybe it's the lighting? Why does my mind do this? It's crazy.
I do know I need to focus a lot more on muscle development now. Bulking up those skinny arms and this small chest of mine. And my thighs. This next round of P90X will be all about bulking up. What I need to do is learn how to eat to fuel. I cut back so much in my calorie intake in the first 90 just to lean down. Now I need to re-think.
UPDATE (10/6): Home now and Stephanie and I did our 90-day Fit Test. Man, my pull-ups are still VERY weak. I also thought I'd do better with the pushups, but I just lose a lot of energy in my shoulders. I killed the wall-squats though. I could have gone another minute or two but I got bored!!!
Will do CardioX and Ab Ripper and some Core Syn over the next two weeks. Freshen up and then GO HARD. Gotta buy some bigger dumbbells and thicker bands.
Also going to add Shakeology to my diet.
The next post will be when I start the next 90 days. Oct. 26 is my target date.

UPDATE: Oct. 19
I couldn't wait. I started the second round of P90X last week and today was the start of Week 2. This is all about bulking up. This round I am determined to turn my most challenging days -- push-ups, pull-ups -- into my most successful.